OFFICE 2000 BETA EXPIRATION NOTICE ON COMPUTERS THAT HAVE NEVER HAD OFFICE
2000 BETA INSTALLED

The following applies to some Windows 98 computers with Internet Explorer 5
installed. (No cases have yet been reported for Windows 95. The problem may
or may not exist on some Windows 95 computers with IE5 installed.)

SYMPTOMS
On August 1, 1999, many people running Windows 98 (all of whom appear also
to be running Internet Explorer 5), but who never installed a Beta version
of Office 2000 (and, in most or all cases, never installed any version of
Office 2000 at all), began getting the following message on their computers
when attempting to launch either Internet Explorer 5 or Windows Explorer /
My Computer:

"Prerelease expiration notice. This Beta of Office 2000 has expired. Install
the retail version or obtain an updated beta release from Microsoft."

In most cases, the only reported symptom was the error message. In one case,
where the error message appeared instead at Windows startup, multiple
Explorer crashes mostly disabled the computer.

CAUSE
The immediate cause is a wrong version of the file RAGENT.DLL, which must be
version 9.0.2612 (or later). It is not yet known how the wrong version was
distributed to the computers in question.

RESOLUTION
Replace the wrong copy of RAGENT.DLL with the correct version (9.0.2612 or
later).

The correct version of this file does not exist on the Windows 98 (original
edition) CD. It does exist on the Windows 98 Second Edition CD, in the
cabinet file Win98_40.cab. It also exists on pre-release editions of some
later Windows-family operating systems. I am told it can also be found in a
cabinet file named WEBFLDRS.CAB which I believe is on the IE5 distribution
CD, or in any case can be downloaded from
http://danburite.global.net.uk/pub/ie/ie5/DOWNLOAD/win32/EN/

Use the Start Menu's Find function to locate all occurrences of RAGENT.DLL
on your computer. Confirm that they are earlier versions than 9.0.2612 and,
if so, replace them with the extracted file. You will likely find that it
exists at the following location: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft
Shared\Web Folders\

STATUS
There is still much about this problem that is under investigation,
particularly how the problem occurred in the first place. Nonetheless, the
solution appears to work on all computers on which it has been tried and
reported back.

MORE INFORMATION
The timing is due to the fact that the Office 2000 Beta was scheduled to
expire on August 1, 1999.

At least two such people had installed Internet Explorer 5 release version
over an existing installation of an IE5 Beta. (Installing a release version
over a Beta version is never recommended.) It is not known how widespread
this commonality is among those with the problem.

NOTE: Many people contributed to this research, of whom Mr. Kenneth
Robinson, Mr. Steve Midgley, and MS-MVP Attila Szabo were foremost. A number
of other MVPs in the Desktop Systems section were involved in the search and
in assisting individuals who reported the problem, including Tom
Porterfield, Len Segal, and Richard G. Harper.

--
James A. Eshelman [MS MVP / DTS]
See: Windows 95/98 Support page at
http://members.xoom.com/Khephra
(Presently seeking employment in LA area)


I say you replace MSONSEXT.DLL (& MSOWS409.DLL if you have it in Web Folders
too) just to be on the safe side.......

--
Attila Szabo
 Microsoft-MVP
 Bell Atlantic Svcs. Technician
   a.k.a.' MrScary '