WHEN OPENING A FOLDER CRASHES WINDOWS

If you've ever gotten an error when opening a folder on your 9x computer, in all likelihood, you probably have an incorrect setting on one of your registry keys.

These errors typically appear when you try to open a new Internet Explorer browser window or create a new folder in Windows Explorer and then try to open it.

If the registry key is not set properly, you will get one of the two errors listed below:

"EXPLORER caused an invalid page fault in module SHELL32.DLL at <memory address>" or

"Microsoft Internet Explorer. There was an internal error and one of the windows you were using will be closed. It is recommended that you save your work, close all of your programs, and then restart the computer."

The error can be caused by an incorrect setting in the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StreamMRU

To fix this, you will need to delete all the values in two registry keys. Before you do, make sure you have backed up your registry. Also note that these registry keys use Compaq's Safety and Comfort Guide software, so your computer may stop working after you make these changes.

Start the registry editor by clicking Start | Run and typing regedit.

Click OK.

Navigate to KEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StreamMRU

Delete all the values in the right-hand pane.

Navigate to HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Streams and do the same.

Note: Editing the registry can be risky, so be sure you have a verified backup before making any changes.