Netscape 4.78 - e-mail locks up on opening with Netscape.exe error

Helping a friend with a problem! Friend runing Windows ME with Netscape 4.78. Worked fine for two years. Of a sudden can't access e-mail anymore. E-mail page opens and locks with error message - "Netscape has caused an error in Netscape.exe. Netscape will now close" no other options. Have removed Netscape and reinstalled twice with the same result. Have not tried new mailboxes and incrementally adding them back in to see if there is an offender hidden somewhere. Can the fault lie within the e-mail folders themselves or perhaps in the user files? Or is there something else simple that I am missing? Would really appreciate any help you can give. Don't want to have to recommend IE as the only alternative. Thanks

 

Hi Warthog,

Try the usual first aid:
Close Netscape
Open Windows Explorer
Navigate to the: C:\Program Files\Netscape\Users\username folder
Delete: netscape.hst file, and the Cache folder
They will be rebuilt when Netscape is reopened

Open the Mail folder
Delete all files with the SNM extension
DO NOT DELETE files without the SNM extension, as these are the files which contain the mail

Rebuild the Netscape REGISTRY
Back up all USERS folders
Close Netscape
Rename NSREG.DAT to NSREG.BAK
Located in C:\WINDOWS
Restart Netscape
You will be prompted for a new Profile
Give it the exact name of your existing Profile
Multiple Profiles can be restored the same way

This is usually the most successful solution when experiencing the netscape.exe error.

Let us know if this helps with the Mail problem.

Your friend might also consider using Netscape 7.02 or Mozilla 1.5.

 

Thanks Ramona. I know you've probably given out those directions many times and once again I appreciate it. Is 7.02 that good and is it worth while installing? Any problems moving from 4.78 to 7.02? Will let you know how repair works out. Thanks.

 

Hi Warthog,

I have given those instructions more than a few times, but it has been a while. Always glad to repeat them, however.

Netscape 7.02, and Mozilla 1.4.1, or 1.5 are all stable browsers. Netscape 7.1 has a serious resource leak, so I hesitate to recommend it; however, Netscape 7.1 is based on the same code as Mozilla 1.4.1, and is almost identical. If your friend is interested, have her/him read the Release Notes for these Browsers to get an idea of the available features.

Netscape 7.0 - 7.1 Release Notes
Mozilla 1.4.1 Release Notes
Mozilla 1.5 Release Notes

When installing 7.02, the install will automatically convert the 4.78 profile data to either Netscape 7.02, or the Mozilla Releases (1.4.1 or 1.5).

Cheers,

Ramona

 

Ramona - Thanks for the information. Want you to know that your solution for the lock-up in Netscape.exe worked perfectly. Everything restored to normal working order in under 10 minutes. Kudus to you and all the Netscape supporters out there. You are friends indeed. Thanks.