windows 98 start up. invalid page fault

Hello all. on start up of my 98 se i get box. (every time).
program performed illegal operation and will be shut down.

details: explorer caused invalid page fault. exploere.exe @ 0167:00401f31.
stack dump.
started in safe mode and same thing.
installed my 98 start up floppy. mode 1 without c.d. and mode 2 with c.d.
c.d.'s used were original, one with a key number and 2 downloaded from this site for start up. no joy.

read similar problems for several hours and tried other things. same box. went to bios and changed it for prioirty cd start up. no change.

prior to problems i was backing up pictures on c.d.'s. it was having problems defragging and thinking bad c drive from suggestions.
then on start up it asked for my windows key number. i did not have original but typed the one on my back up disc. accepted it then it froze. upon restart the messages started.
followed help instructions from floppy and nothing changed. i really like the 98 and have a lot of flight pictures stored on it. would not like to lose them...
suggestions?? help? thanks in advance...

i have a xp lap top for working through it. but the info on the old box is not replaceable. need to get started.
oh, even used the original recovery disc. it would not boot up...

 

thanks plodr. the unit is cheap enough. does it plug into mine to get info? how do i open up hard drive with it? if i can retrive my data great. would then buy new c-drive? seems more an operating system deal not opening...
looking for a way to start my windows. an article form microsoft #249191 has some info to do dos stuff. tried a lot of it. i can dos and insert start up floppy and c.d. still no joy...
dont know the commands to type in to start/open windows. it also mentions to take out my start up virus scanner. i can do nothing for reg or safe mode...

 

looking over that unit to purchase it shows cd to set up. my putor dosent open to do the set up so that would be a problem. can not even do the refresh from my original set up disc.
other problems been happening as all my info in file of soft ware just went away. was impossible to defrag. then other night it defragged normally. i used the burner to copy some of my file pictures...it would not do large files but enough to get some flight pix saved...\
it did a registry back up on its own. i stopped it. is when the major problem started. so this mess was probably self induced. any good places to get info on what to type into dos to open this mess to reinstall the operating system?

 

Have you tried methods 3 or 4 in the following link to get into Safe Mode? http://support.microsoft.com/kb/180902/en-us

 

i can get into safe mode. get same message
just tried to type in win/d:m and got bad command or file name.
thanks,

 

Can you boot to the command prompt?

 

yes i have been into command prompt............what should i type?
i have way too much pateince and dont get frustrated......lol...........

just found yet another floppy i made for windows start up. it has other suggestions that did not work

 

ah guys..... must have been the majic beans.... i found a third start up floppy i made. it had a restore regestry click me on it. i did. putor is back.... thanks all for trying to help. i am sure i will be back in that i rely on you folks and blind luck to keep putering............

 

I too have more start up floppies than I know what to do with.

Glad it's all working again. You can make a nother start-up floppy now.

 

98 is a good OS
2K is better, though.

 

side note. just turned off old 98 putor and restarted. it went through normal stuff. then the hour glass got big............this was what it did before it went illegal message. then it got small again and went all normal... doing system maint. the checking hard disc for errors taking long time and restarting. will see if defrag is possible. it went well last time but prior would restart many times and not complete. is this a sign of a c-drive going away?

 

doing many restarts on defrag. when/if it finishes will try to burn copies of photoes. if not will e-mail them to self like i did other files...
is c-drive going away? its 8 years old.

 

plo dr. my newer xp laptop is fine. i got confused when looking at the stand alone unit. did not know i would remove my current 98 drive and install it in the unit. thought i had to run it off my old 98 putor.
anyway. got it up and running for now. the registry restart on one of my newly found start up disc "fixed"" the problem. still not right but accessable...thanks for the info.

 

My advise is to make backups of what you want to keep. Always good advise, always. Then if the computer dies it is a minor inconvienence instead of a major disaster.

 

in VISTA, Bob will let you know if there is an error, right?:confused