Microsoft KB Archive/312450

= Internet Explorer Does Not Work After You Reinstall Windows =

Q312450

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows Millennium Edition
 * Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows 98 Second Edition
 * Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows 98

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IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the &quot;Restoring the Registry&quot; Help topic in Regedit.exe or the &quot;Restoring a Registry Key&quot; Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SYMPTOMS
After you reinstall Microsoft Windows, Windows may not work correctly and may be damaged. You may be unable to start Microsoft Internet Explorer or you may experience numerous error messages and problems when you attempt to start Windows such as:


 * You may receive the following error message when you browse:
 * Starting up to a blank Windows desktop.

NOTE: This issue can occur even if you rename the Iemigrat.dll file before you reinstall Windows.

CAUSE
This issue can occur in the following situation:


 * You upgrade your computer to Internet Explorer 6.

-and-
 * You reinstall Windows in the same folder as the previous Windows installation.

This situation occurs because of the Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 migration dynamic link library (DLL) file, Migrate.dll. You must rename the Migrate.dll file and remove its corresponding registry key before you reinstall Windows.

RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, follow these steps.

Step 1: Rename Migration DLL Files
NOTE: Because there are several versions of Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, please consult your product documentation to complete these steps.


 * 1) Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files or Folders.
 * 2) In the Named box, type iemigrat.dll; migrate.dll.
 * 3) In the Look in list, click My Computer, and then click Find Now.
 * 4) In the list of found items, right-click the Iemigrat.dll that is stored in the C:\Windows\System folder, and then click Rename on the shortcut menu that appears.

NOTE: If Iemigrat.dll is not found, continue to step 6.
 * 1) Rename Iemigrat.dll to iemigrat.old, and then press ENTER.
 * 2) Right-click the Migrate.dll file that is stored in the C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\W2K folder, and then click Rename on the shortcut menu that appears.
 * 3) Rename Migrate.dll to migrate.old, and then press ENTER.
 * 4) On the File menu, click Close.

Step 2: Remove Registry Keys
To remove the Windows registry keys that are associated with the migration DLL files, follow these steps.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the &quot;Changing Keys and Values&quot; Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the &quot;Add and Delete Information in the Registry&quot; and &quot;Edit Registry Data&quot; Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT or Windows 2000, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).

 Click Start, and then click Run. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.  Expand the following registry subkey: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\Migration\100" NOTE: If this key is not present, continue to step 8.  On the Registry menu, click Export Registry File. In the File name box, type migration 100, and then click Save. On the Edit menu, click Delete. When you receive a message that asks you to confirm the key deletion, click Yes. Expand the following registry subkey:</li> On the Registry menu, click Export Registry File.</li> In the File name box, type migration dlls, and then click Save.</li> In the right pane of the Registry Editor window, right-click the entry that has the following value:</li> On the shortcut menu that appears, click Delete.</li> On the Confirm Value Delete message that appears, click Yes.</li> Quit Registry Editor.</li></ol>

Step 3: Reinstall Windows
Reinstall Windows. The original version of Internet Explorer that is included with Windows is installed.

To upgrade to Internet Explorer 6, see the following Microsoft Web site: "http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie" For additional information about how to install Windows, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: "Q188881 How to Install Windows 98: Helpful Tips and Suggestions"

MORE INFORMATION
In versions of Internet Explorer earlier than version 6, the migration DLL file (Iemigrat.dll) is stored in the C:\Windows\System folder. In Internet Explorer 6, the migration DLL file is named Migrate.dll and is stored by default in the C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\W2K folder.

Additional query words: kbiepcbd

Keywords : kberrmsg kbsetup

Issue type : kbprb

Technology : kbOSWin98 kbIEsearch kbOSWinME kbOSWin98SE kbIE600Search kbIEWinMESearch kbIE98Search kbIE600Win98 kbIE600WinME kbIE98SESearch kbIE600Win98SE

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