Tips for viewing your XML patent applications in Internet Explorer prior to e-filing

A list member has offered some comments which may be helpful to those who are having trouble viewing their XML files in Internet Explorer prior to e-filing. With that list member's permission I am providing these comments here.

In attempting to solve this problem, one must proceed differently depending on whether one is running Windows XP and depending on whether one has installed Service Pack 2.

PROBLEM: Since its initial release there have been more than 25 versions of the MSXML parser DLL that is used by PASAT, XPort, Internet Explorer, MS Office, Windows, etc. The problem stems from Windows Updates, new software offerings, and new operating systems that include patched versions of MSXML (e.g., MSXML4 SP2). The Service Packs, while fixing some errors or introducing new functionality, have introduced other errors or removed functionality that was working properly.

SOLUTION: (for those who have not installed Service Pack 2 to Windows XP)

• MSXML4.dll SP2 (ver 4.20.9818.0) should be rolled back to MSXML4.dll SP1 (ver 4.10.9404.0).
• MSXML3.dll SP4 (ver 8.40.9509.0) should be rolled back to MSXML3.dll SP3 (ver 8.30.9926.0). This will allow Internet Explorer to display the resulting transformation document (IE uses MSXML3, which is installed in "Replace Mode"; MSXML4 does not install in replace mode, hence the need for two separate DLLs).

Determining the version is accomplished by navigating to the main DLL directory; typically WINNT/SYSTEM32 or Windows/System32 (sometimes WINNT/System or Windows/System). Right-click on the MSXML3.dll, MSXML4.dll and select "version". Rename offending versions of the DLL or save them to a floppy disk before attempting this so that if any problems with other software arise this action can be reversed.

Another list member has kindly provided copies of the two "good" files. They are:

• msxml3.dll (1 MB)
• msxml4.dll (1.2 MB)

List member Tim Watt adds the following comments for those who have installed Service Pack 2 to Windows XP:

I've found that if you take the working (service pack 3) msxml3.dll file and put it into the same folder as the bad (service pack 4+) file with a new name, you can register it and XP won't try to undo it. That is, save the service pack 3 DLL as msxml3-sp3.dll and then register it (regsvr32 msxml3-sp3.dll) after closing all programs.

List member Jay Yablon explains further about Windows XP Service Pack 2:

The DLL rollback that [works for people who have not installed Service Pack 2 to Windows XP] does not work for people with WinXP service pack 2. This is because that new service pack 2 does not allow you to simply delete a later msxml.dll file and replace it with an earlier one as you were able to do and as we were able to do before we installed SP2. Tim pointed out a way [above] for people with XP SP2 to register the earlier msxml.dll files without having to delete the later msxml.dll files, such that these earlier files -- which are required to properly view ABX XML output with Internet Explorer -- are made available to Internet Explorer. So, now the XP SP2 users can view their ABX XML output. People running XP but not yet on SP2 should keep this in mind, because sooner or later they will end up having to install SP2 (see [a recent post] which said that Microsoft is giving people a few months to defer the SP2 upgrade), and will then have to deal with this.

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