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i found this on the net see if this helps ye
WINDOWS 98 STARTUP PROBLEMS
This section includes some common troubleshooting steps that can be used when it's necessary to use the Windows 98 Startup Disk. These steps are designed to get the user at least into Safe-Mode where you have access to Windows 98 extensive HELP system to further troubleshoot any issues.
Starting Your Computer in Safe Mode
There are several reasons why Windows 98 may fail to start properly. The first step in troubleshooting is to try starting your computer in Safe Mode. If Safe Mode works, you can then use the extensive Help system and troubleshooters located in the Start menu/Help option.
>>>To start your computer in Safe Mode:
1. Remove the Startup Disk and restart your computer. After the computer restarts but before Windows begins to load, hold down the CTRL key until the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu appears. (If you are running Windows 95, press the F8 key at the "Starting Windows 95" prompt.)
2. From the Startup menu, select Safe Mode.
If you can start your computer in Safe Mode, use Windows 98 Help to resolve your original issue.
Setup Fails and the Computer Will Not Start
There are a few common reasons why Windows 98 Setup may fail to complete successfully. The following section explains what you can do to recover from these situations. For more information on other Setup problems, see the Setup.txt file in the Win98 folder of your Windows 98 CD or Setup Disk #1.
If you encounter any of these error messages while running Setup:
* Invalid System Disk
* Incorrect MS-DOS Version
* Missing or Corrupted Command.com
* Compression Driver errors
It is likely that your computer's startup drive may need updated system files. You can use the SYS command to copy the needed files to your computer.
NOTE: If you are currently loading compression software, you will need to know your host drive letter. This is typically H. If you are not loading any compression software, then you will need to SYS your C drive.
>>>To use the SYS command to copy system files to your computer:
1. Restart your computer using the Windows 98 Startup Disk, select option 2 on the Startup menu, and then press ENTER.
2. At the A:\ prompt, type: SYS X: (where X is your Host or Startup drive).
3. If the procedure is successful, a "System transferred" message appears. If it is not successful, check to be sure you are typing the correct drive letter for your Host Drive.
IMPORTANT: If you have installed software that came with your hard drive, be sure to read the documentation that describes how to start your computer using a floppy disk.
Antivirus Software
If antivirus programs are left running during Setup, they may prevent Setup from properly updating the system files. If this occurs, disable or uninstall the antivirus program, and then run Setup again.
NOTE: Some computers have built-in antivirus software. This built-in software should also be disabled before running Setup. If the software is left enabled, you may receive a warning message informing you that the Master Boot Record has changed. If you see such a message, you MUST accept these changes or Setup may stop responding.
Setup Stops Responding During Hardware Detection
If Setup stops responding while it is detecting the hardware in your computer, turn your computer off and wait a few seconds, then turn it back on. You may need to do this several times, because Setup could stop responding during several different detection modules.
NOTE: Use the power switch to turn your computer completely off. Do not use the reset button or press CTRL+ALT+DELETE to restart your computer.
If Setup still fails to complete successfully, it may be necessary to start your computer in Safe Mode so that you can view the Help topics associated with hardware detection.
Compressed Drives Not Mounted
There are several reasons why compressed drives may not be accessible. If your Windows directory is on a compressed drive that is not mounted, you will not be able to start Windows. If you suspect problems with your compressed drives, try using Scandisk to fix them.
From the A:\ prompt, type:
Scandisk /Mount X:
where X is the drive letter of the compressed drive. ScanDisk will then attempt to repair any errors and mount the drive.
If there is not enough memory to check your compressed drives, see "Installing Windows 98 from MS-DOS," in the Setup.txt file on Setup Disk 1 or the Windows 98 CD.
USING THE TOOLS AVAILABLE ON THE STARTUP DISK
This section decribes how to use some of the utilities included with the Windows 98 Startup Disk. To run each program you should do the following:
1. Put the Windows 98 Startup Disk in the floppy disk drive, and then restart your computer.
2. At the Startup menu, select option 1 or 2 (depending upon whether you need CD-ROM access), and then press ENTER.
3. At the MS-DOS command prompt (A:\), type the name of the utility you wish to run, and then press ENTER.
SCANDISK.EXE and CHKDSK.EXE
These two programs are useful for checking your hard disk for errors. If you suspect there may be file corruption or other problems with your hard disk(s), run ScanDisk to check for and repair errors.
To check all your hard disks for errors, type:
Scandisk /all
To perform a full surface scan of your hard disk(s) for maximum protection against data loss, type:
Scandisk /all /Surface
NOTE: You may receive errors about Long File Names. The MS-DOS version of ScanDisk can only detect problems with long file names, it cannot fix them. To correct these types of errors, you must run ScanDisk from within Windows 98.
NOTE: If you have any compressed drives, you may receive an error message stating that there is not enough memory to check your compressed drives. To solve this problem, try starting your computer with the Windows 98 Startup Disk, as described in Step 1, earlier in this section. Select option 2. This may allow ScanDisk enough memory to check your compressed drives.
If ScanDisk is unable to check your drives, try using CHKDSK.EXE instead. CHKDSK will check for cross-linked files and lost allocation units.
SYS.COM
The SYS command is used to copy system files from one disk to another. Your computer needs these system files to start.
>>>To SYS your C drive, type:
SYS C:
and then press ENTER. After a few seconds, a "System Transferred" message appears.
The following files are copied to your hard disk during the SYS procedure:
* IO.SYS
* MSDOS.SYS
* COMMAND.COM
If the SYS C: command does not work and you have a compressed drive, you may need to type the drive letter of your host drive. With the DblSpace or DrvSpace programs, the host drive is typically designated drive H. If you are not sure of the drive letter, run ScanDisk and see if it prompts you about your compressed drive.
FDISK.EXE and FORMAT.EXE
FDISK and FORMAT are utilities necessary for installing a new hard disk in your computer or for starting over fresh with a clean disk. FDISK is used first to create a partition and then FORMAT is used to make the partition available for use.
WARNING: Using FDISK incorrectly can destroy all data on your hard disk. If you are unsure of how to use FDISK, consult your computer documentation.
You can use the Windows 98 version of FDISK to create FAT32 partitions on drives over 512 megabytes in size. FAT32 reduces the cluster size for large drives and allows you to create single partitions on drives over 2 GB.
To view your current drive status, type FDISK /STATUS at the MS-DOS command prompt.
After you have partitioned a drive using FDISK, you will need to use the FORMAT command. To format a newly partitioned drive, type:
FORMAT X:
Where X represents the letter of the drive that you want to format.
If you want to format drive C, you need to make this disk a system disk so that your computer can start. To do this, type /s at the end of the FORMAT command. For example:
FORMAT C: /s
System Startup files will be automatically copied after your drive is formatted.
CD-ROM Drivers
The Windows 98 Startup Disk includes a set of generic CD-ROM drivers. These drivers work with most IDE ATAPI and SCSI CD-ROM models.
If your particular CD-ROM drive does not work with these drivers, you will need to use the drivers that came with your CD-ROM drive.
Following are some known issues about the CD-ROM drivers:
1. CD-ROM drives connected to sound cards may not work properly.
2. Early proprietary CD-ROM drives (for example, Mitsumi, Panasonic, Sony) may not work with these drivers. Some older IDE controllers may fail as well.
3. The SCSI drivers on the Startup Disk support most Adaptec, Buslogic, and Mylex adapters. Some other SCSI CD-ROM drives may not work with the drivers on the Startup Disk.
4. If your SCSI controller is configured for a non-default I/O range, the drivers may not detect your SCSI card. Consult your SCSI driver documentation for the default I/O ranges for your card.
5. Drivers are not included for any PC Card (PCMCIA) CD-ROM drives.
UNINSTAL.EXE
If you need to remove Windows 98 from your system, you can use the real-mode uninstall utility included on the Windows 98 Startup Disk.
IMPORTANT: If you did not choose the option to "Save System Files" during Setup, then you will be unable to use this utility.
>>>To use the uninstall utility, perform the following steps:
1. Restart your computer with the Windows 98 Startup Disk, select option 2, and then press ENTER.
2. At the MS-DOS command prompt, type UNINSTAL, and then press ENTER.
NOTE: If you see the message "WINUNDO.DAT is missing or corrupt," you cannot uninstall this version of Windows 98.
EXT.EXE
The EXT command is used in conjunction with the Extract.exe utility to make it easier to extract Windows 98 files to your hard disk. You can use this to replace missing or damaged files.
This utility is extremely useful if you are receiving errors during startup about missing files, or execution errors such as General Protection Faults or invalid page faults.
>>>To use Ext.exe to extract a file, perform the following steps:
1. Use the Startup Disk to start your computer. Select option 1, and then press ENTER.
2. Make sure the Windows 98 CD is inserted in the drive.
3. Type EXT at the MS-DOS command prompt, and then press ENTER.
4. Follow the prompts to indicate the location of the Windows 98 Setup files, the files you wish to extract, and the location in which you want to place the extracted files.
NOTE: If your CD-ROM drive letter is E, then type the location to the Setup files as E:\WIN98.
NOTE: If you wish to extract more than one file at a time, you can use wild card characters.
Type ALT+F+X to exit Edit
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 21. May 2006 @ 08:46
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