Profile Error Number 2 When You Log On to Your Computer

• Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 4.0, 4.01, 4.01 Service Pack 1, 4.01 Service Pack 2, 5 for Windows 95
• Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 4.01 Service Pack 2, 5 for Windows 98

SYMPTOMS

When you log in to a Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows 98 based computer, your user profile may not be loaded and you may receive the following error message:

An error occurred while accessing a file in C:\Windows\Cookies.

Profile Error 2: The file cannot be opened. It may be in use.

Some of your profile settings may not be available.

CAUSE

This issue can occur if Internet Explorer was running at the time you attempted to log on to your computer. This can occur if Internet Explorer has been configured to run as a service by adding an entry to the RunServices key in the registry. Note that Internet Explorer is not designed to be run before you log in to Windows or as a service.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, do not configure Internet Explorer to run before you log on to your computer.

MORE INFORMATION

For information about the RunServices registry key, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q137367 Definition of the RunOnce Keys in the Registry

Additional query words:

Keywords          : kbenv kberrmsg kbnetwork msiew95 msiew98 
Version           : WINDOWS:4.0,4.01,4.01 Service Pack 1,4.01 Service Pack 2,5
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb 

Last Reviewed: June 6, 1999