Fatal Exception 0028 in VXD Helpwgrd

When you start Windows 98, you may receive the following error message: NOTE: To more effectively search the Microsoft Knowledge Base, use keywords that relate to your issue. If you are searching for troubleshooting information that is not mentioned in this article, search the Microsoft Knowledge Base again by using keywords that are listed in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

This behavior can occur if the Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus program is installed on your computer. The Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus program is not compatible with Windows 98.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To resolve this issue, contact Dr. Solomon's to inquire about the availability of a version of the Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus program that is compatible with Windows 98.

To work around this issue, use the appropriate method:

Uninstall Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus

If you are able to start Windows 98, uninstall Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus. If Windows 98 does not start normally, try to start it in Safe mode. To start Windows 98 in Safe mode, restart your computer, press and hold down the CTRL key until the Windows 98 Startup menu appears, and then choose Safe Mode. To uninstall the Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus program:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add/Remove Programs.
2. Click Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus, click Add/Remove, and then follow the instructions on your screen.

Rename the Helpwgrd.vxd File

If you are unable to start Windows 98, rename the Helpwgrd.vxd file. To do so:

1. Start your computer, press and hold down the CTRL key after your computer completes the Power On Self-Test (POST), and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu.For additional information about Windows 98 startup, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   178548  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/178548/EN-US/ ) No 'Starting Windows 98' Message at Startup
2. Type the following commands at the command prompt, pressing ENTER after each line:
   cd\
   cd windows\system
   ren helpwgrd.vxd helpwgrd.xxx
3. Restart your computer.

After you perform these steps, you may receive the following error message when you start Windows 98: If you receive this error message, there may be references to the Helpwgrd.vxd file in either the [386enh] section of the System.ini file or the Registry. To remove these references:

1. Click Start, click Run, type sysedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. On the Window menu, click System.ini.
3. On the Search menu, click Find.
4. In the Find box, type helpwgrd.vxd, and then press ENTER.
5. Place a semicolon (;) at the beginning of the line that contains "Helpwgrd.vxd."
6. On the File menu, click Save, and then click Exit on the File menu.
7. Restart your computer.
8. If you still receive the error message, use Registry Editor to export the following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VXD\HELPWGRD
9. Use Registry Editor to delete the following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VXD\HELPWGRD
10. Shut down and restart your computer.

If Windows 98 Setup detects that Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus is running, Setup unloads Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus from memory and disables it so that it does not run when Windows 98 starts. If Setup is unable to detect that Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus is running, the error message can occur when you attempt to create an Emergency Boot Disk during Setup.

The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.