Failure launching Wordpad Unable to view EZAV logfile

Hello everyone!

Wasn't sure whether to post this is OS or in the Security forum as I'm not sure which is causing me the problem? (Please forgive me if I'm in the wrong place!)

I have W98 and use eTrust EZAntivirus. When I go open the program to view the "log files" (i.e. virus scan, realtime, autodownload, Isafe) they are all set to open with Notepad (by default I presume??). I can view all of them accept for the autodownload. When I choose to view that one it states that it is too large for notepad to open and offers the option to open with wordpad. However when I choose "yes" I get an error message (a box with the yellow triangle and exclamation) saying "failure launching wordpad ".

I can use wordpad from my desktop (seems to function okay there, opens without any problems, etc.) But not when trying to use it with this filelog viewing.

I like to check on this periodically only to ease my worries about it doing it's automatic updates and thus making sure it's working correctly.

Anyone have any ideas on how I could get wordpad to work to view this file?

Thanks for your help!
Vicki

 

Vicki,

Have you tried opening wordpad first and opening the log file with wordpad rather than clicking it? Be sure to choose 'all files' in the 'types' slot.

Make sure you can see the extensions of all files, so you can see if the file should open in a text editor.

 

If you get the file open and it seems to be very "large ", you can delete those items which you have read and click Save (I don't delete the first or the last items). Just make sure it is saved as the original file type (.log?).

If you think there is a problem with Wordpad itself, you can reinstall it by going to Control Panel > Add/remove programs > Windows Setup (tab) > Accessories and uncheck Wordpad, click OK until you get back to Control Panel. Restart the computer, go back and recheck the box. It will ask for the Win98 CD.

Still problems...you may be running out of memory, as in, small amount of RAM, too many background programs running or not enough disk space. Although Windows should give you a "low memory" error.

Matt

 

Try reinstalling wordpad. I'm not using 98 at the moment but if memory serves me correctly you do this by going to add>remove programs>windows setup. Click on accessories so that it's higlighted and then click detail. Uncheck wordpad, ok your way back out and reboot. Then go back and recheck it in add>remove programs, restart again and see if it works.

A word of caution here though. Do you either have a windows 98 cd or have the windows setup files copied to your hard drive (probably located at windows\options\cabs)? If not, don't try this as you won't have anything to reinstall wordpad from.

 

Getting better....

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions, I know I could never do any of this without your helping hand and patient guidance!

I was able to "open" the autodownload.txt file (don't remember all the steps I took to do it--opened word, opened explorer, then found the file that I needed to open). And I did somehow manage to copy(?) the text (showing all the autodownloaded dates, files, etc.) and named that "old autodownload.txt ". Then I went back and deleted alot of what was on the original file. So today when I went to check on the EZAv download files, it (of course) opened in notepad as the file was now no longer too large to use!

But I certainly don't want to have to do this everytime the file gets too large? So am wondering if I should do as some of you have suggested and try reinstalling wordpad? (In hopes that this may correct the problem when using the EZAv autodownload file.) Guess I just found it rather odd that wordpad will work from my desktop?? But then I know little to nothing about how programs work with each other!

I do not have an original cd (as Win98 came preinstalled...only a "recovery disk" available). But I do believe the cab files are on here. If I do try and do a reinstall, how do I know which cab file will be the right one I need? (they only appear to have numbers on them?)

This is my favorite website to visit, and I know if I just keep hanging around long enough, one day I may be able to solve some of these (minor?) annoyances myself!

Thanks again to all of you!
Vicki

 

Here's a replacement for notepad that has no file size limit.

 

Hi Vicki

Wordpad.exe is located in the WIN98_47.CAB.

 

If you uninstall and then reinstall it the way I mentioned you won't have to know where it is. Windows will know (or should anyway) the cab files are on the hard drive and when you reinstall it windows will find it by itself. To be on the safe side though, I'd make a backup of wordpad.exe before unistalling it. That way if the cabs you see somehow happen to not be right you can copy the backup back to the folder it's supposed to be in and then use scanreg /restore to restore a previous registry that has the proper registry entries for it. Or at least the ones that are there now.

If you uninstall it, before you do click start>run and type scanreg. A window will pop up saying either the registry's already been backed up today or else that it hasn't. It'll then ask if you want to back it up now. Either way I'd choose yes just to be sure you have a new copy.

Chances are you won't need this but it's better to be safe than sorry. If something does happen where you need to restore the registry boot to a DOS prompt and type scanreg /restore and then press enter. You can choose any of the backups in the list that are dated before you uninstalled it but if you want to use the one you created manually look for one that says "not started" next to it. That'll be the one you created when you did the start>run>scanreg thing.