Error Starting Program

Hi,
A friend of mine is running Windows ME and recently has been the following error message when she turns on her laptop:
The IPHLPAPI.DLL file cannot start. Check the file to determine the problem. OK

She just clicks OK and everything loads normally. She recently loaded AOL 9.0 and we did talk to them about the problem but they said it is a Windows System problem so they wouldn't help us.

We would like to know if anyone can help eliminate this error message.

Thank you.

Jean

 

Hi larsonjean
Does this help?

 

A quick Google groups search turned up this information. Sounds like your friend's problem exactly. Might be worth following the suggestion at the end:


For most users this problem is caused by installing AOL9 since AOL 9 uses a
different version of iphlpapi.dll than is included with Win Me and fails to
install it correctly. It appears that after over three years AOL's
programmers have yet to understand and appreciate the benefits of system file
protection whether it be in Win Me or perhaps even XP. You can check this for
yourself where you will find that AOL have put a version of iphlpapi.dll in
the Program Files/Common Files/AOL/ACS/winme folder which differs from that in
the windows\system folder.

Since the copy of iphlpapi.dll in the windows\system folder is protected from
alteration or deletion by Win Me's System File Protection (SFP) it cannot
simply be replaced by the copy in the AOL folder. Whilst there are ways of
defeating SFP so that AOL's file can be added to the system folder I
personally feel this is a problem that needs to be remedied by AOL. All they
need to do is to supply the necessary certificate and the version in the
system folder can be replaced.

Some users have found that downloading and installing v4.90.3001 of
iphlpapi.dll from the link in KB 279866 - "Iphlpapi.dll Error Message with a
16-Bit Windows Sockets-Based Program "
(http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=279866) has solved their problem.

If your problem is a result of installing AOL 9 you may want to consider using
System Restore to solve this problem by rolling back your system to before the
problem started and dumping AOL 9 until AOL can get things working correctly
(just don't hold your breath) provided that that was not more than a few days
ago.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP

 

I have also come across this problem before and disabling all AOL components from the startup tab of msconfig resolved the problem.

 

Thanks for all the help. I will probably have to go to my friend's house to help her try to fix this problem. I'll get back to you with the results.

Thanks for all your help.


BillB - I did go to the Microsoft site and will download the fix to see if it works. I think it has been too long ago that AOL 9 was installed on her system. She has just been putting up with the error message for some time.


noahdfear - If the above fix doesn't work, I'll try disabling all AOL components in the Startup tab.

Jean

 

Hi,

Just thought I would let you know that the file from the Microsoft site didn't seem to work. We still received the error message but we turned off AOL in the taskbar and haven't received it yet.

Hope this stays this way.

Thanks for all your help.

Jean

 

Hi larsonjean
Was my link not applicable at all?

 

Daizy,

Yes your link was great. I did download and installed the file 279866usam.exe, then ran the program, and hoped for the best. But later while resetting the system, the message appeared. So it is Microsoft that didn't fix the error properly.

Hope I explained this to you correctly.

Jean

 

larsonjean
My link didn't mention anything about a download...did it?

 

Daizy, you are right, I did look at the site you sent but I felt it was a little too complicated for me. It talked about uninstalling a lot of things like, Networking, etc. and I didn't want to take a chance with my friend's computer.

The Microsoft site I used was from BillB.

Sorry about the mix up.


Jean

 

I understand larsonjean. Thanks for clearing that up.

I would have been curious though to know if you do indeed have this?

Can you do this?
Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

Double-click Add/Remove Programs,

See if you have Microsoft Broadband Networking listed?

 

Daizy,

No, there is no Microsoft Broadband Networking listed in the Add-Remove Programs.

Jean

 

Good to know. Thanks for checking larsonjean.