Windows Explorer performed an illegal op

To determine if your problem is related to this installation of Windows or not, you need to install a clean copy in a seperate directory, or hard drive on your system. If the new copy works, then you problem is Windows related on the original installation.
If it still doesn't work, then you may have some fat corruption. Run Scandisk, or Norton Disk Doctor.

If those don't work, try installing Win98SE.

- Steve

When you restored the registry you broke the configuration for Internet explorer. The registry now thinks you have an older version of dll and vxd files then you actually have. I have called Microsoft before on this problem. They had some recommendations but they never worked. I had to eventually re-install the operating system. In order to re-install cleanly without formatting the hard drive, boot to dos and deltree c:\windows. You must then re-install windows 98 from cdrom. I would instal the SE version as to avoid this problem in the future.

Mick

I think this is one of those problems that MS officially contributes to "cosmic rays." In my experience these problems can cause that error:

1. Removing the wrong temp files or directories 2. Installing drivers or updating using a version of 95/98 that is not the one on your PC. 3. Damaged .pwl file <- delete it. 4. Corrupted user profile <-logging on as a diff user makes it work.

What happens in safe mode?
Use filemon and regmon from Winternals.com to monitor exactly what your PC is doing at deletion time. It will show you failed registry read attempts and failed file read attempts.

Stick in there, this is one of those fun problems we all like to see solved!

EECK, I would never suggest upgrading just like that to a new version of windows. Try upgrading your Internet explore, or downloading another copy of I.E from the net and installing it.also i have seen this problem sometimes when the video drivers are old. You may wanna try upgrading those.
Good Luck

Nobody's suggested this yet so it mustn't be a good answer, but have you run sfc (system file checker)?

Nobody's suggested this yet so it mustn't be a good answer, but have you run sfc (system file checker)? Start-> Run-> sfc?

your partition must be corrupted. windows scandisk will not fix it. you will have to boot to dos and run a full scandisk and after it fixes your directories you can run scan disk from win98 to cleanup the long file name errors. if that doesn't fix it than question your virus program.

I Had a simular problem and this repaired it.
First verify that this is not a hard drive issue. Boot to dos use "dir /s" to find "explor*". use dos del command and delete all. Reinstall windows from the \windows\options\cabs\ folder.

Also another resource is compaq 1-800-compaq
Good Luck !

I remember having this EXACT same problem with Win98 (first edition). The only way to solve this is not to just do a plain reinstall, but rather you MUST use your Scandisk for Windows to correct your drive's problems prior to the reinstall. If you've installed this on a FAT32 partition, you are just asking for a crash of this magnitude. Anyhow, you have to use Scandisk for Windows, reboot into the rescue disk, load smartdrive (unless you like waiting forever on a delete), then "Deltree /y Windows". After doing this, clean up anything miscellaneous on your boot drive that isn't absoltely necessary. Reinstall your OS and drivers...and only install the drivers one at a time. After you are done doing this, it SHOULD snap out of it. Keepyour drive regularly checked with Scandisk, because FAT32 is known for corrupting its free space table every time Windows crashes. Also a good defrag wouldn't hurt. I highly suggest using Norton Utilities to do both the disk scan and defrag because both of their utili

Well, i don't know if that compaq model has the "emergency partition" some compaqs do. If it has, you might try a "Restore to original state" from the Compaq CD-ROM, else, try an fdisk to rebuild your partitions, and then reinstall Win98, or Win98SE, since it has some (more) bugs solved... Good Luck

Did you try to start the computer in safe mode and check whether the same problem still exists or not?

You should give this a try.... The source of the problem could be related to another program which when loaded causes this to happen...

You can also try to disable the web-interface for the explorer and check if the problem still exists...

A useful thing to do while trying this is to have a tool from those who monitor the registry while you are trying this so that you can find out if the registry settings have something to do with your problem....

A scandisk/defrag would not do you any harm too :)

Hope this solves your problem...

-Rafik.

This answer is n't up, and it probably won't fix it, but it could. Have you run Fdisk /mbr? The Master boot record could be causing your error and runn9ing this will re-build it without having to format, or all those other things, I guess it is worth a try.

Earthworm

please check your folder. is folder read only or not ?
if that folder is read only uncheck read only. And now you can delete your folder.
Or you can try to restart your computer first. and try to delete that folder.

My past experience when windows doesn't perform "normal" everyday stuff like deleting folders has been to delete the windows directory and reinstall. You cannot reinstall over it as the problem will still exist. Previous answers by others regarding booting to floppy and doing a full scandisk is worthy AFTER deleting but BEFORE reinstalling windows, and Norton Utilities can do much more when it checks directory and file structures.

This of course assumes you've covered the obvious like viewing all files to make sure the directory is empty and removing read-only restrictions on folders. Also, some folders in the Windows directory cannot be deleted. Good Luck!

Benjamin,

If possible, pull out any added memory. It looks like all of the Presario 1600 Series came with either 16 or 32 Mgs onboard. If you have added extra RAM remove it and see if the problem still occurrs.

If this is not the answer:

Try to delete a folder with the old FileManager (Start -> Run -> "WinFile")
If that works..
Your FAT is probobly fine and you have an Explorer problem. We can fix that easily enough
If Not....
Exit to DOS and see if the RD or DelTree commands work.
If so...
you will need to re-install windows from the DOS prompt. For 8100 points I would be glad to talk you through this process over the phone.
If Not...
You will still need to re-install Windows from the DOS prompt, But you will need to FDisk the drive first.

Thanks.....Jeremy
JeWright@HotMail.com

Fist I would make sure that that you are running the latest version of IE with the updated service pack applied. Try increasing your stak pages in your system.ini at
[e386Enh]
MinSPs=20

If this does not correct the problem, I would suggest doing a dupm to floppy and post/send it to a Microsoft Guru's Technicial Support Team. I am sure they will be glad to give you a prompt reply via e-mail.

Sign: mcse333@onebox.com

I would try deleting the registery and reinstalling. To delete in 98 you need to make sure that files are not hidden, then go to your windows directory delete the user.dat and the system.dat and the sysbckup folder then reboot and reinstall.

Check to see if you have any damaged control Panel extentions. (.cpl)

1. Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files or Folders.

2. In the Named box, type "*.cpl" (without quotation marks).

3. In the Look In box, type "c:\windows\system" (without quotation marks).

4. Click Find Now.

5. Double-click one of the .cpl files. If the file is damaged, an invalid page fault occurs in Kernel32.dll. If an invalid page fault does not occur, repeat this step with each .cpl file until an invalid page fault occurs. The file that causes the error message to be displayed is the file that is damaged.

6. On the File menu in the Find window, click Close.

7. Delete or rename the damaged .cpl file in the Windows\System folder.

8. Open Control Panel to verify that it is functioning properly.

9. Extract a new copy of the .cpl file you removed in step 7 from your original Windows disks or CD-ROM.

Reinstall it, its the best way to go. If you just do a deltree windows from dos, all your other files will stay on the drive. You shouldnt lost anything, well other than bookmarks and cookies, but hey what are those anyway lol. IMHO, reinstall shall fix it easier than anything.