blacktide
asked on
Win98 Internet Connection Wizard Help File Does Not Load
Same question as asked by olgagabe on 08/30/2004 10:03AM PDT
When trying to connect to the internet, I get the message that the internet connection wizard helper did not load.
-- internet access is through Linksys router and has worked for a year
-- Installed Win2K as a dual boot
-- Removed Win2K following MS online instructions
-- Rebooted to Win98, various problems revealed and fixed but not Internet access
-- ran AVG for viruses and NoAdware for spyware: nothing
-- Ran IE repair: nothing
-- SFC: nothing. However, since the Error Message Details reported that the wizard had blown the stack of the dll, I SFCed the wizard from the Win98 disk. I could not find the dll to do the same. SFC reported both files, in the IE wizard directory, to be okay anyway.
-- At one point, other computers on the LAN became interactive but IE still did not work. Moments later the rest of the net once again disappeared.
-- redid workgroup and password: nothing
-- defragged: now optimized, no sector errors reported
-- reran SFC, re-reinstalled Win98: nothing.
-- other LAN computers have internet access
-- ethernet card (Linksys also) steady green
Been at this for 2 days. Need a solution last week.
TIA for any help.
Don Davis
When trying to connect to the internet, I get the message that the internet connection wizard helper did not load.
-- internet access is through Linksys router and has worked for a year
-- Installed Win2K as a dual boot
-- Removed Win2K following MS online instructions
-- Rebooted to Win98, various problems revealed and fixed but not Internet access
-- ran AVG for viruses and NoAdware for spyware: nothing
-- Ran IE repair: nothing
-- SFC: nothing. However, since the Error Message Details reported that the wizard had blown the stack of the dll, I SFCed the wizard from the Win98 disk. I could not find the dll to do the same. SFC reported both files, in the IE wizard directory, to be okay anyway.
-- At one point, other computers on the LAN became interactive but IE still did not work. Moments later the rest of the net once again disappeared.
-- redid workgroup and password: nothing
-- defragged: now optimized, no sector errors reported
-- reran SFC, re-reinstalled Win98: nothing.
-- other LAN computers have internet access
-- ethernet card (Linksys also) steady green
Been at this for 2 days. Need a solution last week.
TIA for any help.
Don Davis
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BillDL,
You're good.
You're good.
Thank you, Blacktide...and also you, Ben for being so complimantary :-)
ASKER
Bill DL,
You are welcome. For those who may access your solution in future, let me underscore what it is: make sure all constituent files are from the same version number of the program.
In my case, most of the files had date stamps of 4/23/99 but five were stamped 12/7/99. I do not know whether SFC looks at all files at which it is directed considering that it is a System File checker, but when I ran it on the IE files it reported no problems. BillDl's comment says, normalize your files to the same version.
Again, thanks to Blue Zee, who started down the path and BillDl who put up the signposts.
You are welcome. For those who may access your solution in future, let me underscore what it is: make sure all constituent files are from the same version number of the program.
In my case, most of the files had date stamps of 4/23/99 but five were stamped 12/7/99. I do not know whether SFC looks at all files at which it is directed considering that it is a System File checker, but when I ran it on the IE files it reported no problems. BillDl's comment says, normalize your files to the same version.
Again, thanks to Blue Zee, who started down the path and BillDl who put up the signposts.
blacktide,
Glad you found a way out of trouble.
And as one of the top Experts around usually says:
Hats off to BillDL!!
Cheers,
Zee
Just to fill in a bit about the System File Checker (SFC). It creates a data file based on all the originally installed files along with their dates and versions. As you install programs that update the files, the data file (c:\windows\default.sfc - unless you changed it from SFC's settings) is supposed to be updated to reflect this. It rarely is, and therefore often throws up a lot of red-herrings about changed files.
When you run SFC, I usually recommend giving it a single run-through just to see what it IS going to report, and just click the "ignore" option until it is finished.
If you already have some idea of the files that may have been overwritten by more recent versions when installing particular programs, then you have 3 choices, of which you can choose the No. 1 when you get to such a file:
1. Update verification information
2. Restore File
3. Ignore
The "verification information" refers to the default.sfc file's stored data, and in future SFC wouldn't see this as having been changed.
In addition to this, files overwritten by newer versions of installed files are also backed up to the folder c:\windows\SYSBCKUP and should also be restored if and when you uninstall the software that updated the file.
There is a utility in Win98 known as the Version Control Manager that can be accessed through the Start menu's "Run" option using the command VCMUI. This shows the backed up files, the version and date, and the version and date of the one currently in use. If you have an idea of file versions needed, then this utility allows you to restore selected files.
Bear in mind that SFC also has custom user settings that allow you to include or exclude from the scan "changed files" and "deleted files", and also whether to prompt to back up a file before restoring one from the CD.
One of the main problems with using the DOS command to extract files from the CD and then copy them to a specified folder, is that the SFC verification table isn't updated. You COULD, of course, give SFC a run through after doing something like that, and force it to update the table to reflect the change you made manually.
It all depends whether you use SFC a lot, and wish to depend on what it tells you, or whether you prefer it just to go ahead and restore files from the CD without prompting.
Personally? I rarely use SFC and instead use a batch file on my desktop that I edit as required, and change the filename to extract. Then again, I know what files and registry settings every piece of software has created or modified on my system because I run installers through InstallWatch Pro which scans before and after, and gives me a report.
Anyway, rambling on again after the event :-) Glad you have resolved the problem.
When you run SFC, I usually recommend giving it a single run-through just to see what it IS going to report, and just click the "ignore" option until it is finished.
If you already have some idea of the files that may have been overwritten by more recent versions when installing particular programs, then you have 3 choices, of which you can choose the No. 1 when you get to such a file:
1. Update verification information
2. Restore File
3. Ignore
The "verification information" refers to the default.sfc file's stored data, and in future SFC wouldn't see this as having been changed.
In addition to this, files overwritten by newer versions of installed files are also backed up to the folder c:\windows\SYSBCKUP and should also be restored if and when you uninstall the software that updated the file.
There is a utility in Win98 known as the Version Control Manager that can be accessed through the Start menu's "Run" option using the command VCMUI. This shows the backed up files, the version and date, and the version and date of the one currently in use. If you have an idea of file versions needed, then this utility allows you to restore selected files.
Bear in mind that SFC also has custom user settings that allow you to include or exclude from the scan "changed files" and "deleted files", and also whether to prompt to back up a file before restoring one from the CD.
One of the main problems with using the DOS command to extract files from the CD and then copy them to a specified folder, is that the SFC verification table isn't updated. You COULD, of course, give SFC a run through after doing something like that, and force it to update the table to reflect the change you made manually.
It all depends whether you use SFC a lot, and wish to depend on what it tells you, or whether you prefer it just to go ahead and restore files from the CD without prompting.
Personally? I rarely use SFC and instead use a batch file on my desktop that I edit as required, and change the filename to extract. Then again, I know what files and registry settings every piece of software has created or modified on my system because I run installers through InstallWatch Pro which scans before and after, and gives me a report.
Anyway, rambling on again after the event :-) Glad you have resolved the problem.
blue_zee. Hats Off? I'm trying to remember whose catch phrase that one is. Until I do, thanks for the quote :-)
:-)
Asta....
Oh, yes. It's all coming back to me now.
You can also find a couple of places to download iwchelp.dll by googling, but some of the free ones look dodgy to me.