Learning about Windows Protection Errors

A Windows Protection Error means that an error occurred loading or unloading a virtual device driver (VxD). In many cases you can tell from the error message which VxD did not load, but in other cases you may not be able to determine which VxD caused the problem.

Windows Protection Errors can occur when any of the following conditions occur:

• A real-mode driver and a protected-mode driver are in conflict.
• The registry is damaged.
• The Win.com or Command.com file is infected with a virus or is damaged.
• A driver is being loaded from the System.ini file for which a protected-mode driver has already been initialized.
• There is a physical I/O or RAM address conflict.
• There are incorrect CMOS settings for a built-in peripheral device (such as cache settings, CPU timing, hard disks, and so on).
• The Plug and Play feature of the computer's BIOS is not working correctly.
• The computer contains a malfunctioning system cache or memory.
• The computer's motherboard is not working properly.
• You installed Microsoft Office 97 and you are using the Novell Client 32 software.

To resolve a Windows Protection Error, try the following steps:

1. Start your computer in Safe mode. If the error does not occur when you start in Safe mode or when you shut down from Safe mode, click the link below to learn how to clean boot your computer:

How to Perform a Clean Boot in Millennium

2. If a clean boot did not resolve the issue, make sure that the computer's CMOS settings are correct. For information about changing CMOS settings on your computer, please refer to the computer's documentation or manufacturer.
3. If the error still occurs, it is most likely caused by faulty hardware.