Knowledge Base

Internet Explorer or Outlook Express quits unexpectedly with an error in Mshtml.dll

Article ID: 816506

Article Last Modified on 8/29/2007

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 Service Pack 1, when used with:
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86)
- Microsoft Windows XP Professional
- Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
- Microsoft Windows XP Professional
- Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
- Microsoft Windows XP Professional
- Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6
- Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
- Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
- Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition
Microsoft Internet Explorer (Programming) 6 (SP1)

SYMPTOMS

You may experience any of the following symptoms:

After you install the MS03-004: February, 2003, Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer (Q810847.exe) on a computer that is running Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1(SP1), Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Outlook Express may quit unexpectedly, or you may receive an error message that is similar to the following error message when you type in an e-mail message or you use the Copy and Paste commands to paste text into an e-mail message:

Outlook Express has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

If you were in the middle of something, the information you were working on might be lost.

Restart Outlook Express.

Please tell Microsoft about this problem

We have created an error report that you can send to help us improve Outlook Express. We will treat this report as confidential and anonymous.

To see what data this error report contains, click here.

When you view the data in the error report, the report contains an error signature that is similar to:
```
   AppName    AppVer          ModName     ModVer         offset
   ------------------------------------------------------------
   msimn.exe  6.00.2800.1106  mshtml.dll  6.0.2800.1141  varies
```
Note that this problem may also occur in other programs that use the HTML edit function in Mshtml.dll.
Internet Explorer may quit unexpectedly, or you may receive the following error message when you use the services on a Web site:

Microsoft Internet Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

If you were in the middle of something, the information you were working on might be lost.

Restart Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Please tell Microsoft about this problem

We have created an error report that you can send to help us improve Microsoft Internet Explorer. We will treat this report as confidential and anonymous.

To see what data this error report contains, click here .

When you view the data in the error report, the report contains an error signature that is similar to:
```
   AppName       AppVer          ModName     ModVer        offset
   --------------------------------------------------------------
   iexplore.exe  6.00.2800.1106  mshtml.dll  6.0.2800.1141 varies
```

.

CAUSE

The Outlook and Outlook Express problem is caused by a regression error in the Mshtml.dll files that are included with the Internet Explorer 6 SP1 version of the MS03-004: February, 2003, Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer (Q810847.exe). The Internet Explorer problem occurs if a Web site calls the removeNode method in script code on a cached function pointer on the element style object. In this case, the access violation is more likely to occur as more function pointers on the Web page are dynamically created and then removed with the removeNode method.

RESOLUTION

Service pack information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows Server 2003. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

889100 How to obtain the latest service pack for Windows Server 2003

Hotfix information

Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2003

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

   Date         Time   Version        Size       File name
   --------------------------------------------------------
   09-Jun-2005  17:02  6.0.3790.2461  3,109,376  Mshtml.dll

Windows XP Service Pack 2

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

   Date         Time   Version            Size    File name
   --------------------------------------------------------------
   21-Apr-2005  15:49  6.0.2900.2659   3,014,144  Mshtml.dll

Windows XP SP1, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0 SP6, Windows Me, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows 98

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft download center:

Download the q816506.exe package now.

Release Date: March 14, 2003

For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help to prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.

Important Install the MS03-015: April, 2003, Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer (Q813489.exe) before you install Q816506.exe. If you do not install Q813489.exe before you install Q816506.exe, you receive the following error message when you try to install 813489.exe:

Microsoft Internet Explorer Update
This update requires Internet Explorer 6 SP1 to be installed.

For additional information about the MS03-015: April, 2003, Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

813489 MS03-015: April, 2003, Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer

The English version of this fix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

   Date         Time   Version         Size       File name
   ---------------------------------------------------------
   07-Mar-2003  20:44  6.00.2800.1173  2,683,392  Mshtml.dll

Note This update replaces the Q814834.exe hotfix that was previously available from Microsoft Product Support Services.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Internet Explorer 6 SP1. This problem was first corrected in Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about the Q810847.exe and Q813489.exe cumulative patches for Internet Explorer , click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

810847 MS03-004: February, 2003, Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer