Error Message: Cannot Find C:\Progra~1\Intern~1\Chlinst.exe...

ID: Q189168


The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows 98


SYMPTOMS

When you install Windows 98, you may receive the following error message after Windows 98 Setup restarts your computer for the first time:

Cannot find the file C:\Progra~1\Intern~1\chlinst.exe (or one of its components). Make sure the path and filename are correct and that all the required libraries are available.

When you click OK, Setup continues normally.

After Windows 98 Setup is completed, you may experience the following symptoms:
  • The Channel bar is empty.


  • When you double-click the Internet Explorer icon on the desktop, you receive the following error message:
    Windows cannot find Iexplore.exe.
    This program is needed for opening files of type 'Internet Explorer.'


  • A default Windows icon appears on the Quick Launch toolbar where the Internet Explorer icon normally appears.


  • When you start the Internet Connection wizard, you receive the following error message:
    The item 'ICWCONN1.EXE' that this shortcut refers to has been changed or moved. The nearest match, based on size, date, and type, is 'C:\PROGRA~1\!$!$!$!$.ier\CONNEC~1\ICWCONN1.EXE'.
    Do you want this shortcut to point to this item?


  • When you view the contents of the Program Files folder, you see a !$!$!$!$.ier folder containing a folder beginning with "Intern" and the Internet Explorer files.


  • When you install MSN, The Microsoft Network, from the Windows 98 CD-ROM, you may receive the following error message:
    Cannot install Connection Manager. You must install Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 or later on your computer before installing Connection Manager.



CAUSE

This behavior can occur if you upgrade Microsoft Windows 95 by running Windows 98 Setup in MS-DOS, and there is more than one folder in the Program Files folder that begins with "Intern." When Setup is run in MS- DOS, it is a 16-bit program that can use only short file names. The short file names are converted to long file names when Setup restarts your computer for the first time. If two or more short file names are trying to use the same long file name, namespace collisions can occur and you may experience the symptoms described earlier.


RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, follow these steps:

  1. Click Start, point to Programs, and then click Windows Explorer.


  2. Double-click the Program Files folder.


  3. Rename the Internet Explorer folder to "Old Internet Explorer" (without quotation marks). Click Yes when you are prompted to rename the read-only folder.

    For information about renaming folders, click Start, click Help, click the Index tab, type "renaming" (without quotation marks), and then double-click the "Renaming Folders" topic.


  4. Rename the "!$!$!$!$.ier" folder to "Internet Explorer" (without quotation marks).


  5. Right-click the Internet Explorer folder, click Properties, verify the MS-DOS name is INTERN~1, and then click OK.

    If the MS-DOS name is not INTERN~1, rename the Internet Explorer folder to something other than Internet Explorer, and then rename it back to Internet Explorer. Repeat step 5 to verify the MS-DOS name is INTERN~1.


  6. Rename the Program Files\Internet Explorer\Connec~1 folder to "Connec~2" (without quotation marks). Click Yes when you receive the following prompt:
    This change could impact one or more registered programs. Do you want to continue?


  7. Rename the Connec~2 folder to "Connection Wizard" (without quotation marks).


  8. Right-click the Connection Wizard folder, click Properties, verify the MS-DOS name is Connec~1, and then click OK.

    If the MS-DOS name is not Connec~1, repeat steps 6-8.


  9. Double-click the Chlinst.exe file in the Internet Explorer folder to install the Channel bar.


  10. Restart your computer so that Windows 98 can set up the Channel bar.


  11. Double-click the default Windows icon on the taskbar, and click Yes when you receive the following prompt:
    The item 'IEXPLORE.EXE' that this shortcut refers to has been changed or moved. The nearest match, based on size, date, and type, is 'C:\Progra~1\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe'. Do you want this shortcut to point to this item?
    If the Internet Connection wizard starts, click Cancel, and then click Yes. If it appears to start and then stops responding (hangs), repeat steps 6-8.


  12. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Internet Explorer, and then click Internet Explorer. Click Yes when you receive the following prompt:
    The item 'IEXPLORE.EXE' that this shortcut refers to has been changed or moved. The nearest match, based on size, date, and type, is 'C:\Progra~1\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe'. Do you want this shortcut to point to this item?


At this point the Channel bar, Internet Explorer, and the Internet Connection wizard are restored to full functionality. To recover the data from the original folder that began with "Intern," use the following steps:
  1. Click Start, point to Programs, and then click Windows Explorer.


  2. Double-click the Program Files folder.


  3. Create a new folder with the same name as the original "Intern" folder.

    For information about creating folders, click Start, click Help, click the Index tab, type "creating" (without quotation marks), and then double-click the "Creating Folders" topic.


  4. Copy the files in the Internet Explorer folder, to the folder you created in step 3.

    NOTE: In some cases, it may be necessary to reinstall the affected program.



MORE INFORMATION

When you upgrade Windows 95 by running Windows 98 Setup in MS-DOS, Internet Explorer files are installed to the Progra~1\Intern~1 folder by default. When your computer is restarted for the first time, namespace collisions can occur in the following scenario:

Prior to upgrading Windows 95, a folder beginning with "Intern" (such as International Plans) is in the Program Files folder and is using a short file name of Intern~1. The original Internet Explorer folder is also in the Program Files folder and is using a short file name of Intern~<n>, where <n> is a number other than 1. During Windows 98 Setup, Internet Explorer files are installed to the Intern~1 folder, which results in namespace collisions with the original Intern~1 folder (International Plans). Now there are two short file names competing for the same long file name, and two long file names competing for the same short file name. Windows 98 resolves this issue by renaming the original Intern~1 folder (International Plans) to "!$!$!$!$.ier," allowing the Intern~<n> folder (the original Internet Explorer folder) to use the "Internet Explorer" long file name, and moving the original Intern~1 folder (International Plans) and the new Intern~1 folder (the new Internet Explorer folder) into the "!$!$!$!$.ier" folder.

For more information about long file names, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q142982
TITLE : How Windows Generates 8.3 File Names from Long File Names

Keywords : kberrmsg kbsetup lfn msnetwork win98
Version : WINDOWS:98
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb


Last Reviewed: February 11, 1999
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