Can't Start Internet Explorer If Url.dll File Missing or Damaged

ID: Q147383


The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 2.0, 3.0 for Windows 95


SYMPTOMS

You may experience the following symptoms when you start Internet Explorer for Windows 95.

Internet Explorer Versions Earlier Than 3.0

  • When you start a version of Internet Explorer for Windows 95 earlier than version 3.0, you may receive either or both of the following error messages:
    A required .dll file, Url.dll, was not found.
    -or-
    Windows cannot find Program.exe.
    This program is needed for opening files of type 'The Internet.'
    If you try to view the Internet Properties dialog box by using the right mouse button to click (right-clicking) the Internet icon on the desktop and then clicking Properties on the shortcut menu, you receive the following error message:
    The properties for this item are not available.


Internet Explorer 3.0

  • When you start Internet Explorer version 3.0 for Windows 95, you may receive the following error message
    Cannot open the Internet site <site>.
    The site was not found. Please make sure the address is correct and try again.
    where <site> is your current start page. If you then click OK, Internet Explorer stops responding (hangs). If you try to view the Internet Properties dialog box by right-clicking the Internet icon on the desktop, and then clicking Properties on the shortcut menu, you receive the following error message:
    The properties for this item are not available.



CAUSE

This problem occurs when the Url.dll file in the Windows\System folder is missing or damaged.

NOTE: The problem described in this article is known to occur with Beta versions of Netscape Navigator versions 2.0 and 3.0, and version 3.0 Gold, but does not occur with released versions. Earlier versions of Netscape Navigator 2.0 replaced the Url.dll file in the Windows\System folder, but did not restore the original file if you removed Netscape Navigator.


RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, use the method appropriate for your version of Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer Versions Earlier Than 3.0

To resolve this issue with versions of Internet Explorer earlier than version 3.0, use the appropriate method for your situation.

Online Installation:

If you installed Internet Explorer from an online source (such as the Microsoft World Wide Web site or The Microsoft Network), you can work around this behavior by upgrading Internet Explorer.

The latest version of Microsoft Internet Explorer offers more product features, greater reliability and better performance than Internet Explorer 2.0. To download the latest version of Internet Explorer, please see the following Microsoft World Wide Web site
http://www.microsoft.com/ie/
NOTE: Because the Microsoft Web site is constantly updated, the site address may change without notice. If this occurs, link to the Microsoft home page at the following address:
http://www.microsoft.com/
Internet Jumpstart Kit Included with Microsoft Plus!:

If you cannot obtain the latest version of Internet Explorer, and if you installed Internet Explorer by installing the Internet Jumpstart Kit included with Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95, follow these steps:

  1. If the Url.dll file exists in the Windows\System folder, remove or rename it.

    For information about removing or renaming files, click Start, click Help, click the Index tab, type removing, files or renaming, files, and then double-click the selected topic.


  2. Extract a new copy of the Url.dll file from your original Microsoft Plus! disks or CD-ROM. The Url.dll file is located in cabinet file Plus_7.cab on the CD-ROM or in cabinet file Plus_6.cab on disk 6. Use the method appropriate for your situation.

    Extracting Url.dll from the Microsoft Plus! CD-ROM:
    1. Click Start, point to Programs, and then click MS-DOS Prompt.


    2. Type cd\, and then press ENTER.


    3. Insert the Plus! CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive. Close the Plus! screen if it appears.


    4. Type the following line at the command prompt, and then press ENTER
      extract <drive>:\plus_7.cab url.dll /l c:\windows\system
      where <drive> is the drive letter assigned to your CD-ROM drive.


    5. Type exit, and then press ENTER to return to Windows.


    Extracting Url.dll from the Microsoft Plus! Floppy Disks:
    1. Click Start, point to Programs, and then click MS-DOS Prompt.


    2. Type cd\, and then press ENTER.


    3. Insert the Plus! Floppy Disk Number 6 into the appropriate floppy disk drive.


    4. Type the following line at the command prompt, and then press ENTER
      extract <drive>:\plus_6.cab url.dll /l c:\windows\system
      where <drive> is the drive letter assigned to the floppy disk drive the Plus! floppy disk is located in.


    5. Type exit, and then press ENTER to return to Windows.




  3. Restart your computer.


For more information about using the Extract tool, click the Start button, point to Programs, click MS-DOS prompt, type extract, and then press ENTER. Or, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q129605 How to Extract Original Compressed Windows Files
NOTE: Removing and reinstalling Microsoft Plus! also corrects this problem, but removing and reinstalling the Internet Jumpstart Kit alone does not.

Internet Explorer 3.0

To resolve this issue with Internet Explorer 3.0, copy the Url.dll file from the Windows\Sysbckup folder to the Windows\System folder. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. If the Url.dll file exists in the Windows\System folder, remove or rename it.


  2. Click the Start button, point to Programs, click MS-DOS prompt, type the following command at the command prompt, and then press ENTER:
    copy c:\<windows>\sysbckup\url.dll c:\<windows>\system
    where <windows> is the name of your Windows folder.


  3. Restart your computer.


  4. Remove and then reinstall Internet Explorer.


To download Internet Explorer, please see the following Microsoft World Wide Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/ie


MORE INFORMATION

Any file type or shortcut created while the Url.dll file is missing or damaged may not function properly. If a file type or shortcut continues to function incorrectly after you use one of the methods in the "Resolution" section of this article, you may need to remove the file type or shortcut and then create it again. If the file type or shortcut was created automatically when you installed another program, you may need to remove and reinstall that program.

The third-party product discussed in this article is manufactured by a vendor independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or other- wise, regarding this product's performance or reliability.

Additional query words: 3.00 2.00 msnetwork

Keywords : msiew95
Version : WINDOWS:2.0,3.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :


Last Reviewed: September 9, 1999
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