This is my first question for this site - hope I can get some help! My computer won't fully start for whatever reason. I get to the Windows LogIn (which works) but a few seconds later I get an error message that "Explorer caused an invalid page fault in module EXPLORER.EXE at 017f:00401f31 ... Registers ... " and nothing further happens. It does the same thing in Safe Mode. I don't have the original 98SE disk, but I did make a copy of the 98SE Folder onto a CD some time ago. Will that help?

What did you uninstall?

It depends on what is in that folder. How big is it?

You may not need to reinstall the entire OS. Overwriting explorer.exe may just repair the damage done.

You will need a bootdisk. Either make one from the machine you are on now (if it's 98 or maybe even ME iirc), or you can download one from the net. Bootdisk.Com

Turn PC off
Put floppy in
Turn PC on
Should bring up A: (prompt)
Type ren c:\explorer.exe explorer.old
Press Enter

This should restore Explorer.exe to it's original version. If uninstallation of a program caused the fault, you should be up and going once you restart the PC.

Why don't you have the Win 98SE disk? You can try running SFC, but it will probably need to the disk or at least the CAB files.

Many mfgs would include a copy of the disk in a folder for Win 98. See if you have a folder with a lot of CAB files in it. If that's what's on your CD, that may work.

Thanks to both of you... I'll be able to 'test' these solutions this weekend and will let you know how things turn out. BTW, regarding why I don't have the original disk - well my genius ex-son-in-law didn't think it was "that important" to know where he had put them. So I'm currently disk-less, except for the CD that I copied the entire Windows 98SE Folder onto. And that just may have all the Cab Files - I do remember seeing a lot of them in there. Scott, what do you mean "try running SFC".. I'm not sure what SFC is.

SFC: System File Checker

Go to Start>Run Type in SFC and run it. If it finds any errors it will prompt you for the location of the cab files.

Thanks to you both, I am now up and running again! You got me headed in the right direction, and then with some further reading I've repaired the problem. The issue was in the startup Registry (if I'm saying that correctly) and by using the 'scanreg - restore' method everything is now fine. By the way, the Cab files you talked about are on the CD I made - and I have a good floppy startup disk now as well... so I think I'm ready for any future issues.
Thanks again for your help!
Dave

You're Welcome