OFF2000: Troubleshooting Office Kernel32.dll Errors Under Windows 98

This article contains information about troubleshooting and eliminating Invalid Page Faults that occur in module Kernel32.dll when you work with a Microsoft Office program under Microsoft Windows 98. A Kernel32.dll message is similar to the following where Program name is the name of the Office program you are using.

For additional information about troubleshooting Office Kernel32.dll issues under Microsoft Windows 95, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about troubleshooting Office Kernel32.dll issues in earlier versions of Office, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

When an Invalid Page Fault occurs, an unexpected event occurs in Windows. An Invalid Page Fault indicates that a program improperly attempted to use random access memory, for example, when a program or a Windows component reads or writes to a memory location that is not allocated to it. When this occurs, the program can potentially overwrite and corrupt other program code in that area of memory.

An Invalid Page Fault may occur when parameters are passed between programs and Windows. An invalid parameter may cause a program to run invalid instructions, which results in an Invalid Page Fault. This behavior usually occurs because a program incorrectly passes data that Windows or a Windows-based program cannot interpret.

NOTE: Follow the steps in each of the sections in this article in the order in which they are presented. Because Invalid Page Faults are typically caused when two or more programs interact, skipping steps may increase the time it takes to identify the problem.

Determine If the Problem Is Documented

Many Kernel32.dll errors are already documented in the Microsoft Knowledge Base and have solutions. For more information, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

NOTE: It may be helpful to add the program name in which the problem occurs at the end of the query to narrow your search.

Check for a Valid Temporary Folder and Delete Temporary Files

There should be at least 20 megabytes (MB) of free space on the hard disk that contains the temporary folder. To check for a temporary folder and delete excess files from that folder, follow these steps:

1. Restart your computer. Press and hold down the CTRL key until the "Windows 98 Startup Menu" appears.
2. On the Windows Startup menu, select "Command Prompt Only," and press ENTER.
3. Type set and press ENTER. Note the location of the TEMP variable.
4. Change to the folder you noted in step 3. For example, if TEMP is set to C:\Windows\Temp, type the following line and then press ENTER:

   cd\windows\temp

   If the folder you noted in step 2 does not exist, create the folder. To create the folder, type the following command and then press ENTER:

   md c:\windows\temp

5. Delete any temporary files in this folder. Temporary files have a .tmp file name extension. To delete these files, type the following line, and then press ENTER:

   del *.tmp

NOTE: Do not delete these files when you are running Windows because Windows, or a Windows-based program may be using one of these files.

Start Windows in Safe Mode

Windows has a built-in troubleshooting mode called Safe mode. It bypasses startup files and uses only basic system drivers, including basic networking. When you start Windows in Safe mode, Windows uses only the mouse, keyboard, and standard video graphics adapter (VGA) device drivers. This makes Safe mode useful for isolating and resolving error conditions that are caused by both real-mode and Windows-based drivers. Windows also has troubleshooting features that may help you identify the problem. To start Windows in Safe mode and make the additional troubleshooting features available, follow these steps:

1. Click Shut Down on the Start menu. Click Restart and then click OK.
2. Press and hold down the CTRL key until the "Windows 98 Startup Menu" appears.
3. On the Windows Startup menu, select Safe Mode, and then press ENTER. Windows will start in Safe mode.
4. Perform the same operation that caused the error.

When you use Safe mode or when you disable 32-bit protected-mode drivers, Windows does not process protected-mode drivers (the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files). Therefore, the CD-ROM drive is not available. To use Safe mode with CD-ROM drive support, determine if Windows uses protected-mode drivers for the CD-ROM drive. If Windows is using protected-mode drivers, install the real-mode (MS-DOS) drivers for the CD-ROM drive. The real-mode drivers are usually located on a disk that is shipped with the CD-ROM drive or with the computer. The drivers are installed in the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files.

For additional information on determining if Windows is using protected-mode drivers, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about installing real-mode drivers for the CD-ROM, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Check the Hard Disk for Disk Errors and Fragmentation

Use the ScanDisk program to check the hard disk for lost clusters and other file allocation table (FAT) errors and test the hard disk integrity. You can also use the ScanDisk program to repair any of these problems. To run ScanDisk, follow these steps:

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs.
2. Point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click ScanDisk.
3. Click the drive that you wish to check for errors, and then click Start.

Hard disks that are very fragmented can affect the performance and reliability of Office programs and other tasks in Windows. To resolve this problem, run Disk Defragmenter to defragment the hard disk drive. To run Disk Defragmenter, follow these steps:

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs.
2. Point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.
3. Click the drive that you want to defragment in the "Which drive do you want to defragment" list, and then click OK.

Turn Off the CD-ROM Drive Cache

If the error message appears while you are reading from a CD-ROM drive, try turning off the CD-ROM drive cache. This may make the drive more reliable but reduce performance. To turn off the CD-ROM drive cache, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings and click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, double-click System.
3. Click the Performance tab and click File System.
4. Click the CD-ROM tab. In the "Optimize access pattern for" list, click to select No Read-Ahead
5. Drag the Supplemental Cache Size slider to the left position (the Small setting), and then click OK.

If you are using real-mode CD-ROM drivers, the drive may be cached by the Smartdrv.exe program. If this is the case, the Smartdrv.exe program must be made unavailable in the Autoexec.bat file. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Information.
2. On the Tools menu, click System Configuration Utility.
3. Click the Autoexec.bat tab.
4. Click to clear the Smartdrv check box, and click OK.
5. To restart the computer for the change to take effect, click Yes.

Verify That the Compact Disc Is Clean and Unscratched

If the error message appears while you are installing from a compact disc, verify that the compact disc you are using is clean. You can wipe the compact disc with a soft, lint-free cloth. Also ensure that there are no large scratches on the compact disc. If the compact disc is damaged and unreadable, error messages may appear during installation.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Check for a Corrupted Swap File

The Kernel32.dll error may also appear if your Windows swap file is corrupted. To create a new swap file, restart the computer in MS-DOS mode, delete the Win386.swp file in the Windows folder, and then restart the computer. To create a new swap file, follow these steps:

1. On the Start menu, click Shut Down.
2. In the Shut Down Windows dialog box, click Restart in MS-DOS Mode, and then click OK.
3. At the MS-DOS prompt, change to the Windows folder by typing the following command

   cd <drive>:\Windows

   where drive is the drive letter that contains the Windows folder. Typically, this is drive C.
   
   NOTE: The swap file exists in the Windows folder if Windows manages virtual memory settings on your computer. If you chose to manage virtual memory settings on the computer, the swap file exists at the root level of the hard disk. To determine whether Windows manages virtual memory settings, right-click My Computer, click Properties, click Performance, and then click Virtual Memory.
4. To delete the swap file, type the following:

   del Win386.swp

5. After you delete the swap file, restart the computer.

Corrupted Custom Profile

Corrupted custom profiles have also been known to cause Kernel32.dll errors. Deleting and recreating the profile can possibly resolve this problem.

If you are using the Office system policy templates that are included in the Microsoft Office 2000 Resource Kit, you must use the version of the System Policy Editor that is included in the Microsoft Office 2000 Resource Kit.

NOTE: The System Policy Editor that comes with Windows 98 does not work with Office 2000. Be sure to install the latest version of the System Policy Editor from the Microsoft Office 2000 Resource Kit or from Windows NT Server 4.0 with Service Pack 4. You can download Policy.exe, a self-extracting file containing Poledit.exe, from online services. Download this file from the following Web site:

Remove and Reinstall the Program

If the problem occurs after you run the Setup program, some of the dynamic link library (.dll) files may be damaged or corrupted. To troubleshoot this problem, first completely remove the program. After you completely remove the program, reinstall the program.

Check for Software Updates

Outdated and incompatible software may also cause error messages to appear. Check with the manufacturer of the computer for various software updates, such as BIOS updates, OEM Windows updates, and hardware driver updates such as CD-ROM drivers. If you are using third-party partitioning software, for example, EZDrive, or Ontrack Disk Manager, verify that you have the most recent versions of these products.

Scan the Computer for Viruses

If a virus is present on your computer and has damaged some files, Kernel32.dll error messages may appear when you use a program. Scan the hard disk and floppy disks with a virus detector. If the virus detector finds a virus on your computer, remove the virus before you run the Office program again.

NOTE: Do not run a virus detector terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) program while you run any of the Office programs, including the Setup program. Run a virus detector before you run the Setup program, and then disable it.

Check for Registry Corruption

When you start Windows in Safe mode, Windows does not read the entire registry. Therefore, damage to the registry may not be evident when you run Windows in this mode. It may be necessary to replace the existing registry (System.dat) with a backup to determine whether the problem is caused by a damaged registry. Use one of the following methods to troubleshoot a damaged registry:

Method 1: Use Registry Checker

Windows includes a tool called Registry Checker that can scan your registry for corruption, and if necessary, restore a backup of the registry. Follow these steps to use Registry Checker to scan your registry:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Information.
2. On the Tools menu, click Registry Checker. You may receive the following error message:
   Windows encountered an error accessing the system registry. Windows will restart the computer and repair the system registry for you.
   If you receive this error message, proceed to step 3. If you do not receive the error message, then your registry is OK.
3. To restart your computer, click OK.
4. Press ENTER when the "Windows 98 Startup Menu" appears.
5. At the command prompt, type Scanreg and then press ENTER.
6. In the Check Your Registry dialog box, press ENTER. You should receive the following prompt:
   Windows found an error in your system files and restored a recent backup of the files to fix the problem.
7. Press ENTER to restart your computer.

Windows stores five backups of your registry. If the registry has been damaged for a long period of time, then you may need to use "Method 2: Restore the System.1st File" to determine whether or not your registry is damaged.

For additional information about Registry Checker, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 183887 Description of the Windows Registry Checker Tool (Scanreg.exe)

183603 How to Customize Registry Checker Tool Settings

184075 Description of Microsoft System Information (Msinfo32.exe) Tool

Method 2: Restore the System.1st File

To restore your System.1st file, follow these steps:

1. Restart your computer. Press and hold down the CTRL key until the "Windows 98 Startup Menu" appears.
2. On the Windows Startup menu, select "Command Prompt Only," and then press ENTER.
3. To remove the file attributes from the backup of the registry, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

   c:\windows\command\attrib -h -s -r c:\system.1st

4. To remove the file attributes from the current registry, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

   c:\windows\command\attrib -h -s -r c:\windows\system.dat

5. To rename the registry, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

   ren c:\windows\system.dat *.dax

6. To copy the backup file to the current registry, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

   copy c:\system.1st c:\windows\system.dat

Restart the computer. If the "Windows 98 Startup Menu" displays, choose Safe Mode, or "Safe Mode With Network Support" if you need network connectivity.

NOTE: The System.1st file is a backup of the registry that is created during the final stage of a Windows installation. When you restart your computer, Windows Setup starts at the "Setting up hardware and finalizing settings" phase of setup.

If replacing the System.dat file with the System.1st file resolves the issue, the problem may be related to registry damage. Note that you may have to reinstall programs and device drivers that you installed after you installed Windows to update the new registry.

If the issue is not resolved, restore the original registry. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Restart your computer. Press and hold down the CTRL key until the "Windows 98 Startup Menu" appears.
2. On the Windows Startup menu, select Command Prompt Only, and then press ENTER.
3. Type the following commands:

   c:\windows\command\attrib -s -h -r c:\windows\system.dat

   copy c:\windows\system.dax c:\windows\system.dat

   Press Y and then press ENTER when you are asked to overwrite the existing System.dat file.
4. Restart the computer.

Reinstall Windows in a New Folder

Use this method only after you try all of the troubleshooting steps in this article. If you reinstall Windows in a new folder you must reinstall all Windows-based programs under the new Windows installation.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Turn Off Enhanced BIOS Features

Most computers have several enhanced settings that allow the computer to fully use the computer hardware. These high-speed settings can cause the system to become unstable; turning off these features may make the computer more stable. Contact your computer manufacturer for information about entering the basic input/output system (BIOS) and changing the BIOS settings. You can enter the BIOS on most systems immediately after turning on the power. Usually a keystroke, such as DEL, is required to enter the BIOS. Below are the common features that can interfere with Office programs:

• Memory Shadow RAM
• Video Shadow RAM
• Internal Cache
• External Cache
• Built-in Virus Protection

Newer chipsets may have more advanced features such as memory wait states, that may cause errors. Most BIOS installation programs have an option to load the BIOS default settings. This option usually disables all advanced features.

WARNING: Incorrectly altering hardware BIOS settings can cause serious problems that may cause your computer to fail to start or function properly. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems that result from the incorrect setting of hardware BIOS options can be solved. Alter the hardware BIOS settings at your own risk.

Check Hardware

If you exhaust all other troubleshooting steps and you are still receiving error messages, it is possible that one or more pieces of your hardware are incompatible with Windows or are damaged. To identify a problem with your computer hardware, contact your computer vendor.

Badly seated memory or bad memory has been reported to cause Kernel32.dll error messages. Switching memory around in the motherboard memory banks has been known to correct some of these issues.

It has also been reported that running the Atron 380 Bus Mastering Ethernet Card can cause Kernel32.dll errors. Removing this card from the computer may resolve these error messages.

The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

For information about how to contact the companies mentioned in this article, visit the following Microsoft Web site: