You receive the "Microsoft Works has encountered a problem and needs to close" error message when you try to start the Works Task Launcher

When you try to start the Microsoft Works Task Launcher, you may receive the following error message: The error signature refers to the following files:

• Msworks.exe
• Kernel32.dll

Additionally, the Works Task Launcher stops responding, and you must restart the computer.

This problem may occur if the Works Calendar (Mswkscal.wcd) database is marked as read only or if the database is corrupted.

To resolve this problem, use the following methods in the order that they appear in.

Click to clear the Read Only check box for Mswkscal.wcd

1. Open the following folder in Microsoft Windows Explorer:
   C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Works\
2. Right-click the Mswkscal.wcd file, and then click Properties.
3. If the Read Only check box is selected, click to clear the Read Only check box.
4. Try to start the Works Task Launcher.

Replace Mswkscal.wcd

1. Insert the Works CD or the Works Suite CD 1 into your CD or DVD drive.
2. Open the following folder in Windows Explorer:
   C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Works
3. Rename the Mswkscal.wcd file, to Old_mswkscal.wcd.
4. Open one of the following folders on the CD:
   • For Works 8.0:
     CD_drive:\Common\CommApp
   • For Works Suite 2005:
     CD_drive:\MSWorks\Common\CommApp
5. Right-click the Mswkscal.wcd file, and then click Copy.
6. Open the following folder:
   C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Works
7. On the Edit menu, click Paste.
8. Right-click the Mswkscal.wcd file, and then click Properties.
9. On the General tab, click to clear the Read Only check box, and then click OK.

Remove and reinstall Works

1. Restart Microsoft Windows in clean boot mode. There is a different clean-boot procedure for each version of Windows. Select the article that corresponds to your version of Windows from the following table, and then follow the instructions to clean-boot your computer.
   
   
   Collapse this tableExpand this table

   Operating system	Article
   Microsoft Windows 98	281965  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/281965/ ) How to troubleshoot using the Msconfig utility with Windows 98
   Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me)	267288  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/267288/ ) How to perform a clean boot in Windows Millennium Edition
   Microsoft Windows XP	310353  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353/ ) How to perform a clean boot in Windows XP
   Microsoft Windows 2000	281770  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/281770/ ) How to perform clean-boot troubleshooting for Windows 2000

2. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
3. Double-click Add or Remove Programs.
4. Select any version of Microsoft Works from the list of installed programs, and then click to remove it. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to remove Works.
5. Repeat step 4 for each version of Works that you have installed on your computer.
6. If you receive an error message in step 4, use the appropriate Microsoft Works Cleanup utility to remove each version of Works. Use the following table to determine which utility to use.
   
   
   Collapse this tableExpand this table

   Version	Operating system	Utility
   Microsoft Works 7.0, Microsoft Works Suite 2003, Microsoft Works Suite 2005	Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition (Me)	Wks7rm.exe
   	Windows 2000 and Windows XP	Wks7rmxp.exe
   Microsoft Works 8.0, Microsoft Works Suite 2005	Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition (Me)	Wks8rm9x.exe
   	Microsoft Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows XP	Wks8xp.exe

   The files are located on the Works CD or on CD1 for Works Suite in the following folder:
   CD_drive :\MSWORKS\PSS
   Note You can also obtain these files from the Microsoft Download Center. To download a file, visit the following Microsoft Web site, and then type the file name in the Keywords box:
   http://www.microsoft.com/downloads (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads)
   For example, to download the Microsoft Works 6.0 Cleanup Utility for Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition (Me), Search for WKS6.exe.
7. When the Works Cleanup utility finishes and you are prompted to restart Windows, click Later.
8. Install and run the appropriate Windows Installer Cleanup tool.
   
   For additional information about how to download, install, and use the Windows Installer CleanUp utility, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   290301  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301/ ) Description of the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility
9. Restart your computer.
10. Install the later version of Works on your computer.