The Dangers of Runtime Error 216
Most runtime errors are nuisances that annoy the user, but in general, they don’t mean a great deal. However, some DO point to more serious issues, such as runtime error 216.
Error 216 occurs on computers running IE 5.0 or IE 5.01. If you see ‘Runtime error 216 at Address’ when you open your browser on any computer using Windows 98 or ME, you should pay attention to the warning this sends.
What Causes of Runtime Error 216?
The most common cause of runtime error 216 is a virus called SubSeven. This particular piece of work is very complex and is a risk to computers operating under Windows XP, all the way back to 95.
A Trojan Horse virus comes to your computer in the form of an executable file. It comes in the form of some desirable piece of software so that the user will open it. (For instance, if software such as winamp has been infected with this virus, then you may get a runtime error 216 winamp message.)
This is the reason you are always being warned to only download content from websites you trust. This particular virus can open a back door that allows someone else to take remote control of your system and access it anytime he chooses.
How to Know If You’ve Been Infected with the SubSeven Virus
The following are some of the most common symptoms of SubSeven infection:
- Runtime Error 216 occurs each time you open Internet Explorer.
- Strange dialog boxes pop up on your screen for no apparent reason.
- Downloads from the internet take longer than normal.
- Files start disappearing or new files start to show up on your computer.
- CD/DVD drives pop open without you pushing the button to open them.
To fix runtime error 216 and remove SubSeven, run a scan of your system with an updated and current antivirus program. This program will locate, isolate, and remove any known form of virus or Trojan Horse software it locates on your system.
Error messages like runtime error 216 require immediate action on the part of the user. Malware such as SubSeven have been shown to be able to install other malicious applications. Spyware or keyloggers, programs that record your every keystroke, can make it easy for criminals to access your personal information or credit card numbers and steal your identity. Such crimes are on the rise in the world today at a frightening rate.
Malware is also able to embed keys into the system registry that will allow it to reinstall itself following removal in many cases. This is the reason it is important to have a good registry cleanup utility and run it periodically to sweep out all the erroneous, malicious, or simply unused registry keys to prevent problems.
Fix 0×8007232B Activation Error
When attempting to activate your license for Windows Vista or Windows 7, you may encounter the activation key error 0×8007232B.
What does this error look like?
Note the image may vary depending on the Windows OS you are trying to activate.
What does this error mean?
Error 0×8007232B is a type of runtime error, which indicates that Microsoft is having a problem validating your Windows Vista or Windows 7 license. This problem often occurs when the license key you are using to activate the operating system is one of many (i.e., a volume produced license).
How do you bypass activation error 0×8007232B?
When Microsoft releases a volume license, it assumes that the key will be used for business (because it will be used on several PCs). As such, by default, the operating system is looking for a server that will enable it to be validated based on the Key Management Service (KMS) method.
If your computer is not connected to a KMS server, then activation will fail and you will get the 0×8007232B error.
You can easily set up a KMS server on your site. Just assign a PC and make it a server and connect the PC you want to activate to it.
If you don’t want to set up a KMS machine, you can still activate your license by validating it directly against Microsoft servers. (After all, THEY know valid license keys they’ve released, right?)
The simplest way to do this is via Multiple Activation Key (MAK) Independent Activation. To do this, follow the succeeding steps:
Note: The exact steps may vary depending on your Windows OS version.
- From the Windows Start menu, click All Programs -> Accessories.
- Right-click Command Prompt and then choose Run as administrator.
- At the command prompt, key in the following: slmgr -ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
- Click Enter.
where xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx is the digits of your MAK product key.
Another reason that may prompt error 0×8007232B is that your antivirus software or Digital Rights Management (DRM) software is not compatible with the Windows version you are trying to activate.
In this instance, please contact the manufacturer of your antivirus or DRM software and check with them if the version installed on your PC is compatible with the Windows OS you are trying to activate.
If not, ask if they have an updated version you need to download and install so that it is made compatible with the Windows OS you want.
If no updated versions are available, ask for workaround solutions.
Did Microsoft Violate the GPL? Free Software Lawyers Think So
After Microsoft announced they were releasing 20,000 lines of source code and device drivers for the Hyper-V for use with Linux, buzz surrounding their motives spread like wildfire. But certain sectors of the industry say that the move was a means for Microsoft to correct its violation of the General Public License V2 (GPLv2). The release, according to the Software Freedom Law Center, was a way for Microsoft to rectify their error. The addition of the codes to the Linux kernel is supposed to enhance the performance of Linux when it’s used with Hyper-V virtualization from Microsoft.
The oversight, as it was called, was supposedly discovered by Stephen Hemminger, an engineer working with Vyatta, a networking software company. Hemminger became aware that Microsoft had not released the source code for Hyper-V, although the software had incorporated the source code from the Linux kernel, which is GPL-licensed.
A user posted an inquiry on a forum regarding a possible network driver for Hyper-V to be used with Vyatta. Although the drivers were found, they carried both open and closed source components. The GPL does not allow the use of closed source and open source codes together. Hemminger decided to get in touch with Novell engineer Greg Kroah-Hartmann so Microsoft may be informed. Kroah-Hartmann is head of the Linux Kernel Driver Project and was collaborating with Microsoft to initiate the Linux IC codes into the Linux kernel. It was Kroah-Hartmann who also said that Hemminger’s posit that Microsoft was violating the GPL was ‘accurate’.
The ‘correction’ occurred about four months later, when Microsoft finally released the codes. Even then, talk regarding a violation had already ensued. Microsoft was supposed to have conformed with the licensing requirements imposed under GPLv2 but it took the company some time to comply.
Why the buzz?
The Linux community and its loyal users prefer the GPLv2 licensing type because of its coverage and wide range of acceptance. The license offered more in terms of support from the community. In the industry, when the distribution of the binaries meant for GPL work happens, the relevant source codes must also be released. The delay only put Microsoft’s move under suspicion.
Dave Roberts, vice president for strategy and marketing for Vyatta, maintains that no accusations happened and that Microsoft was only informed of the omission. According to Hemminger, Microsoft may have ‘possibly’ violated the GPL but the offense is not an outright defiance of set laws.