I'm trying to help my brother clean up his computer, which has never been defragmented or updated since 2000.

I've done most of the standard scans, Adaware, Spybot, Easy Cleaner. I connected to the internet Saturday to start the updates, and the connection was fine. However, during the update, the computer automatically disconnected. When I tried to connect again, after several attempts, I receive the message that "a needed file, MSVCP60.DLL cannot be found.

I ran the search option, and found a file with that name under C:/Windows/PCHeatlth, but I guess that's not the right one.

From running a search on my computer (Windows XP), I found that most programs have a file by that name and it is related to C++ Runtime in some way.

Does anyone have any idea what I can do on my brother's computer to be able to correct this problem so that I may connect to the Internet again? I am using dial up connection (alternating by moving the phone line connection from my computer to his.)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Did you mean: MSVCP60.dll ?

If so please click HERE

Thank you Bear. I have downloaded the file and will copy it to the other computer.

Maybe you could answer another question I have with this - Is it possible to reformat the hard drive of that computer without any of the disks for the drivers or the operating system, or would you think it way too much trouble for a computer so old?

It's a Samtron computer, eMachines, Intel Celeron Processor, 31 RAM, running Windows ME 4.9.

Again, thanks for your help!

EDIT: I downloaded the file to my computer, copied it to a CD and tried to install it on the other computer, but it will not copy. Even when I leave the disk in the drive, I get the error message that the file is not found. Any ideas?

PLEASE DISREGARD last post.

I was able to copy the file to c:/windows/system32. However, when I tried to connect to the internet again, I got the message that the file appears to be corrupt. So I downloaded from a different site, copied over the previous file, and still receive the message that the file appears to be corrupt.

Please help! Thanks so much.

This might work or might not but it's worth a try:

Go to Start Menu > Run. Type in regsvr32 c:\windows\system32\msvcp60.dll and click OK.

Incidentally, are you sure your mean C:\Windows\System32 and not C:\Windows\System?

P.S. When we've got this issue resolved, look into upgrading the memory - RAM is still cheap (in fact, I have some for sale that would probably fit ) and it would definitely run quicker if it had more than 31Mb available.

At this point anything is worth a try - and I did - but...

I received the message LoadLibrary "c:\windows\system32\msvcp60.dll" failed. GetLastError returns 0x00000485.

I did put the dll file in System32. Should it have just been System?

I would like to discuss upgrading the memory, but first I need to get this issue resolved. As I don't know much about installing RAM, feel free to email me with the particulars of the RAM you are selling.

That message probably just means that the DLL file didn't need to be registered with the Regsvr32 command that I suggested you should try.

If you already had a System32 directory with DLL files in it, then that was probably correct. You could try copying the file to C:\Windows\System and then rebooting just in case it makes a difference.

I copied the file to System, but still got the message that the file is corrupt.

What would be the best way to go about reformatting the hard drive and starting over - keeping in mind I have no CDs that came with the computer? I have my own XP CD, but I've been told that wouldn't work on any other computer.

I really appreciate all the help!

Is what you've got a genuine Microsoft standard Windows XP CD or is it branded for a specific computer manufacturer, e.g. Dell, Sony, Compaq or is it marked as a "restore CD" ?

If it's just a standard Microsoft disc, then you ought to be able to use it in any PC.

If that's the case, start the PC, pop in the CD straight away and, if your PC is set to look for bootable CDs, then it should take you through the XP installation routine and give you an option to format the hard disk during that process.

I'm assuming that you're asking about Windows XP because that's what you want to install? Are you sure your PC is up to it?

If you have no CDs that came with the computer, then you have no method of wiping it and putting Windows ME back on.

Sorry, just read your earlier post where you explained that it's a Celeron PC with 31Mb RAM. You've got absolutely no chance of getting XP to run on that I'm afraid

So your options are:

1. Buy a genuine Windows ME licence and CDROM and obtain the drivers for your PC off of the Internet, if they are available.

2. Upgrade your PC so that it is capable of running Windows XP.

3. Replace your PC with one that is capable of running Windows XP.