Unable to view Graphics

[Singtell]

Hi there!
I'm using a P3-800 PC with 512MB RAM; 30GB HDD;
DVD Combo etc.
Lately, I'm unable to view my graphics/photos in Start 'Explore'
mode. Each time I left click Start and right click Explore to view on
any Gifs or JPEGs graphics, the PC would hang with the
following display: "Can not run Unicode version of ATL.DLL
on Windows 95. Please install the correct version."
The same thing happens if I were to click a Gif/JPEG file
for deletion.
I had to restart my PC should this happen.
All other functions/usage on my PC works perfectly.
Please assist and thanks.

[Sylvander]

See PRB: Visual Studio 6.0 Installation Error: Can Not Run Unicode Version of Atl.dll on Win 95 Please Install the Correct Version (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=251105)

Do you have "Visual Studio 6.0" installed?
Which Windows are you running?

[Singtell]

It's running on Win98SE; PaintShop Pro Ver.8.0;Adobe Photoshop 7.0
and Foto Canvas.
The last 2 graphics program I can use them but not PSP 8.0.
Uninstall PSP and then reinstall again?
Pls assist and thanks alot.

[Sylvander]

I'm puzzled. :confused:
What is "left click Start and right click Explore"?

"Uninstall PSP and then reinstall again?"
Sounds like a good first move. :)

"The same thing happens if I were to click a Gif/JPEG file
for deletion."
Do you right-click the file and click "Delete"?
This and probably the other problem too suggest registry corruption [probably affecting PSP the worst], but the inability to delete image files means it's affecting the Windows shell [Explorer.exe].
You could assume your PC is infected and begin a separate thread in the "Applications and Security" section of the forum with a title like "Infected?" just to check that out.
Put a link in each thread pointing to the other.

If it turns out you're PC isn't infected, or if you want to try this alternative before that, then...
Because you are running Win98SE...
And because this tool works with Win98 and WinME...
Try running the REGISTRY TOOL that's on the "Emergency Boot CD" [EBCD] as shown below.
This runs from outside the Windows environment, makes a backup of the registry, scans the registry, and fixes any problems it finds in it.
I don't know the detail of what it does, but I'd guess it makes sure that all parts of the registry are at least capable of functioning.
If you don't like the effect you can restore the backup it makes.
If you want to make it easy to boot from the EBCD, then also make the "Smart Boot Manager" bootable floppy shown below.

1. [b]How to make a free “Smart Boot Manager” floppy
http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=41498
This makes it easier to boot a chosen drive [particularly the one holding the EBCD].

2. How to make a free EBCD bootable CD
http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=41485
This has a number of useful utilities included including "Image" [for DOS, by Terabyte] & "File Manager".

[Sylvander]

Just ran the EBCD "Registry Tool" [it said it's name was "Registrar"]...
a. Made a backup...took a few minutes...I think it used Windows "scanreg" to do that.
b. Went through the motions of restoring that backup...was taken to a scanreg window showing the backup I'd just made as one that had never been used to boot Windows..
c. Ran "Scan/Fix the Registry" and the screen showed...
The file being scanned/fixed was "C:\Windows\user.dat".
1. "Looking for valid registry keys...".
2. "Checking the system registry structure".
3. "Rebuilding the system registry". [This took about 10 minutes]

Uses "Microsoft Registry Checker" to do 1, 2, 3 above.

After I'd run this and booted back into Windows I saw no obvious change, probably because my registry was ok to begin with [I'd used the Registry Tool a few weeks back].