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Windows 98 Startup Disk and Easy File Extraction |
The Startup Disk has changed significantly for Windows 98. The following
items are new for Windows 98.
Menu 1
MULTI-CONFIG START MENU
REAL-MODE CD-ROM DRIVERS
EBD.CAB FILE
CREATING A RAMDRIVE
LIST OF ALL COMPONENTS ON
THE EBD
WINDOWS 98 STARTUP PROBLEMS
USING THE TOOLS
AVAILABLE ON THE STARTUP DISK
Extracting File is Now Easier Than Ever Using EXT.EXE
Menu 2
Make a Windows 98 Startup Disk From
Dos with Fat32ebd
If you boot your computer using the new Windows 98 Startup Disk, a boot menu appears allowing you the option to load drivers for the most common CD-Rom drives or perform a normal clean boot.
After you make your selection, the Config.sys file loads the appropriate CD-ROM driver (if selected) and then loads a 2MB RAMDrive. The RAMDrive is used to store all the diagnostic tools necessary to troubleshoot the most common problems.
NOTE: The RAMdrive may cause your CD-Rom to pushed back 1 drive letter.
If your CD-Rom is usually drive D:, it will now be Drive E:.
The Windows 98 Statup Disk includes generic ATAPI IDE & SCSI CD-ROM drivers that allow your CD-ROM to function at Dos when the Windows 98 GUI is not available.
NOTE: Not all CD-Rom drives are supported. If your CD-Rom drive does not function with these drivers, you must use the drivers that came with your CD-Rom drive.
Windows
98 Startup Disk Has Real-Mode CD-Rom Drivers
OK, how to create a Windows 98 startup disk (a disk that, should
you ever have trouble starting Windows, boots your system and provides
utilities to help diagnose the problem): Open the Control Panel, double-click
Add/Remove Programs, select the Startup Disk tab, click the Create Disk
button, and so on.
I should point out that one of the best features of this disk is its inclusion of real-mode CD-ROM drivers. In other words, if you determine that reinstalling Windows 98 (via CD) is your best chance at recovery, you can do that--right from the command prompt. (With Windows 95, you had to add real-mode CD-ROM drivers to your startup disk manually--not the easiest thing in the world to do!)
Now the question is, how do you use the startup disk to access your CD-ROM drive? Let's assume you can't start Windows 98, and you've decided you want to reinstall it using the installation CD. Turn the system off, and with the startup disk in your floppy drive, turn it back on. In the list of startup options, select Start Computer With CD-ROM Support, then press Enter. When the A:\ prompt appears, insert the Windows 98 installation CD in your CD-ROM drive and type
X:\setup
where X is your CD-ROM drive plus one letter (in most cases--see the next tip for details). For example, our drive is E, so we would type
F:\setup
at the A:\ prompt. Press Enter, and the Windows 98 setup will begin.
I'll explain why your CD-ROM drive letter typically changes when you use the Windows 98 startup disk.
Why The Startup Disk Changes Your CD-ROM Drive Letter
When turn the system off; pop the startup disk in your floppy drive; turn the system back on; select Start Computer With CD-ROM Support; press Enter; when the A:\ prompt appears, insert the Windows 98 installation CD in your CD-ROM drive and type
X:\setup
where X is your CD-ROM drive plus one letter (in most cases); and press Enter.
Wondering why your CD-ROM drive letter usually changes? After you choose a startup option, config.sys loads a 2MB RAMDrive that contains a number of tools useful in diagnosing common problems. In most cases, this drive assumes your CD-ROM drive's letter. (Note: To confirm the letter used to represent this RAMDrive, watch the screen during the boot process.)
(Tip: To view the contents of the RAMDrive, at the command prompt, type
dir X:
where X is, in most cases, the former letter of your CD-ROM drive; then
press Enter.)
The Ebd.cab file is a compressed file whose contents are extracted to the Ramdrive during the startup process. The table below identifies the files in the Ebd.cab file.
File Function
Attrib.exe Add or remove
file attributes
Chkdsk.exe A simpler and smaller disk
status tool
Debug.exe Debugging utility
Edit.com Real-mode
emergency text editor
Ext.exe
New, simple file extract utility
Format.com Disk format tool
Mscdex.exe Microsoft CD-ROM file extension
for MS-DOS
Scandisk.exe Disk status tool
Scandisk.ini Disk status tool configuration
file
Sys.com Transfers
system files and make disk bootable
Uninstal.exe A tool to remove Windows
98 from the system and return the system to its previous state
The RAMDrive is created during the processing of the Config.sys file and is 2MB in size. The Ramdrive is created using system RAM to emulate a physical Hard Disk. Without creating the RAMdrive, we would not have enough space on a single 1.44 meg floppy disk to contain all the diagnostic tools as well as the CD-Rom drivers.
WARNING: Since the RAMDrive is created during the processing of the
Config.sys file and uses System RAM, it is only temporary. It will disappear
if you restart your computer normally.
The following table describes the function of each file copied to the EBD.
File Function
Aspi2dos.sys=== Real-Mode Adaptec CD-ROM driver
Aspi4dos.sys=== Real-Mode Adaptec CD-ROM driver
Aspi8dos.sys=== Real-Mode Adaptec CD-ROM driver
Aspi8u2.sys=== Real-Mode Adaptec CD-ROM driver
Aspicd.sys=== Real-Mode Adaptec CD-ROM driver
Autoexec.bat=== Startup batch file
Btcdrom.sys=== Mylex/BusLogic CD-ROM driver
Btdosm.sys=== Mylex/BusLogic CD-ROM driver
Command.com= Command interpreter
Config.sys==== Loads the device drivers
Drvspace.bin== Microsoft DriveSpace compression driver
Ebd.cab===== Cab file containing extract utilities
Ebd.sys===== File identifying the ESD
Extract.exe=== File to expand the Ebd.cab file
Fdisk.exe===== Disk partition tool
Findramd.exe== Utility to find the RAMDrive during startup
Flashpt.sys=== Mylex/BusLogic CD-ROM driver
Himem.sys=== XMS Memory Manager
Io.sys====== System boot file
Msdos.sys=== Boot option information (paths, multiboot, and so on)
Oakcdrom.sys=== Generic device driver for ATAPI CD-ROM drives
Ramdrive.sys=== Creates a Ramdrive during startup
Setramd.bat=== Searches for first available drive to be a Ramdrive
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.
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.
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.
----------------------------
So when you boot with your rescue disk it will build a temporary Ram
Drive. When that's finished you will see a command prompt.
A:\>.
There you will type "ext" and then you'll see the following:
A:\>ext
Microsoft (R) Extract Command Line Helper
---------------------------------------------------
Please enter the path to the Windows CAB files (a:) :
Please enter the name (s) of the file (s) you want to extract:
Please enter the path to extract to ("Enter" for the current directory)
:
=================================================
Here's an example:
A:\>ext
Microsoft (R) Extract Command Line Helper
---------------------------------------------------
Please enter the path to the Windows CAB files (a:) : F:\WIN98
Please enter the name (s) of the file (s) you want to extract: BIOS.VXD
Please enter the path to extract to ("Enter" for the current directory) : C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM
Go ahead, make a new folder an call it "Trial", then boot with your
Rescue disk and try it.
Just sent the extracted file to C:\Trial.
Fat32ebd.exe file is located in the Tools\Mtsutil\Fat32ebd folder on the Windows 98 CD-ROM.
The FAT32 Emergency Boot Disk (EBD) provides a virus-free means for starting and troubleshooting a computer, as well as a means for partitioning large drives with the FAT32 file system.
The utility that creates the EBD, FAT32EBD.EXE, writes an image of a known-good boot sector that was scanned for viruses. A virus-free boot disk can be used to troubleshoot systems that you suspect are infected with a virus, or to create a large partition for Windows 98.
HOW TO CREATE A FAT32 EMERGENCY BOOT DISK
The utility that creates the FAT32 EBD, FAT32EBD.EXE, can be run from MS-DOS or within Windows. It will prompt you to insert a 1.44 MB floppy disk in the A:\ drive and then prompt you to continue. FAT32EBD.EXE transfers the boot sector to the floppy to ensure there are no viruses. Next, the files for the disk are extracted from the WIN98*.CAB files and transferred to the floppy.
NOTE: If you use this utility in MS-DOS, you must load the Himem.sys file.
Requirements
Access to the Windows 98 CD-ROM
Access to a 1.44 MB floppy drive on A:\
1.44 MB floppy disk
Steps to create the FAT32 EBD using Windows 95 or Windows98
1.Click the Start button and select Windows Explorer from the Programs menu.
2.Select the CD-ROM drive containing the Windows 98 CD-ROM.
3.Select and double-click the \Tools folder to expand it. Expand the subdirectory, \MTSutil, and then its subdirectory, \FAT32EBD.
4.Double-click FAT32EBD.EXE and follow its prompts to create a FAT32 EBD.
5.Write-protect the diskette when it is finished creating the EBD to ensure a virus cannot write to the disk.
6.Restart the computer with the FAT32 EBD.
Steps to create the FAT32 EBD using Windows 3.x
For the best results, exit Windows and create the FAT32 EBD using MS-DOS. Please refer to the following section after you exit Windows.
Steps to create the FAT32 EBD using MS-DOS
1.At a command prompt outside of Windows, change to the CD-ROM drive containing the Windows 98 CD-ROM. For example, if your CD-ROM drive is D:\, you would type:
D:\ [press Enter key]
2.Change to the FAT32EBD directory by typing the following:
CD\TOOLS\MTSUTIL\FAT32EBD [press Enter key]
3.Run FAT32EBD.EXE and follow its prompts to create a FAT32 EBD. Run the utility by typing:
FAT32EBD.EXE [press Enter key]
4.Write-protect the diskette when it is finished creating the EBD to ensure a virus cannot write to the disk.
5.Restart the computer with the FAT32 EBD.
CREATING FAT32 DRIVES
In Windows 98, if you run the FDISK tool on a system with a drive over 512 MB in size, you will be asked whether or not to enable large disk support. If you answer Yes, any partition you create that is larger than 512 MB is marked as a FAT32 partition.
NOTE: The Drive Converter (FAT32) can be run if Windows 98 is installed. See online help for additional information.
Known Problems
If you experience difficulty running FAT32EBD.EXE, please refer to
the following list of known issues for the tool.
Invalid files copied to the EBD
If the files on the FAT32 EBD are 0 (zero) bytes in size, it may be the result of the TMP environment variable being set to the floppy drive, or insufficient conventional memory.
TMP environment variable set to floppy drive
Booting with a floppy disk may set the TMP environment variable to the floppy drive. FAT32EBD.EXE requires the TMP environment variable be set to a hard disk. If TMP is set to the floppy drive, FAT32EBD.EXE may create a boot disk with zero byte files.
Determine the current status of the TMP by typing:
SET [press Enter key]
Set the TMP environment variable to the hard drive by typing:
SET TMP=C:\ [press Enter key]
Insufficient conventional memory
FAT32EBD.EXE relies on the Windows 98 EXTRACT.EXE utility. EXTRACT requires approximately 520K of free conventional memory. Loading real-mode CD-ROM drivers and DriveSpace/DoubleSpace compression drivers can reduce the amount of conventional memory. To workaround this, modify your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files to load devices high.
---- Example CONFIG.SYS ----
Device=C:\windows\himem.sys
Device=C:\windows\Emm386.exe noems
Dos=high,umb
Devicehigh=C:\CDROM\oakcdrom.sys /d:mscd001
Devicehigh=C:\Windows\drvspace.sys /move
---- Example AUTOEXEC.BAT ----
LH C:\CDROM\mscdex.exe /d:mscd001
Bad or corrupted Floppy Disk
If FAT32EBD.EXE generates a "Write fault" or "Can not write to Disk in Drive A:\" error, you may be using a damaged floppy disk.
Slow performance creating Boot Disk
FAT32EBD.EXE extracts files for the FAT32 EBD from the Windows 98 CD. EXTRACT.EXE may run slowly outside of Windows. To improve the performance of FAT32EBD.EXE outside of Windows, load SMARTDRV.EXE.
NOTE: The Windows 98 SMARTDRV.EXE may be loaded from the \TOOLS\OLDMSDOS folder on the Windows 98 CD.
Windows 98 Startup Disk
The FAT32 EBD does not include all of the troubleshooting tools available on the Windows 98 Startup Disk. Microsoft recommends creating a Windows 98 Startup Disk during Windows 98 setup, or from the Startup disk tab in the Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs.
A computer virus is an executable file designed to replicate itself and avoid detection. A virus may try to avoid detection by disguising itself as a legitimate program. Viruses are often rewritten and adjusted so that they will not be detected. Anti-virus programs must be updated continuously to look for new and modified viruses.
When a computer boots (or starts), it looks to the boot sector of the hard disk before loading the operating system or any other startup files. A boot sector virus is designed to replace the information in the hard disk's boot sectors with its own code. When a computer is infected with a boot sector virus, the virus' code is read into memory before anything else. Once in memory, it can replicate itself onto any other disks that are used in the infected computer.
Description of FAT32
Windows 98 provides an updated version of the File Allocation Table file system, called FAT32. This updated file system allows for a default cluster size as small as 4K, as well as support for EIDE hard disk sizes in excess of 2 GB.
A FAT32 volume cannot be compressed using Microsoft DriveSpace or DriveSpace 3.
FAT32 volumes cannot be accessed if the computer is started using another operating system.
MS-DOS, Windows NT 3.x and 4.x, Windows 1.x, 2.x, and 3.x, and Windows 95 (950) may not recognize a FAT32 volume.
NOTE: Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2 (1111) supports FAT32.
FAT32 provides the following enhancements over previous implementations of the FAT file system:
Supports drives up to 2 terabytes in size.
FAT32 uses smaller clusters (that is, 4K clusters for drives up to 8 GB in size), resulting in 10 to 15 percent more efficient use of disk space relative to large FAT16 drives.
FAT32 has the ability to relocate the root directory and use the backup copy of the FAT instead of the default copy. In addition, the boot record on FAT32 drives has been expanded to include a backup of critical data structures. This means that FAT32 drives are less susceptible to a single point of failure than existing FAT16 volumes.
The root directory on a FAT32 drive is now an ordinary cluster chain,
so it can be located anywhere on the drive. For this reason, the previous
limitations on the number of root directory entries no longer exist.