Win98 Config/Reg Problems

I just picked up a used Dell Dimension L400c for $10, so this isn't urgent, but I'd really like to fix it.

When I first start the computer without a boot disk, it says that there are registry/configuration errors and tells me to command prompt only and run scanreg, which I do, but it then spits out a whole bunch of errors, mostly involving sys files. They are as follows:

himem.sys corrupted or missing
error in config.sys on line 1
emm386.exe corrupted or missing
error in config.sys on line 2
dblbuff.sys corrupted or missing
ifshlp.sys corrupted or missing
can't find win.com

Naturally, I stick in a win98 boot disk and run scandisk, but it hangs repeatedly at 60% of dir structure, sometimes after attempting to skip over damaged cluster 79287. I've tried different copies of scandisk to no avail.

I've also run scanreg from a floppy but it never seems to fix the config/reg errors.

I concluded that there must be surface hardware errors as well as software errors and ran HDD Scan and Repair Program Ver3.0 (found it here). It fixed two damaged areas, so I popped in the boot disk again and ran scandisk. This time it found that C:\progra~1 is damaged. I pressed "fix it", but it only kept on popping up until I got frustrated and killed the program.

I've copied clean system files to c: from floppy several times, but no go. I'm out of ideas and I'd really appreciate some help.

As I said, it's a Dell Dimension L400c with Celeron processor and a 3079 MB drive from JTS Corp.

 

My guess is the age of the drive has caught up with it, or the previous owner had one catastrophic crash-- probably the former causing the latter. I've been caught in that loop of "fix it" again and again. I wouldn't trust any valuable data to that disk even if you do manage to repair all reported errors.

 

Sounds to me like the best thing to do is just format it and reload windows or what ever your using. Nothing on there is important since you've never been on it and getting it booted may just bring about more problems that need to be fixed. Will you ever get it right or will you have to fight it forever. Start fresh.

 

or, if the comuter is going to do anything important, shell out a few bucks for a new hdd before bothering to reinstall the os and everything. btw- i hope you got the driver disk from whomever sold you the computer. good luck.

 

No such luck. Oh, well- I'll spring for a newer drive and find something to run on it. Thanks for the help.