Win98SE startup problems

Hi everybody,
Hope someone can help with a bootup problem for an AMD Athlon 1GHz running Win98SE. The computer is 4 years old and recently the initial 'beep' when it is switched on has taken longer, and it always hangs at the Windows page. Re-booting a few times eventually seems to work. Booting in safe mode works OK, but using comand prompt SYMEVNT.386 and SYMTDI.vxd (from uninstalled Norton AV) have to be disabled (although bootup problems started way before the AV uninstal). With command prompt running everything seems to load OK, but the cursor flashes after prompting to load the mouse driver and then this is where the computer hangs Running msconfig/selective startup with configsystem, autoexecbat, system.ini and win.ini boots OK (but I don't understand why the number of check boxes ticked here seems to be the same as for a 'normal' start up in msconfig?). The constant re-booting is driving me mad. Any help would be really appreciated.

 

As long as you have a genuine copy of W98SE on CD, you might try running SFC from Start-->Run, ( have the CD loaded into your CD drive), once you get windows up. SFC, or System File Checker, will check for missing Windows files and other stuff. Make sure you read the 4 options that appear every time SFC finds something. If you are not sure what you are doing, select ignore the first time around. Make other choices only when you feel confident. This may not solve your problem, (sounds like Norton AV was not properly un-installed), but could help.

Others here will assist you further, but running SFC in the meantime won't hurt. Bazza

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Thanks for the help, bigbazza. Unfortunately I haven't got the Win98 CD... I tried to reinstall the Norton 2002 CD (the original AV), but it was updated to 2003 with a software download. To cut a long story short, I managed to download Rnav2003 from Symantec, which removed a few bits and pieces, but still not all. Not sure if this is the cause of the hanging, which started long before the Norton issue.

 

I agree with bigbazza on his suggestion, and also have a system that uses the 1 gig Athlon processor. From what I've read, it would seem that Norton/Symantec is causing your problems. I would suggest downloading CCleaner and any of the free registrey cleaners from MajorGeeks, and running them. With CCleaner run the scan for issues option and delete what it detects. As for Norton/Symantec there are freeware alternatives available for download from MajorGeeks, and in my opinion do a better job without the high resource overhead that Symantec requires.

I am a Norton convert that switched to Avast, and wouldn't think of going back. Other members will probably have differing opinions!

 

Try running SFC, anyhow, without the CD.

Start--->Run. Type in SFC and press <enter>

Answer ignore to all the queries that pop up. It will still check your PC.

Write down the names of any missing files and tell us. It may help to solve your problem. Bazza

 

Hi Bazza,
Ran SFC - setupx.dll may be corrupted. Ran defrag and partway through it said I needed to run scandisk because of a problem. Did this - scandisk said 'c drive boot area found important info that is damaged or invalid and it repairs the boot area by recording the correct values in this area'. Pressed repair and a message said errors found and fixed. Still no joy... when the computer is turned off and then on again, the initial startup still hangs, but if it is booted into safe mode and then restarted from safe mode, then things usually seem OK. Is it a problem I'm just going to have to put up with? It's not a big issue, I'm just intrigued as to what's going on.
BTW Thanks, Novice. Took your advice and downloaded AVG. So far, so good

 

Link to google

http://www.google.com/search?as_q=&num=20&hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=setupx.dll&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=lang_en&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&safe=images

will give you plenty of links to get new copy of setupx.dll.

Make sure you download a copy that is compatible with your OS. Rename your existing setupx.dll to setupxold.dll before you install new copy. In my W98SE, setupx.dll is in C:\windows\system folder. Do a search for your file and write down what folder it is in before you start fiddling around. keep us informed. Reboot your PC after you have installed the new file in the correct folder. Keep us informed. Bazza

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Hi Bazza,
Thanks for all your help so far. Found the file where you said, renamed the old setupx.dll file and downloaded a new one (the same version 4.10.2222). Unfortunatley still no joy. Tried a suggestion on the download site to register the file (?) by typing RUN regsvr32 \windows\system\setupx.dll, but got an error message that LoadLibrary ("\windows\system\setupx.dll") failed - a device attached to the system is not functioning.
Still don,t understand why it only seems to be the first time the computer is switched on that it freezes - most reboots after this seem to go OK.
Once again, thanks for your help.

 

Have you tried going to Device Manager and checking to see if any devices are being shown that have problems?

 

Hi Novice,
Everything in device manager seems to be working OK.

 

Try running SFC again. It should not find that dll problem at least. Can you borrow a W98SE CD from someone to replace any corrupt files that SFC finds. This is not pirating it, as you already have W98SE installed and are correcting errors only.

Once again, if no CD available, run SFC without one and let us know any more errors it finds. Answer IGNORE to be on safe side. Bazza

 

Hi Bazza,
Ran SFC again (without CD) but found nothing. Will try to borrow a CD. Don't mean to sound daft, but there is a folder (C:\Win98CD) which contains sub-directories for add-ons, cdsample, drivers, tools and win98. It also contains setup.exe. Is this any help?

 

Looks like win98 got copied to your hard drive......

I've always copied the contents of the win98 directory(not any of the sub-directories) to my c:\windows\options\cabs folder. But, that is just what I do with win98. This will prevent the "insert the win98 disk" request....

 

I'm out of ideas. Hope others can continue on. Bazza

 

Try running the setup.exe file from the C:\Win98CD folder. When setup runs I think you should get an option to reinstall. Of course like always backup any important data.

 

Hi all,
Thanks for all yor help bigbazza . Will try your suggestion peterparker, but don't know when I'll get the chance. I'll let you know what happens. BTW, will running setup.exe clear all of the current stuff I've got saved? If I get a message to insert the disk, will that mean I can't carry on. Not very good with computers, but willing to learn - probably how I got in to a mess in the first place Just curious - is the win98CD folder what was originally used to install the stuff (a recovery disk?), and if so, why doesn't everyone with Win98 have it installed?

 

>> will running setup.exe clear all of the current stuff I've got saved?
Everything will be saved, you are going to just reinstall Windows. Your bookmarks and files should stay intact along with the drivers that you currently have installed. Do not allow setup to format your disk or you will loose everything.

>> If I get a message to insert the disk, will that mean I can't carry o
Just point it to the folder that contains the setup.exe file.

>>Just curious - is the win98CD folder what was originally used to install the stuff (a recovery disk?), and if so, why doesn't everyone with Win98 have it installed?
It depends on the manufacturer or person that built the PC whether or not they copy the CD contents onto the hard drive. I copy to the hard drive so that I am not asked to put the CD in when ever I change something. The install path can be modified in the registry to point to the folder.

 

Running setup.exe prompts 'to insert disk 1'. I've no idea how to try and 'point it to the folder that contains the setup.exe file', I'm afraid.

 

You may have to edit the install directory in the registry. I do not have a Win98 machine to tell you exactly the location but it should be in the:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\install - key
If you cannot find it, you have a couple of ways to get the Win98 files off the computer.
If you have a burner installed you could burn a disk.
Get an old hard drive and slave it to your hard drive and copy the files over.
If you can network it to another computer with a CD burner copy the folder and burn a disk.

 

Will try to burn a disk and let you know what happens. Thanks

 

I take it you have tried all the steps at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q188867

NAV is the source of more problems then any other program I've come across.

Go into the registry to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\system\current control set\services\vxd

and delete the key for SYMEVNT.386

Search for any other instances and delete those too.

See if that helps.

 

Hi Yargwel,
Thanks for the help - managed to remove .386! Totally agree with you on NAV.
Had tried the link some time ago without success. Hoped to have more luck in the forum. The computer is a few years old wit no BIOS updates or battery changes- maybe it's just on its last legs?

 

So what state is the PC now in? Have you actually progressed in sorting out all the problems, some or is it still hanging on boot-up?

We do aim to please.

 

Hi,
Things are moving slowly. The NAV is sorted, but the first boot is still a problem after turning the computer on after being switched off. Too tightfisted to leave the power on 24/7! Do you know if an old CMOS battery would cause a problem - its been the same battery for about 4 years? I noticed some time ago the initial 'beep' prior to boot up takes longer these days
Not had chance to try and burn the Win98 CD from the hard drive - need to look at updating the drivers for a newly acquired DVD RW. If a reinstallation over the current OS works, I presume I'll have to redo all the Microsoft critical updates etc?
Will keep you posted on progress - sorry it takes so long to get things done

 

Well normally the first indication of a failing CMOS battery is the fact that it can't hold the correct date and time. I've gotta say that 4 years old ain't that old. I've got a PC running that is 6 years old and still on the same CMOS battery and I've only just retired an old P120 which must have been almost 10 years old and the CMOS was still holding up.

If you do re-install theOS then yes you'll have to re-apply all the updates

Good luck with everything anyhow.