98se setup won't run

My sister decided to "clean up" her computer because it was running slow, and of course now it won't run at all. I am trying to fix it for her. I put in the startup disk, copied the command.com file but I am still missing windows\system\vmm32\ifsmgr.vxd and still can't get into safe mode. HELP says I should be able to copy the missing files from the startup disk, but I can't get anywhere with that. When I get to the Windows Startup Menu and select 1, I end up with a A:\ > prompt. Won't read cdrom drives. It has told me 100 times to run windows setup, and I have the orig w98se disk, but I can't even get into safe mode. HELP

 

By 'startup disk' do you mean a boot floppy?

If this won't boot this existing installation it means that this installation is so badly damaged that you will need to reinstall.

You can reinstall by booting from the 98 CD and choosing setup.

Before you do this you should be able to copy off any data files using the startup disk and the xcopy or copy command.

 

I made this disk when I first got the system and l labeled the disk "windows 98 startup disk" "diagnostic/fix"

I presume it is the boot disk.

If I start the computer with only the Windows 98 Operating Systems CD, it gives me the options that include starting 1) Normal and 3) Safe Mode. I choose 3) safe mode and it tells me that c:\windows\system\vmm32\ifsmgr.vxd is missing and to try reinstalling that application to replace the missing file.

There is no prompt, just says press any key to continue. I get that 2 or 3 times, then the blue screen that says "Invalid VxD dynamic link call from NTKERN (08) + 0000041A to device "0040", service 8040.

Your Windows configuration is invalid. Run the Windows setup program again to correct this problem."

I never ran the Windows setup program in the first place and don't know how to get it to run. When I type setup at the prompt (tried d:\, e:\, f:\, g:\, and h:\ because I'm not sure which drive to use, it says it is a bad command.

 

OK, setup may not be in the root of the CD. It depends on the version of 98 (OEM, retail etc)

I think sometimes it was called setupoem.

If your start disk will show the CD (it ought to ) type d:, e: etc to transfer to the cd.

don't type setup or add the /.

If you are asking for a valid drive you will get it dfollowed by the command prompt.

eg

D:

D:\>

at the > prompt type 'dir /m'

This will page through the list of files and directories on the cd with the space bar, one page at a time.

Change to win98 or windows directory if you have to with

cd win98

until you find a setup.exe

Then type setup.exe from that directory.

 

It shows D: as a valid drive but when I do dir /m, it says "invalid switch."

 

sorry should have been dir /p for old Dos.

 

To help I have uploaded two screen shots of the structure of a W98 disk in explorer (my computer).

Note that setup appears twice on this disk, once at the root and once in the win98 folder. Either will do.

 

:banghead

Okay, first of all, I appreciate your trying to help me. I'm kinda green and even when everything is spelled out for me, I sometimes just can't get it. I am so overwhelmed right now my head is about to explode. Somehow I did stumble on something I "think" is important. \drivers\aspi2dos.sys is missing or corrupted, which I believe is related to my troubles of my cd-rom not being recognized, so I can't see what files are on the w98 disk, and maybe that's why I can't find setup.exe or anything similar. If you know how to address this issue and aren't sick of dealing with my low-level knowledge, I will check this thread again. But right now I've had it and I'm going to bed. Life must go on for a day or two, but then I'll be back at it. Thanks again.

 

Jen1, My copy of Win98se came with an install floppy as well as the CD. It also gave me the opportunity during installation to create an Emergency startup floppy, which I did. With my version the CD was not bootable and I had to use either the install floppy (which would go directly to selecting or not selecting CD rom support for installation) or the emergency floppy (which just gave me the A:\ prompt) where I had to manually point to the setup file.

OK, now, if this is the same for you, I had problems when my floppies became old and corrupt so I searched the internet and found some that I could use on a new blank floppy. All the ones I found though were the emergency disk type and yes they are suppose to install drivers for the rom drives and if they're corrupt the drives will not be seen. What I was able to do though, after finding a site with a different kind of install floppy was to create my own. This is the one that loads drivers and then goes to a screen where you get three options (with cd rom support/without/ and something else I can't remember at the moment).

If you would like, I can upload the files for you to make new floppies, all you would have to do is either find some that are still good or buy some new ones. You could even over write the old ones to see if it fixes them once your sure thats the problem.

Here is a link:

Code:

http://rapidshare.com/files/138643867/Win98InstallFloppyImage.rar

Its a really small file, less than 1mb. All you have to do is run "Floppy Image.exe" and use it to put the "Win98InstallFloppy.imz" image onto a formatted floppy. Use it to boot and you should be able to do your thing. If you type ? or help after the A:/ prompt you will find a little tutorial on some of the commands you can use.

 

Or you could go here, http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm. Download the Windows 98SE OEM version and have a formatted floppy disk handy. This file will be in a WinImage self extracting format and will create the boot disk when ran. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks Appzalien and novice. Tried both of these and they both say non-system disk. ?probably because I reformatted the hard drive? Anyway, back to square one.:cry

 

The file you would have downloaded from Novices link is just an executable. You need to run that to make the boot disk itself.

 

Jen, I don't know where in the world you are, but if you would like to pm an email address that can accept 1 to 2 M attachments I will zip up a copy of the 98 start floppy for you. I'd happily send a floppy within the UK.

Posting restrictions don't allow anything of this size on Major Geeks.

 

Jen1,

I can understand your frustration. Just went back and reread the entire thread twice to make sure that I wasn't missing anything and to be sure of which version of Win98 that you had. Being that you have Win98 SE on the computer, the startup disk that you made should do what you are trying to do. The computer is able to find it, in that you copied command.com from it, so at least we know that it is working.

Now I'd like to ask a few questions to possibly help in fixing your problem. How did you reformat the HD and what media/program did you use to do it?

Is there any difference in the options listed on the screen when booting the computer without the boot floppy vs. with the floppy?

 

It should recognize the floppy if you made it correctly, when you look at the inserted floppy on another computer you would see files on it like:
ASPI2DOS.SYS
AUTOEXEC.BAT
COMMAND.COM
OAKCDROM.SYS

and many more, the last one is the driver for cdrom drives. Then if you have your pc set to boot from floppy first in the bios and you put the floppy in the drive it should run. It is a bootable system disk and should be recognized if you made it correctly. I don't really know where you are at this point. Without being there and without some really detailed input from you we're just guessing here. Try telling us the exact steps you take to get the floppy running.