# Computer Godz: "This program has performed an illegal function...... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 23, 2002, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-godz-this-program-has-performed-an-illegal-function/110506 "2002-05-23T16:46:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-godz-this-program-has-performed-an-illegal-function/110506/1 "2002-05-23T16:46:28Z")
…and will be shut down", is appearing more and more often and when I hit CLOSE it takes me to a stark white page which is named ACTIVE DESKTOP RECOVERY. When I click on RECOVER MY DESKTOP, I get everything back to normal until the next time. I am running W98SE on an IBM clone with Pentium II Cel400 with 128 MB of RAM. Is there a fix y’all can receommend? Thanks Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-godz-this-program-has-performed-an-illegal-function/110506/2 "2002-05-23T16:52:04Z")
I have always found Active Desktop to be pain. Try a normal desktop and see if that helps. Right-click on your desktop, select “properties”, click the “web” tab, and deselect “Show Web content on my Active Desktop”. (That’s how to do it on my system; may be slightly different on yours). ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-godz-this-program-has-performed-an-illegal-function/110506/3 "2002-05-23T16:53:17Z")
Is it explorer that is performing the illegal function? That sounds like the symptomology of an explorer crash. If so, there could be a thousand reasons for it. Have you run windows update recently? ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-godz-this-program-has-performed-an-illegal-function/110506/4 "2002-05-23T17:08:56Z")
I always assumed that it meant that Microsoft was alerting the FBI that I was downloading porn. Tris ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-godz-this-program-has-performed-an-illegal-function/110506/5 "2002-05-23T22:49:33Z")
Arent there any details when you get that message? It should indicate what program its having an argument with. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-godz-this-program-has-performed-an-illegal-function/110506/6 "2002-05-24T00:54:40Z")
Thanks, y’all. I tried Manduck’s suggestion and ran a Microsoft Update and downloaded a new security package, and generally updated some other stuff, and it hasn’t happened again. I’ve been busy on the computer with one of my forums since I posted the question, so maybe it is fixed. To answer one of the other questions, **sometimes** instead of going straight to the **Active Desktop Recovery** page, there is another pop-up which tells me that **“Internet Explorer will now close”** , but that happened maybe once out of every five times when it was acting up. Thanks again for the help! Quasi