When I recently installed VersaCheck Personal, CD version, I encountered the following problem with my WIN98 Second Edition ( 4.10.2222A) and Norton Utilities version 4.0:

I used the third option (copy CD to HD ) and the program installed without any more problems.

Number: 818 12/03/98  "ISINST51 - This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down."

Program:  VersaCheck Personal, CD version

Version:  1.0.39

Description:  The misleading error message "ISINST51 - This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down" is displayed.

Workaround:  There are three possible fixes for this problem, which normally is caused by bugs in some undocumented Windows 98 variations or sub-versions which render them unable to run the industry-standard, proven installer used by VersaCheck. Be sure that no so-called "crash-prevention" software, such as First Aid, CrashGuard, Crash Defender, etc. is in use  No support is available for clients attempting to use any of our programs with these flawed and dangerous programs in operation.

First, if you have "MS WHEEL," try shutting  it down. We have reports that after this program was closed down, the error vanished.

Second, try shutting down all open programs except for SYSTRAY and EXPLORER, then try installation again:

1. Click Ctrl+Alt+Delete.  The Close Program dialog displays.
2. Click any program except Systray or Explorer, then click on End Task. Repeat until all programs except Systray and Explorer have been shut down.
3. Install from the CD or disks, or run the upgrade.

Third, if that doesn't solve the problem, read on:

If you have floppy disks:

1. Open Windows 98 in "Safe Mode."  (Select Start / Shut down / Restart Windows, click OK, and then as the computer restarts, tap the <F8> key approximately once every second until the Startup menu is displayed; select Safe Mode from the menu and press <Enter>.)
2. With your machine in Safe Mode, install VersaCheck Personal.
3. After installing VersaCheck, close Windows and reopen in normal mode. Many clients with defective or buggy Windows copies have reported successful installation using this procedure. In fact, it has been successful in every known instance of this message, at least when First Aid or other "crash-production" programs were not present.)

If you have CD-ROM's:  Since "Safe Mode" may not allow your CD-drive access to work, install from the hard drive.

1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. Go to View/Options in Windows 95. Make certain that Show all files is selected. In Windows 98, go to View/Folder Options, select the View tab, and ensure that Show all files is selected
3. Create a directory named "CD" on your hard disk (through File/New/Folder).
4. Copy all the files on the CD-ROM disk into the directory named "CD." To copy all files from the CD-ROM at once, select the CD-ROM drive, which will cause all the files to appear on the right side of the screen. Left click anywhere on the right side of the screen, press Ctrl+A, and all the files will then be hi-lited. You may then left click and drag all the files to the newly created "CD" directory.
5. You may wish at this time to restart in "Safe Mode" as instructed above, then reopen Windows Explorer.
6. In your new "CD" directory find AUTORUN.EXE, then double-click on it to install the program.
7. After installation is successful, you may delete the "CD" directory and its files.

Resolution:  In work

Submitted by:  Ms. Tanya Vidrine

 Updated 3/15/99 by Eric R Nielsen

This document is from the tech-support Web site, [http://www.mipsdla.com/techsupport].