Microsoft KB Archive/884931

= How to use the debug version of the Wininet.dll file for Internet Explorer =

Article ID: 884931

Article Last Modified on 1/10/2007

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APPLIES TO

 Microsoft Windows Internet Services (WinInet) Microsoft Internet Explorer (Programming) 6.0, when used with:  Microsoft Windows XP Professional

 Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition

 Microsoft Windows 2000 Standard Edition

 Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition</li></ul>

 Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition</li></ul>

 Microsoft Windows NT 4.0</li></ul>

 Microsoft Windows 95</li></ul> </li> Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5, when used with:  Microsoft Windows XP Professional</li></ul>

 Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition</li></ul>

 Microsoft Windows 2000 Standard Edition</li></ul>

 <li>Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition</li></ul>

<ul> <li>Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition</li></ul>

<ul> <li>Microsoft Windows NT 4.0</li></ul>

<ul> <li>Microsoft Windows 95</li></ul> </li></ul>

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SUMMARY
''You can use the debug version of the Wininet.dll file to troubleshoot downloading and connectivity problems with Microsoft Internet Explorer. You must download this file and then save the file in the C:\Windows\System folder or the C:\Windows\System32 folder. When you run Internet Explorer, a log file is created that you can use to diagnose problems.''

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INTRODUCTION
This article discusses how to use the debug version of the Wininet.dll file to troubleshoot downloading and connectivity problems with Microsoft Internet Explorer. Specifically, it discusses how to create a log file that can be used by a Microsoft Support Professional for troubleshooting purposes.

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Download the debug version of the Wininet.dll file
To download the debug version of the Wininet.dll file, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=57ad7099-de71-4b1c-8147-725545454146&displaylang=en

Use the debug version of the Wininet.dll file
To use the debug version of the Wininet.dll file, follow these steps: <ol> <li>Set the default home page in Internet Explorer to a Web page that is close to the problem Web page. This reduces the size of the log file that will be created.</li> <li>Quit Internet Explorer and any other Internet-based programs that are running on your computer.</li> <li>For Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition or later Windows versions, follow these steps: <ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;"> <li>Start Windows Explorer, and then find the location where Internet Explorer is installed on your computer. Typically this is either the C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer folder or the C:\Program Files\Plus!\Microsoft Internet folder.</li> <li>If all file name extensions are visible, go to step 3g. Otherwise, click Folder Options on the Tools menu.</li> <li>Click the View tab.</li> <li>Click Show all files.</li> <li>Click to clear the Hide extensions of known file types check box.</li> <li>Close the Folder Options dialog box.</li> <li>Click File, point to New, and then click Text Document. Name the file &quot;Iexplore.exe.local.&quot; If the icon for this new file remains as a Notepad document, repeat step 3e.</li> <li>Save a copy of the debug version of the Wininet.dll file in the Internet Explorer folder.</li></ol>

For Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, follow these steps: <ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;"> <li>Start Windows Explorer, and then open the C:\Windows\System folder or the C:\Windows\System32 folder.</li> <li>Find the Wininet.dll file, and then rename it as &quot;Wininet.old.&quot;</li> <li>Save a copy of the debug version of the Wininet.dll file in this folder.</li></ol> </li> <li>Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.</li> <li>In Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, or later Windows versions, type cd &quot;c:\program files\internet explorer&quot; or type cd &quot;c:\program files\microsoft internet explorer&quot;, depending on where Internet Explorer is installed, and then press ENTER.

For earlier versions of Windows, type cd &quot;c:\windows\system&quot; or cd &quot;c:\windows\system32&quot;, and then press ENTER.</li> <li>Type set wininetlog=1, and then press ENTER.</li> <li>If you are not in the Internet Explorer folder, type cd &quot;c:\program files\internet explorer&quot; or cd &quot;c:\program files\plus\microsoft internet&quot; .</li> <li>Type iexplore.exe, and then press ENTER.

Internet Explorer starts and then opens the page that you set as your home page in step 1. The Wininet.log file appears on your desktop. Do not try to open this log file while the file is being written to.</li> <li>Try to re-create the downloading or connectivity problems that you have experienced. After you experience the problematic behavior, quit Internet Explorer.</li> <li>Close the Command Prompt window. The logging process stops.</li> <li>In Windows Explorer, delete the copy of the debug version of the Wininet.dll file that you saved in step 3.

If you are running Windows 98 or an earlier version of Windows, you must restore the Wininet.dll that you renamed in step 3. To do this, follow these steps: <ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;"> <li>Start Windows Explorer, and then open the C:\Windows\System folder or the C:\Windows\System32 folder.</li> <li>Locate and then delete the Wininet.dll file.</li> <li>Locate the Wininet.old file, and then rename it as &quot;Wininet.dll.&quot;</li></ol> </li></ol>

After you create the Wininet.log file, you can then contact Microsoft Product Support Services to help your determine the cause of your Internet Explorer problem. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and for information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS