gpf's in module user.exe

[jparton]

Hello.

I'm new to this forum and joined because tech support online at Gateway, after offering several fixes, has advised me to re-format my hard disk. I thought I'd ask y'all to help with the following before I try that.

This is the original, and continuing error message I receive for various applicaitons:

"QW (or IEXPLORE or HOTSYNC or OUTLOOK) caused a general protection fault
in module USER.EXE at... "

followed by a series of numbers and other things I don't understand.

Gateway has advised me, and I have complied, in the following actions:

use Scanreg to restore the Windows Registry.
then
Scan For Altered Files and replace them
then
extract the file user.exe using the System File Checker in Windows 98
then
uninstall Microsoft Office 2000 Professional (because they fixated on Outlook) and reinstall msoffice 2000
then
adding lines to your System.ini file
Under the [Vcache] heading type the following lines:

MinFileCache=1024
MaxFileCache=16384

then

to free up memory:
Clearing Temp files
and
Clearing Temporary Internet Files and the folder called History

and

Checking for conflicts in device manager

and

Thorough Scandisk and Defrag.

That's when they said to re-fromat. I would appreciate anything any of you have to say about this situation.

Thanks,

John
jparton

[Mosaic1]

Have a look at your video settings. Are you using 32 bit? Bring that down to 16 bit. Reboot. See if that helps.
Another thing to try is to update your video drivers. Find the make and model of your Video card and then see if there is a driver update offered.

[reghakr]

Here's the problem with System File Checker:

When you use the System File Checker (Sfc.exe) tool to restore a Windows 98 system file (for example, the User.exe, Gdi.exe, or Krnl386.exe file) from a Windows 98 cabinet (.cab) file, the wrong version of the file may be extracted from the Mini.cab cabinet file. This can result in the inability to start Windows 98 (for example, your computer may stop responding) or "Windows Protection Error" error messages in normal and Safe mode.

NOTE: This symptom can occur when the System File Checker tool prompts you to restore a corrupt system file during a scan or when you extract and replace a system file using the System File Checker tool.

CAUSE
This behavior occurs because the System File Checker tool baseline file (Default.sfc) contains incorrect information about the source cabinet file locations for some Windows 98 system files. As a result, the System File Checker tool searches for the system file in the specified folder (if it is not in a cabinet file) and then in all cabinet files in the specified folder. The System File Checker tool searches cabinet files using their MS-DOS folder order and extracts the first instance found. If the Mini.cab cabinet file appears in an MS-DOS folder listing before the correct Windows 98 cabinet file (for example, the correct cabinet file for the User.exe file is the Win98_42.cab cabinet file.), the System File Checker tool may find the mini-Windows mode version of the system file in the Mini.cab cabinet file first.

NOTE: The Mini.cab cabinet file contains mini-Windows mode files used only by Windows 98 Setup and DriveSpace.


RESOLUTION
To work around this behavior, restart your computer using the Windows 98 Startup disk, choose Start Computer With CD-ROM Support from the Windows 98 Startup menu, and then re-extract the file at a command prompt using the Extract.exe tool.

I'd check to see that you've extracted the correct one.

reghakr