Win 2000

When running some applications (ie MPLAB) on Windows 2000 Professional, I get Window displayed with the heading: 16 bit Windows Subsystem.

Followed by the message:

SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\VirtualDeviceDrivers,VDD,Virtual Device Drivers format in the registry is invalid. Chose 'Close' to terminate the application.

2 boxes are displayed: 'Close' and 'Ignore'

Pressing 'Close' terminates the Application but pressing 'Ignore' removes the Window and the application runs fine.

How can I remove this problem?

Check the Event Viewer system and application logs. They should give you and Event ID. What is it?

Event ID is 26

what version of MPLAB are your running?

MPLAB is V5.00.00

But I get the same problem with other software, ie Equinox Meridan V2.32

I other point. The error windows only occurs after the first running of a program after power up. If the application is closed and then re-opened, the error window is not displayed.

What are the contents of the key?

I don't understand the question. What key?

the registry key that was listed in the error message.

ie.

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\VirtualDeviceDrivers

No registry key listed in the error message.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Westhurst
Followed by the message:

SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\VirtualDeviceDrivers,VDD,Virtual Device Drivers format in the registry is invalid. Chose 'Close' to terminate the application.

---

Come on mate, wakey wakey.

The contents of that key on my machine are:

VDD REG_MULTI_SZ K:\PROGRA~1\Symantec\S32EVNT1.DLL\0\0

Just load regedit and drill down to the key listed.

For example:

http://www.aidanjpadden.clara.net/img/reg.jpg

Let me know what you have in the contents of that key, chances are it's something that you've uninstalled at some point which is causing the errors...

Contents are:

(Default) REG_SZ (value not set)
VDD REG_MULTI_SZ RNBOVDD.DLL HLVDD.DLL

do those files exist on your system mate?

they'll probably be in winnt\system32 or winnt\system32\drivers

if they do check them to see what application they belong to - it could be something you've uninstalled which is causing the error as it's left these behind.

if you're unsure you can email them to me and i'll take a look - df@mybad.co.uk

if they don't exist anywhere on your system then you could remove the entry from the registry - whichever ones missing or both if they're not there.

Both DLL files are used in an application program called Gensys.

They are used in the security dongle routines.

I temporally removed them from the WINNT\systems folder but this had no effect on the problem.

I did'nt remove them from the Registry, because I don't know had to restore them.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Westhurst
Both DLL files are used in an application program called Gensys.

They are used in the security dongle routines.

I temporally removed them from the WINNT\systems folder but this had no effect on the problem.

I did'nt remove them from the Registry, because I don't know had to restore them.

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You can just cut the entries out and then paste them back later if you need them, just save into notepad or something.

otherwise you can just export a .reg file via regedit or regedt32

anyway mate, had a quick dig on technet and found the following ms kb:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...EN-US;Q254914&

follow that and your problems should be sorted.

basically it's getting you to delete the entries from the registry and add a new blank value.

sounds like the gensys stuff is 16 bit which has caused the problems..

Solved the problem, many thanks.