Maximum PC

Originally posted by DaBrain

Msg: Error Loading GDI.EXE.

Given that this must be a pretty rare cause for this error, I am going to document it as an alternate fix for a current issue w/ Windows 9x. The problem I am referring to is documented in the Microsoft KB in the following places:


http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=146904

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=188094

The error message that comes up is the following:

“Err Msg: Error Loading GDI.EXE. You Must Reinstall Windows”

The documented fixes are all related to fonts and replacing corrupted font files from your Win9x CD back into the c:\windows\fonts folder. In my particular case, both of the documented fixes did not in fact correct the problem on my system.

To correctly diagnose what is causing the error in your system, I suggest attempting to boot windows in the “Logged” state and upon failing, check the c:\bootlog.txt file to see where the error occurred. In my case, extracting a new copy of gdi32.dll to c:\windows\system corrected the problem. The line in bootlog.txt that noted the error was:

LoadFail = c:\windows\system\gdi32.dll Failure code is 000B

LoadFail = gdi.exe Failure code is 0000


The syntax of the command to remedy this was:

Win95:

Extract /a d:\win95\win95_02.cab gdi32.dll /l c:\windows\system

Win98:

Extract /a d:\win98\win98_22.cab gdi32.dll /l c:\windows\system

This assumes that your cd-rom drive is D: and that you installed windows in c:\windows