Explorer.exe has Generated Errors

Following an upgrade from an older version of Windows to a newer version, it is not uncommon that you may receive an error message at your first log on. Errors are very common when users upgrade to XP. When the error message appears the Windows Error Reporting utility runs and creates a file that attempts to tell you what the error. Once you know the error code you can begin to troubleshoot through the issue.

The error will read: Explorer.exe has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. Typically you will see the error message and your desktop will not appear at all or will appear blank. This happens because the Task Manger is already using all of its resources for upgrade and there are no resources available to display the desktop.

Here are two commonly used methods to fix the explorere.exe errors and allow your computer to run properly:

Method #1

• When you receive the error message press CTRL, ALT, DEL at the same time.
• Click on Task Manger.
• Click New Task.
• Type the word control and press Enter.
• Double click on Add/Remove Programs.
• When the list populates, click on the Clean Sweep program.
• Remove this program.
• When all steps are complete restart the computer.

Method #2

• Restart the computer.
• At the Boot menu press the F8 key to start Safe Mode.
• Select the Safe Mode Command.
• Change to the %SystemRoot%System32 folder.
• Rename the Apitrap.dll file to Apitrap.old.
• When all steps are complete, restart the computer.

One of these methods should be successful in repairing the error. If all else fails contact your Windows Support resource that can be located either with your operating system information or online.

The Black Screen Caused by Windows Operating System Lockdown

We have all heard of the infamous blue screen of death or have encountered the blank screen on our PC but the black screen is not quite as well known may crop up for many Windows users. The black screen appears to be specific to Windows 7, Vista and XP is obviously very disruptive to users.

The cause for the black screen is due to a change in the Windows Operating Systems lock down of the registry keys. The lock down invalidates a few of the many key registry entries and causes the black screen to appear at boot up. This is an internal issue that the user cannot prevent but can easily repair with a patch if it is to occur. The patch is available through Microsoft and is said to repair the issue easily and quickly in only a few minutes.

If you have symptoms of the screen take the following steps to repair the issue.

• Restart your PC.
• Logon and make sure your internet connection is working properly.
• When the black screen appears press CTRL, ALT and DEL keys at the same time.
• Click Start Task Manager when prompted to do so.
• Click the Application Tab.
• Click New Task.
• Enter the following command: C\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
• Click OK and the Run when prompted, this will begin the download. Allow the patch to download completely.
• Restart your PC and this should eliminate the issue.

Windows Code 28 Error Message

A code 28 error message is displayed by Windows when there is a problem with a piece of hardware that is connected to the computer. This type of error message is one of the Device Manager error codes, which are specific codes that are used to indicate that there is a problem with a device, from issues with drivers to conflicts within the system to other hardware problems like faulty installations. In the case of a code 28 error message, this code is used to indicate the driver(s) for the particular piece of hardware have not been installed.

Because this code is so specific, it makes it easier to troubleshoot and resolve the issue. While there are numerous reasons for faulty or missing drivers, the good news is that the same steps are followed to correct the problem, so you don’t actually have to determine why the driver(s) are missing.

The first thing that should be done is to restart the computer. In some cases, there may just be a glitch or bug that will disappear by rebooting the system. If you restart your computer and you still get the same error message, then you need to move on to the following.

If you had updated or installed a new piece of hardware directly before the code appeared, then it is likely that this is what is causing the problem. Uninstall and re-install the hardware to see if that corrects the issue. Also, if you had upgraded a driver, you can roll it back to the previous version. If the code 28 error message appears and you haven’t changed or added anything to your computer lately, it could be that a driver is out of date. In this case, you need to update the driver for the hardware to the latest version. In some cases, the error may be due to Windows, so installing the latest Service Pack could rectify the issue.

Finally, if you have tried all the above, the problem may actually be with the hardware itself. If this is the case, then you will have to replace the hardware with a new piece.

Runtime Error 76

The runtime error 76 message is displayed on a computer screen when the path cannot be found by the program that is running. What this means is that the spot where the program should be storing, or writing, data cannot be located. In other words, the program doesn’t know where it should be looking. This often results in the program freezing or crashing. This type of error can occur at any time with any program, as running programs are constantly accessing and rewriting data as they are used. As soon as a problem occurs in this process, error messages will begin to appear.

There are a number of reasons why the path to the data cannot be found. If the program was not installed correctly, the locations of files may not be correct. This means that the program will think that a file should be in a particular place, but in fact it won’t be there. Also, moving files can cause this error as again, the program will expect a file to be in a specific location. By moving it, the program continues to go to the original spot, but nothing will be found there.

It is relatively easy to correct for these types of runtime errors. First, you should run a virus check to ensure that the program has not become corrupted in some way. If you have moved files or folders, moving them back to their original locations should correct the problem. Should you still be having problems, try uninstalling and re-installing the program to ensure that all files are installed correctly.

Illegal Operation Error Messages

Illegal operation error messages are often displayed by Windows when it receives a request from a program running on the computer that is not understood by Windows. As a result of the request that is not understood, what the program is trying to do will not be completed. When this occurs, Windows usually stops or shuts down the program that sent the offending request and then displays the illegal operation message on the computer screen.

Illegal operations can be caused by several different factors including corrupt files, bugs in software programs, errors in the Windows operating system itself (which are rare) and sometimes, viruses or malware files. Illegal operation errors can vary in severity with some causing fatal crashes of the system and others just stopping the program that is running. In some cases, work that is being done using the offending program will be lost.

Manually fixing the cause of an illegal operation error message can be difficult as it can be hard to find and replicate what actually caused the error message in the first place. If the program is frozen, you can close it using Task Manager and try restarting it. Sometimes the illegal operation error is due to a conflict with another program so restarting the program or rebooting your system may be enough to correct the issue. If you are consistently getting the error with one particular program, you can try uninstalling and re-installing it. Finally, using a registry cleaner can help get rid of corrupt registry files that may be causing illegal operation errors.

HTTP 503 Service Unavailable Error

Like all HTTP errors, the HTTP 503 Service Unavailable error message can be customized to fit the site. This is unlikely, but common messages that appear when there is a 503 error include:

• Service Unavailable
• Service Temporarily Unavailable
• 503: Service Unavailable
• HTTP 503: Service Unavailable

No matter what message displays within your browser, they all mean the same thing that the server that stores the website that is trying to be visited is not available. There are a number of reasons that can cause a server to be unavailable from too much traffic trying to visit the server (it is overloaded) to maintenance being done on the site or the server to a problem with the Internet connection to that server.

The good news is that this is a server-side problem, so there is nothing wrong with your computer or your Internet connection. In fact, you should be able to view other websites without any difficulties. You should only get the HTTP 503 error on the site that has the server problems. On the downside, you cannot resolve the problem. What you can do is to try refreshing the website, for temporary glitches, or you can try coming back later. Unfortunately, you are at the mercy of those who run the server and will have to wait for them to correct the problem causing the server to be unavailable.

Windows Installer Error 1714

Error 1714 is often displayed when a user is trying to install a later version or upgrade of a program that is already found on the computer. When installing a new version or upgrade, it isn’t necessary to remove the previous versions. During an upgrade, the Windows Installer usually removes any previous versions that are no longer necessary and then installs only those parts of the later version required to run the program. If there is a problem during the removal process, this is when the error 1714 message will be displayed.

There are several reasons why an error 1714 message may be displayed, including:

• Corrupt of missing files that are required to uninstall the program.
• Windows files that are outdated.
• Malware and viruses.
• Corrupt registry files.

To resolve the 1714 error, there are a number of different solutions available. First, you should try and remove the older version of the program using the Add/Remove Program tool from within Control Panel (Programs and Features in Windows 7). Choose the program you are trying to update from the list and then follow the steps to uninstall it manually. You can also try to repair the previous version by re-installing it using the original installation CD or a download from the Internet.

If either of the above fails and you are given information on what files are causing the problems, you can try to delete them manually. This should be done with extreme caution as you don’t want to cause problems with other programs running on your computer.