uninstalled ie, now computer won't boot - missing dll - dell said wipe the comp!

[defenestr8or]

Thank heavens computer hope exists!

I stupidly installed IE7, which caused no end of problems on my machine

(Dell Dimension 8200 intel pentium 4 processor, running XP home edition service pack 2)

I uninstalled it, with much difficulty.

When I rebooted windows explorer wouldn't start.

It said "The application has failed to start because iertutil.dll was not found." 

I know I can download this dll and that it needs to go into the SYSTEM32 folder.

The problem of course is that I can't get windows explorer to start and therefore can't GET it into that folder.

The tech support guy tried a bunch of things - trying safe mode, restoring from a previous date, but none of it worked.

He said the only thing to do was to reinstall the operating system - WIPING OUT ALL MY FILES!
Of COURSE I haven't backed up in...well probably a year. I could stand to lose most things - but my digital photos - it would break my heart.

I'm pretty sure I can't fix this myself - what I need to know is if it is POSSIBLE for a techie to install that dll in some magic way that doesn't involve wiping my computer.

So...is that possible? Thanks for any help (or solace!) you can offer.

fending off despair,
Alison

[Raptor]

Try booting into safe mode and making back-ups from there.

Why did IE 7 cause problems? Do you have a virus scanner/firewall etc?

[patio]

Have you tried to boot into safemode to copy the required files ? ?
Tap F8 repeatedly at startup before you see the XP logo.

Next you can try also from safemode go to Start/Run and type in sfc /scannow and hit Enter.
For this you will need an XP SP2 CD...a restore CD won't work.

If both of these fail the only other option would be a repair install of XP...again an XP CD is required.

[soybean]

To be sure of getting your photos, I suggest two options:

1) remove your hard drive, temporarily install it on another computer as a slave drive, and then retrieve your photos.

2) buy an external enclosure for a 3.5 inch hard drive, put your hard drive in it, connect the external hard drive you've just created to any working computer with USB ports and retrieve your photos.

[defenestr8or]

Raptor and Patio - when I tried booting in safe mode it gave me the same error.

Patio - Dell is sending me the XP discs - does a repair install wipe the files? and can you give me an idea of how it'd done?

Raptor -
IE7 wouldn't connect (firefox would, so I was definitely connected) and for some reason my sound disappeared. I used the soundblaster disk to reinstall the drivers, and it worked fine, but when I rebooted it happened again!

Soybean - thanks for those suggestions - I will definitely do that if I can't find a fix - better than a reinstall and wipe!


THANK YOU all for your help!
Alison

[Spoiler]

When you use the Dell disks it will completely wipe your machine out and when you boot it you will be starting over like you just bought the machine. All your files will be gone.

The best way to get back up and running is to slave the drive into another machine to get your files. After use the dell CD to reinstall the OS.

One a side note...I had IE 7 installed on my Dell laptop and found it to be crap. IE kept crashing and locking up the machine. I did the uninstall and now it runs fine.

[defenestr8or]

Someone told me to use the XP CD, and choose "repair", rather than going into the Recovery Console and using "FixBoot" - does this make sense? Would that fix things rather than wipe them?

I'm SO relieved that I'll be able to slave the drive to another computer and get the files.

[patio]

Someone told me to use the XP CD, and choose "repair", rather than going into the Recovery Console and using "FixBoot" - does this make sense? Would that fix things rather than wipe them?

I'm SO relieved that I'll be able to slave the drive to another computer and get the files.

Again you would need a genuine MS XP SP2 CD to do the above...a Dell restore CD will not be able to do this and will wipe your HDD and take the machine back to it's Day One configuration...all your data and any programs you have added since you got the machine will be gone...

[GX1_Man]

It depends on what Dell sends you. If it is a real XP CD you are good to go. Read carefully:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx

To be safe totally, do what was suggested about slaving that drive into a working machine and save your pics.

[tr3wth]

OR, if you do "slave" the drive to another working pc you could just go to http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?iertutil and put the iertutil.dll file on your drive.
Then you could put your drive back and your done!

[GX1_Man]

Assuming that is the only problem.