Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win2000.general (More info?)
TaxCut is randomly trashing parts of Windows. First it was the Java buttons
on web sites after installing TaxCut 2004 software. Then it was program
icons turning white and their associated programs becoming invalid. Then it
was the Visual Basic system in Word that was trashed on the twentieth
install. Here's the history of the last 42 hours:
I thought the problem happened during the update program function, because I
recall an error happening during the update where it could not open a file
it just downloaded from H&R Block's web site, ending in ".JS"
I think somehow this trashed the Java subsystem in IE.
The end result is web sites that have Java buttons don't display any useable
buttons. I get a bunch of rectangles now.
UPDATE:
I'm on my third reinstall of TaxCut after my second Ghost image restore of
C: drive.
Apparently, the problem is in the online program updater. For some reason,
after it downloads the updates and starts unpacking them, it generates an
error to the effect that a particular file ending in .JS is unable to be
opened. I click okay and it appears to continue to install.
The only problem is that all data created from then on is corrupt, the drive
it is installed on F:\Taxcut04 is corrupt and some portions of C: get
corrupted.
The second time this happened, I noticed that some shortcuts to programs on
C: had been replaced with generic icons (the kind you get when the .exe file
is missing or corrupted). Clicking on them resulted in an error about a
corrupt exe file. And in Internet Explorer, all the Java buttons on web
sites are missing.
I did a methodical reinstallation this time. I used Norton Ghost to get my
C: drive back. Then I explored F:\Taxcut04. It was corrupted and could not
be read until I ran scandisk. Then I could read the folder, but the program
files were corrupted. So I deleted the whole things and reinstalled TaxCut.
This time I did not allow TaxCut to update itself. I had to create a new tax
return, because all three file backups I'd made on F: drive were coming up
as invalid TaxCut files. A copy I had moved off system to a network drive
was valid, however. So I copied those back over the corrupt files and all
seems well.
I will avoid the online update, because one of the packed files is corrupt.
Hopefully there is nothing critical in that update.
Well, things are not as simple as I had hoped. The problem was not the
update. Everything was fine, until I noticed the the popup window asking to
register TaxCut. As soon as that popped up, my desktop refreshed and some of
my program icons turned white. Clicking on those program icons resulted in
error messages instead of the programs running. So I'm back to square one.
Just re Ghosted the C: drive again. Every time TaxCut goes haywire, it
corrupts C: and F: drives.
I have a total of nine different backup versions of the returns I started in
various installation attempts. None of them will open after I restore my
drive and reinstall TaxCut. So all of my work, and the many backup copies,
is unreadable. And when I try to delete the F:\Taxcut04 folder, I get an
error to the effect that "the files cannot be deleted, the folder is not
empty". I have to run scandisk and have it repair the drive first, and then
I can delete the folder.
But the pattern is repeatable:
Clean system before TC is installed. Java works. Can access web sites that
use Java.
Install Taxcut 2004. Start entering tax data. Program generates error when I
start entering 1099 form (interview stage) and shuts down. Then I find that
my IE can no longer run Java apps, as the web sites with Java buttons have
all Java components missing, replaced by rectangles.
Shortly after that, other applications start missing DLLs, or the EXE files
launched by the shortcut icons somehow become corrupted and won't run, the
icon turning to a white 'generic' icon. And when I reboot, boot fails with
missing corrupted system DLLs.
This is getting really interesting.
I have rolled back to my first Ghost backup, the day I built the MAIN PC
that I am trying to install TaxCut 2004 on. This was the machine as it was
just after a new hard drive was prepared for Windows 2000. I got my core
applications installed (Word, PhotoShop, etc.) and Ghosted the drive to this
state. This is the state I used to restore to. KNown to be clean of any
virii or rogue software.
Then I installed TC04. Right during the install, it got all the way to the
end of the progress indicator where it stopped, with 'skipping MFC40.DLL"
and hung there. After 15 minutes elapsed, I pressed the X in the upper
corner to close the dialog. The whole PC spontaneously rebooted.
Windows failed to start up with an error stating that NTOSKRNL.EXE was
missing or corrupt.
That pretty much snagged it for me. I'm thinking the problem was the TC
install CD.
I re-GHosted back to last good config and then I had an idea... seeing as I
had earlier had trouble running Windows SYstem FIle checker from this CD
drive, and had to move it to the DVD drive to finish (it found no bad system
files, BTW), I got the brainstorm to try installing TaxCut from the DVD
drive this time.
On all installation attempts prior, I used the fast 48X CD drive. And on all
attempts, I quickly lost Java capabilities in IE. And experienced crashes
and system shutdowns soonafter.
SO this time I installed from the DVD drive, ran my updates online, and
started to enter my W2/1099 data. Saved my return. Exited TC. Fired up IE.
Java is still working! Hmmm... that's quite a twist. Fired up TC again,
entered all the W2 and 1099s. Saved my return again. Fired up IE. Java still
okay. No desktop icons turned white. All seems normal so far.
I will cautiously start to prepare this return and see if nothing strange
happens.
OOPS.. slight problem detected..
When I tried to start MS Word, I was greated with "The Visual Basic
Environment could not be initialized" several times before I could get to
the Word application window. And then on Word exit, more similar errors.
There may still be problems yet undetected. That's the trouble with these
freak things. They are very tricky.
I'm restarting Windows 2000 and on boot it's running a scandisk and
correcting thousands of entries.. what a screen dump. This does not look
good. Now there is "hyroglyphics" scrolling up the screen win the Win 2000
splash screen. That's it... I think this OS is trashed again. Almost fooled
me this time, too. THought I had nailed it to the CD ROM drive corrupting
the data.
Windows is rebooting again... and BSOD! "The registry cannot load the hive
file ... or its log or alternate. It is corrupt, absent or not writable.
That's it. No more TaxCut. I'll do my damned business taxes on paper.
TaxCut is randomly trashing parts of Windows. First it was the Java buttons
on web sites after installing TaxCut 2004 software. Then it was program
icons turning white and their associated programs becoming invalid. Then it
was the Visual Basic system in Word that was trashed on the twentieth
install. Here's the history of the last 42 hours:
I thought the problem happened during the update program function, because I
recall an error happening during the update where it could not open a file
it just downloaded from H&R Block's web site, ending in ".JS"
I think somehow this trashed the Java subsystem in IE.
The end result is web sites that have Java buttons don't display any useable
buttons. I get a bunch of rectangles now.
UPDATE:
I'm on my third reinstall of TaxCut after my second Ghost image restore of
C: drive.
Apparently, the problem is in the online program updater. For some reason,
after it downloads the updates and starts unpacking them, it generates an
error to the effect that a particular file ending in .JS is unable to be
opened. I click okay and it appears to continue to install.
The only problem is that all data created from then on is corrupt, the drive
it is installed on F:\Taxcut04 is corrupt and some portions of C: get
corrupted.
The second time this happened, I noticed that some shortcuts to programs on
C: had been replaced with generic icons (the kind you get when the .exe file
is missing or corrupted). Clicking on them resulted in an error about a
corrupt exe file. And in Internet Explorer, all the Java buttons on web
sites are missing.
I did a methodical reinstallation this time. I used Norton Ghost to get my
C: drive back. Then I explored F:\Taxcut04. It was corrupted and could not
be read until I ran scandisk. Then I could read the folder, but the program
files were corrupted. So I deleted the whole things and reinstalled TaxCut.
This time I did not allow TaxCut to update itself. I had to create a new tax
return, because all three file backups I'd made on F: drive were coming up
as invalid TaxCut files. A copy I had moved off system to a network drive
was valid, however. So I copied those back over the corrupt files and all
seems well.
I will avoid the online update, because one of the packed files is corrupt.
Hopefully there is nothing critical in that update.
Well, things are not as simple as I had hoped. The problem was not the
update. Everything was fine, until I noticed the the popup window asking to
register TaxCut. As soon as that popped up, my desktop refreshed and some of
my program icons turned white. Clicking on those program icons resulted in
error messages instead of the programs running. So I'm back to square one.
Just re Ghosted the C: drive again. Every time TaxCut goes haywire, it
corrupts C: and F: drives.
I have a total of nine different backup versions of the returns I started in
various installation attempts. None of them will open after I restore my
drive and reinstall TaxCut. So all of my work, and the many backup copies,
is unreadable. And when I try to delete the F:\Taxcut04 folder, I get an
error to the effect that "the files cannot be deleted, the folder is not
empty". I have to run scandisk and have it repair the drive first, and then
I can delete the folder.
But the pattern is repeatable:
Clean system before TC is installed. Java works. Can access web sites that
use Java.
Install Taxcut 2004. Start entering tax data. Program generates error when I
start entering 1099 form (interview stage) and shuts down. Then I find that
my IE can no longer run Java apps, as the web sites with Java buttons have
all Java components missing, replaced by rectangles.
Shortly after that, other applications start missing DLLs, or the EXE files
launched by the shortcut icons somehow become corrupted and won't run, the
icon turning to a white 'generic' icon. And when I reboot, boot fails with
missing corrupted system DLLs.
This is getting really interesting.
I have rolled back to my first Ghost backup, the day I built the MAIN PC
that I am trying to install TaxCut 2004 on. This was the machine as it was
just after a new hard drive was prepared for Windows 2000. I got my core
applications installed (Word, PhotoShop, etc.) and Ghosted the drive to this
state. This is the state I used to restore to. KNown to be clean of any
virii or rogue software.
Then I installed TC04. Right during the install, it got all the way to the
end of the progress indicator where it stopped, with 'skipping MFC40.DLL"
and hung there. After 15 minutes elapsed, I pressed the X in the upper
corner to close the dialog. The whole PC spontaneously rebooted.
Windows failed to start up with an error stating that NTOSKRNL.EXE was
missing or corrupt.
That pretty much snagged it for me. I'm thinking the problem was the TC
install CD.
I re-GHosted back to last good config and then I had an idea... seeing as I
had earlier had trouble running Windows SYstem FIle checker from this CD
drive, and had to move it to the DVD drive to finish (it found no bad system
files, BTW), I got the brainstorm to try installing TaxCut from the DVD
drive this time.
On all installation attempts prior, I used the fast 48X CD drive. And on all
attempts, I quickly lost Java capabilities in IE. And experienced crashes
and system shutdowns soonafter.
SO this time I installed from the DVD drive, ran my updates online, and
started to enter my W2/1099 data. Saved my return. Exited TC. Fired up IE.
Java is still working! Hmmm... that's quite a twist. Fired up TC again,
entered all the W2 and 1099s. Saved my return again. Fired up IE. Java still
okay. No desktop icons turned white. All seems normal so far.
I will cautiously start to prepare this return and see if nothing strange
happens.
OOPS.. slight problem detected..
When I tried to start MS Word, I was greated with "The Visual Basic
Environment could not be initialized" several times before I could get to
the Word application window. And then on Word exit, more similar errors.
There may still be problems yet undetected. That's the trouble with these
freak things. They are very tricky.
I'm restarting Windows 2000 and on boot it's running a scandisk and
correcting thousands of entries.. what a screen dump. This does not look
good. Now there is "hyroglyphics" scrolling up the screen win the Win 2000
splash screen. That's it... I think this OS is trashed again. Almost fooled
me this time, too. THought I had nailed it to the CD ROM drive corrupting
the data.
Windows is rebooting again... and BSOD! "The registry cannot load the hive
file ... or its log or alternate. It is corrupt, absent or not writable.
That's it. No more TaxCut. I'll do my damned business taxes on paper.
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