[Sussex] Elderly Aunts with computer problems (windows ones :-( )

[Stephen Williams]

On Mon, 2005-04-18 at 08:52 +0100, John D. wrote:
> My Aunt has an aging computer (from Evesham). She decided that she
> wanted a DVDRW fitted - this was done by her local shop.
> 
> Somewhere along the line, shes lost some .dll files and has been
> recommended to re-install (W98SE). The missing file (the main one
> apparently) is the mscoree.dll, which, as far as I can tell is something
> to do with the .Net framework I haven't managed to work out why 
> might cause dvd burning problems (she didn't say what the other missing
> files were, as she thinks she knows what they are). Shes not confident
> to do a re-install herself, and lucky me, has been enlisted to assist.
> 

A complete re-install shouldn't be necessary in this case, but often a
complete re-install will cure a lot of Windows faults (apart from the
inherent ones of course :-D).

Firs, have a search for the missing mscoree.dll file on drive C: If it's
missing from
C:\Windows\System, there may be an archived copy somewhere within C:
\Windows somewhere.

If you need a copy of the .dll file itself I can send you one off-list.

If you can find it, copy it to C:\Windows\System, then run the command:

C:\Windows\System\regsvr32.exe mscoree.dll

This should re-register the .dll file and cure the problem.

Otherwise you could try re-installing .net framework.

However, a machine of this vintage may not be able to feed data to the
DVD-RW drive fast enough to burn DVDs reliably. Your Aunt might be
disappointed in the results even if you get it working. If you do try
it, set it to write at 1x or 2x at most to start with.

I'd suggest an external USB2 drive for your Aunt. Then you could
transfer the drive to your place and burn her stuff to DVD on your super
fast Linux PC, simultaneously  demonstrating the benefits of Linux.

It'll mean your Aunt's PC having USB2 and Windows 98 SE with USB
support, but that shouldn't be too difficult.

I don't recommend setting up a second partition for this level of user.
I've done this in the past and all that happens is the (now smaller) C:
drive fills up quicker whilst the D: drive remains empty.

Steve W.


> Shes not really worried about any of the files etc that shes produced,
> and seems to have a couple of cruzer sandisk 128 meg key drives to put
> her most precious photos (she likes digital photography/image editing)
> on.
> 
> My real question, is that if I do the re-install, but prior to that, I
> shrink the file system with partition magic and then make a seperate
> partition for her data "a la linux" like a seperate /home, does that
> logic still hold for windows systems, if she were to have any other
> problems like this? (perhaps I should have just said "is there any point
> in having a seperate data partition).
> 
> Oh and for info, her local computer shop seem to think that the a
> re-install should cure the problem(s), though I suspect that there could
> be an issue about any missing patches etc that where produced by MS over
> the years before they stopped supporting W98 - I suppose that they might
> have them in their archives.
> 
> Also, as this main missing .dll is .Net framework related, would it
> perhaps be better to just try and download and install the .Net stuff?
> She uses dialup, I'm thinking that it might be less hassle to try that
> as even though it's 20 + megs and would take a while, it'd be safer to
> try that ??
> 
> Could anyone advise me on this ??
> 
> regards
> 
> John D.
> 
> p.s. Oh and apologies for soiling the mailing list with a windies ???
> but I couldn't think who else to ask!
> 
> 
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