Required Dll not Found Error Message?, Part 3

Infopackets Reader David R. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

I just finished reading your latest newsletter entitled, 'Required DLL not found error message.' On a related note, searching Google is usually one of my first steps in dealing with any unknown computer problem. Invariably, I'll find that someone else has had the same or a similar problem before me, and I avoid 're-inventing the wheel' by trying those solutions first.

Two days ago I found a DLL file resource that was the best I'd ever seen! I use Win98SE and it listed EVERY DLL file, briefly told what it does, gives the version number, and allows you to either download the zipped file from there or tells you the correct Windows CAB file to extract it from... and yes, it explains how to extract and install them. I was blown away!

I took a couple hours and copied the whole site! It is located here. As if that wasn't enough of a goldmine for troubleshooting, while I was there, I also found their Windows Error Message Search Engine. You type words from the error message you have and it delivers whatever info they have on it. The link is here. "

I also received an email from a user named Smac, who is having problems with a VXD file. He asks:

" Just before Windows loads, I get a black screen with a white underscore cursor with an error message stating that Windows cannot find a VXD in the system.ini file. Can you help me? "

That's a tough one to answer, and may involve some manual editing of a windows .ini configuration file. Before I get into manually editing, you might want to search the 'net for a .ini file cleaner. A quick search from Google pointed me to a utility called the Rosenthal Uninstall. I personally haven't looked at it, but it says it restores the system.ini file for Windows 95/98 and can be run from the command line:

" Rosenthal UnInstall automatically removes unwanted Windows and DOS programs, files, directories and restore the system's AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS, WIN.INI, SYSTEM.INI and registry files (user.dat and system.dat). Now runs under DOS and all versions of Windows, including Win95/98. Run Rosenthal UnInstall before you add anything new to your system. New programs can then be added and, at your option, kept, or deleted and the system completely returned to normal. "

http://slonet.org/~doren/

System.ini tweaking -- Manual removal of an entry

The method I describe for manual removal of a problematic VXD or DLL in the system.ini is relatively simple, but may not solve your problem. Anyway, here's my take:

Try and reinstall the application, first. If the error message received during boot up points to a directory on the hard drive, attempt to reinstall the program in hopes of removing the error message. If that doesn't work, you may have to do some manual editing of a system .ini file to "uncomment" the offending line of code.

1. The next time Windows boots, take note of the file that is giving you the error message and the .ini file that it is associated with.  
2. Continue to load Windows. When Windows has finished loading, load Notepad (Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Notepad).  
3. Open the ini file which is causing problems. Windows ini files are located in the Windows directory (usually on the C drive). For all intents and purposes, I will refer to a file called system.ini to make these instructions a little easier to understand.  
4. Before making any changes to the file, make a backup. If you loaded system.ini into Notepad, save it as system.ini.bak. When the backup has been saved, click File -> Open and load system.ini once more.  
5. Do a search for the problematic file entry in system.ini using the Edit -> Find feature in Notepad. Usually it's a .DLL or a .VXD file that is causing an error message at boot up.  
6. Place a semicolon at the beginning of the line when the match is found. This will "nullify" the entry without actually erasing it. Search for other entries and comment them out as well.  
7. When complete, click File -> Save.  
8. Reboot the computer.

Hopefully this will remove the error message during boot up.

Good luck.

PS: Feel free to email me if you have a suggestions or know of a really good .ini cleaner / repair program.