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Winsock, short for Windows Sockets API, refers to a technical specification that defines the way that Windows network software should access network services including TCP/IP, or Internet Protocol. Winsock refers to the standard interface between a Windows TCP/IP client application and the underlying TCP/IP.

Basically, winsock is the part of your computer’s operating system that handles connections to the Internet. Sometimes winsock error messages can be resolved quickly and easily by rebooting Windows. A reboot will flush the system and reload the winsock data into the functioning memory, which may be all that is necessary to resolve the error.

Another frequent cause of winsock errors are insufficient system resources. This could mean that there are too many applications on your system at the same time preventing winsock from completing its processes. Typical reasons for insufficient resources are limited buffer space or a full application queue.

If a reboot of Windows doesn’t solve your problem there are a few other things to consider. Since winsock errors are related to connectivity issues and insufficient system resources, ensuring that you are running adequate programs is important. Make sure that you have the latest updates and service pack for your operating system, consider upgrading to the latest version of Microsoft Windows, and make sure that you have enough RAM, CPU capability, disk space etc available on your hard drive for the programs and applications that you are trying to run.

There is much discussion on computer tech websites about whether or not winsock32.exe is a virus, Trojan, spyware etc. It would seem that winsock32.exe is sometimes used as a delivery system for malware and that if you are having problems with winsock32 error messages, a virus scan is likely a good place to start. If you run a system scan and find that winsock32.exe is located in c:\windows or c:\windows\system32 folder then it should be considered highly suspect as this is not the normal location for this program.

If you have scanned your system and the problem isn’t a virus then the next troubleshooting step you can take is to run a registry scan. There are sometimes connection problems with winsock technology as it performs an interfacing role between other processes. A registry scan will take a look at the processes and clean up any corrupted files or incomplete files, which will ease the work for the programs that are running and could solve your winsock problems.

There are a number of sites on the Internet with full lists of winsock error message codes, the registry value and a brief description. It might be useful to check your specific message against the list to more completely identify your problem. If you are receiving an error message that is not on the list of registered socket errors then there is likely good reason to suspect either a registry problem or a virus.

Norton products are designed to protect a computer system in many ways. They provide protection against hackers, viruses, and a variety of malware applications. Malware threatens the security or safety of sensitive data and personal information that is stored or utilized on a computer.

In addition to protecting my computer from lurking Internet dangers, Norton products can also block spam or unwanted emails, set up parental controls, or prevent my personal information from being taken without my knowledge. All of these facets put together create a wonderful package.

Unfortunately, even the best of products can experience problems. Although my Norton products will still provide most of what they are supposed to offer my computer without current updates, the inability to get these updates could pose a potential problem for my computer’s security. Therefore, if I am trying to install live updates and cannot do so because of an error message stating that I am missing the Win32 application, I need to correct the situation as soon as possible.

Dealing with an invalid Win32 application message

Several reasons can lie behind an invalid win32 application message. The file could be corrupt or missing. The version of Windows that I am using can have incompatibility issues with the file. The file could be a worm, virus, or some type of malware. My hardware could have an incompatibility issue. In this case, the most likely cause of an invalid Win32 application message is simply that my live update didn’t install properly.

Therefore, I am going to take a few steps to remedy that situation.

First, I am going to open my browser and clear my temporary Internet files. To do this, I navigate to tools and then Internet Options. Next, I am going to delete all temporary Internet files. If I am using a different browser, then I am going to follow the appropriate path in order to accomplish this.

For example, if I am using Mozilla Firefox, I will still navigate to tools, but I will select options. Next, I need to go to the privacy settings. I will clear my cache, download history, and my browsing history. In both cases, I need to ensure that I click on “ok” to guarantee that my changes take place and the information is cleared.

It is also important for me to close my browser now. If I have more than one open, I need to close all of them. I can now reopen my browser and attempt to complete the live update again, following the instructions as I go. If the error message still appears, I’ll need to go through the above steps again, shut down my computer, reboot my computer, and try installing the live update again. In both scenarios, I am also going to close out any other programs that I have open before attempting to install the update.

Symantec also has the latest version of LiveUpdate posted here:

http://service1.symantec.com/Support/sharedtech.nsf/docid/1999051911110813

The reason you are having a problem installing Picture It is because the program needs the following programs in order to run:

Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) 2.5

Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5

Microsoft Installer

(Source: support.microsoft.com)

It sounds like your Internet Explorer did not install correctly. This problem occurs mainly for Internet Explorer 5.0 or 6.0 when the program was completely removed, such as after a system recovery or hard drive reformat. The problem usually is caused by the file inseng.dll and can be solved two ways.

The first way is to simply re-install the program from your Windows CD, and select the overwrite option of any existing files. This will install the version of Internet Explorer that came with your operating system. If you wish to have a higher version, simply upgrade it after the install.

The second way to fix it is a bit more complicated, and must be done while the error message is up! When the error message occurs, the problem file will be in you Temporary Files. The file path should be something similar to:

C:\Documents and Settings\Local Settings\Temp\IXP000.TMP\inseng.dll

You will need to copy this folder to the System Folder for Internet Explorer and then run the installer once more. Again, the easiest way to solve this problem is to remove Internet Explorer and reinstall it from your Windows disk.

Now, before you attempt an install of Picture It, run Internet Explorer and make sure it works. Also, install any recommended updates to bring your Windows up to date with the latest bug fixes and security updates. Restart your computer.

Now, you should be able to install Picture It without any issues.

How can I solve a Runtime Error?

In computer terminology, runtime refers to the operation of a computer program, throughout the duration of its processes from initiation to completion. Runtime operations include the loading and linking of code required to launch a program, optimize its preferences and particulars, and execute its functions.

The language of code that a program is written in will determine the runtime environment that it will access in order to perform its desired operations. In addition, the program and its runtime environment are provided services from the operating system, which is self sufficient enough to be considered to generate its own runtime environment.

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Storing information, data and access for all the programs that your computer could run would require a lot of space. Rather than produce large numbers of large programs, computer programmers have developed DLL files that store access and data that is compatible with numerous programs. By having DLL files that can store the same information needed by numerous programs, the executable programs themselves can be much smaller. Instead, many programs can access the DLL files as required, for example, if a number of programs all require connection to the printer, the link can be saved in a DLL file, accessible to all programs rather that written and rewritten in each program individually.

Sometimes there are errors in the links between executable programs and DLL files. If logical errors occur and the program isn’t able to access the DLL file properly you might get a runtime error message that means the program wasn’t able to perform its function.

Possible causes of runtime errors include conflicts with other programs that are running simultaneously, in which case the other programs should be closed in order to isolate the problem. If this fails to solve the problem, it is possible that a software issue (such as add-ons or plug-ins that are attached to the program) are interfering with its operation. Additional software should be uninstalled to find the problem as well as any software or operating system updates that may be available for the problematic program.

Another possible cause of runtime errors stems from the interference of a computer virus. If a virus is suspected you should ensure that your security software is up to date and that there are no updates available. A virus scanner should be run to check your hard drive for bugs.

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If none of these solutions address your problem, then the issue could be compatibility between the computer hardware and the software program that you are attempting to execute. In this case the computer memory might be insufficient to launch or run the program or the computer doesn’t meet the program’s system requirements.

When runtime errors are encountered while running Microsoft Windows, the operating system is able to provide details of the problem in order to assist the user in identifying and locating the cause. Microsoft support also offers numerous detailed troubleshooting suggestions to solve various runtime errors.

A Blue Screen of Death, also known as a BSoD, stop error or bluescreen, is an error screen that is displayed by some operating systems when the system encounters a critical system error. The BSoD causes the system to shut down in order to prevent any further damage.

On Microsoft Windows NT, 2000, XP, Server2003 and Vista, the BSoD occurs when the kernel, or a driver that is functioning in kernel mode, encounters a problem that it can’t recover from.

The kernel refers to the central component of most computer operating systems that is responsible for overseeing the system’s different resources, essentially managing the communication between the hardware and software components. The kernel typically facilitates the use of different resources by application processes as it referees exchanges between applications and the CPU, the memory and/or different devices.

Usually a kernel error occurs when an illegal operation is being performed and the only safe option available to the operating system is to stop, shut down and restart the computer. If or when this occurs data can be lost since the user doesn’t have an opportunity to save changes not yet saved on the hard drive.

If your system encounters a BSoD, Windows will automatically generate a memory dump file that could be either a 64 KB mini dump or an entire system dump that includes a copy of the entire content of your system’s RAM memory.

A memory dump is a diagnostic log of the system particulars and the attempted commands at the time of the crash that are helpful for troubleshooting and updating software. After a BSoD error occurs, the user or a technician can read the memory dump log. This log documents the specific operations encountered by the system at the time and determines the exact cause of the error which is useful for future programming, execution and program design.

If you have encountered a BSoD you might already know that the problem is sometimes resolved by the simple re-boot performed by the computer. Occasionally, there are further issues to address.

If you encounter a BSoD and have files that have not been saved to the hard drive there are a few things to try in order to recover lost, or potentially lost data. You will need to select a recovery software program depending on the nature of the crash, in this case the Blue Screen of Death, such as ParetoLogic Data Recovery Pro, or seek the assistance of a technical professional.

Microsoft has included a manual function to create a BSoD in order to get a diagnostic memory dump at the command of the user. To enable this function the user must add a value to the registry, then the BSoD can be activated by pressing the SCROLL LOCK key twice while holding the right CTRL key.

The BSoD is encountered during fatal errors on numerous systems including Xbox, PlayStation Portable, Gameboy Advance and Nintendo DS. Other systems like Mac OSX have similar features like the “spinning rainbow wheel of death,” the cursor that tells the user that the program is busy.

Although Internet Explorer is notorious for having security issues, it does on occasion block certain types of data from a user’s computer. Today, a variety of Microsoft programs have been designed with better security features than in the past. This facet offers both better protection against a variety of malware applications as well as creating frustration for some computer users. In particular, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 7, Windows 2003 Service Pack 1, and Windows XP Service Pack 2 are three such programs that provide better security features than older programs.

Unfortunately, along with the good comes the bad. These newer security features also lie behind a few compatibility issues as well. In general, these compatibility issues circle around certain Websites and Web applications. Incompatibility issues are often logged into the Windows Event Viewer along with information related to each. However, even older versions of Microsoft’s programs have issues with certain types of information and will block ActiveX controls.

In some cases, Internet Explorer will block an installation of ActiveX controls or a Website due to problems with the certificate that is attached to it. A variety of situations can trigger the red flag for Internet Explorer and cause it to block ActiveX controls and/or Websites from access to the computer.

In particular, the date on the certificate might be invalid. If it is, access is blocked.

Another situation that would lead to the blocking of ActiveX controls is when the certificate is invalid. For example, the name and the domain might be a mismatch.

If the certificate authority is invalid, the ActiveX controls will be blocked from gaining access to the computer.

Additionally, more than one source can be at the root of having an ActiveX control blocked from installation. On some occasions, a combination of the above listed reasons might occur. If that is the case, the ActiveX control is definitely going to be blocked from installation.

If a failure to do a revocation check occurs, the ActiveX control will not be able to install.

In the event that a certificate has been revoked, the ActiveX control is not going to be permitted to install. The certificate is the verification that the program is attached to a legitimate source. Without it, there is no guarantee that this is the case.

With newer security measures on the newer Microsoft programs including Internet Explorer 7, Windows 2003 Service Pack 1, and Windows XP Service Pack 2, I now have the opportunity to thwart intended attacks that involve ActiveX controls.

I now have to opt in to use any ActiveX control for the first time. Plus, the Windows Event Viewer logs in any occasions when an ActiveX control is blocked just in case I need to enable the control in order to access a Website or use data that requires the control.

If the ActiveX control is blocked, the following information is stored:

• the name of the ActiveX control
• the publisher of the ActiveX control
• the GUID (CLSID) of the ActiveX control
• the reason why the ActiveX control was blocked

Additionally, the reason why the ActiveX control is blocked is set to one of the following codes:

• 0- blocked for an unknown reason
• 1- blocked because it has not been used previously
• 2- blocked because it is not considered safe for scripting