Yes...check your file associations...as micker said
Hopefully you won't have to gut the system to get functionality, or your IE version..(?) are you using IE?....were you always??
anyway,
This one's long winded, so here goes;
Don't know your "installed" browser history...Opera? IE6 or 5.5x??..Mozilla??
3 things to do if IE...
1)
Go Start >> Run
MSinfo32
Tools >> IE Repair Tool...choose "Repair"..
not restore to previous version
2) Choose to highlight (Don't Open, maybe holding your mouse over it'll select it, depending on your settings) ,any Internet Explorer file you've saved, and Press and Hold the SHIFT key.......Right Click with mouse and choose
Open With scroll the list to find IE and choose, .....or choose "Browse" to get to Iexplore.exe (usually in C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer)....and make sure the box is "checked"
always use this program to open files of this type
if all this fails;
---------------------------------------------------
3) Extract new files and others outlined here; (the same ones I mentioned previously, plus Explorer.exe, )
from your 98 CD....
You can do One at a time in Windows using Start >> Run
SFC
GO Start> Run SFC
Choose "Extract one file from installation disk."
In the "Specify the system file you would like to restore" box, type;
shdocvw.dll
(for example)
Choose
Start
Choose the "Restore From" box, Browse to the Win98 Folder on Windows 98 CD (<drive>:\Win98)
In the "Save File In" box, Browse to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM
(or wherever the file to be extracted belongs), and then click OK.
Click OK
----------------------------------------------------
or using the Extarct command from CD, as 95 would need you to do,
Repair and Replace IE files and System Shell files and Explorer.exe
Oh ....and by the way..the article says to start the box with a Windows Startup disc......This is UN-necessary...
Reboot and
Press and hold the CTRL key...at the end of the POST (PowerOnSelfTest)(right before the Win98 logo would appear)......
and a Startup menu will appear...use the up/down arrows to choose Command Prompt Only..
If necessary, to restore the Original files, follow procedure;
Basically you put the 98 CD in the drive and reBoot to a "Command Prompt Only"
by pressing and holding the
CTRL key , or tap on F8 for 95, towards the end of
POST(PowerOnSelfTest), to Boot to the Win Startup Menu..
use the up/down arrows to choose Command Prompt Only...hit Enter
From C:\....switch to the drive letter of your CDROM, and then to the Win98 folder..
Ex. (If D:\ is your CDROM drive)
D:\ <press Enter>
CD Win98 <press Enter>
You should now be at
D:\Win98
Type the following command and then press ENTER:
extract /a /y /e /l c:\windows\system base4.cab Shdocvw.dll Mshtml.dll Comctl32.dll Shlwapi.dll Shell32.dll
Type the following command and then press ENTER:
extract /a /y /e /l c:\windows base4.cab Explorer.exe
Restart the computer.
NOTE: If you cannot access Control Panel or Windows Explorer, use this procedure to restart the computer in MS-DOS mode and extract the following files from the Windows 98 CD to the Windows\System folder:
Inetcpl.cpl
Ole2.dll
Ole32.dll
Oleaut32.dll
Olepro32.dll
Olethk32.dll
Setupwbv.dll
Softpub.dll
Urlmon.dll
Wininet.dll
Wintrust.dll
Control.exe
TT4U
Notification:
These are just "my" thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions.
Backup All Important Data/Docs..All involved shall be spared the grief.