Safe Mode Procedures

1st, the quick fix:
When errors occur a file called Wnbootng.sts is created in C:\Windows, when restarting computer Win95/98 searches for this file, if found it will boot in the safemode.

I made a batch file, if you call it then it will delete Wnbootng.sts file.

deltree c:\windows\wnbootng.sts

When you start your computer, the Windows 95 Startup menu may appear, even though you do not press the F8 key when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, and then the following message may appear:

Warning: Windows did not finish loading on the previous attempt.
Choose Safe mode, to start Windows with a minimal set of drivers.

If you do not choose an option, Windows 95 starts in Safe mode by default. This behavior can occur even if Windows 95 started successfully the last time you started your computer.

CAUSE

If Windows 95 does not start successfully, the Wnbootng.sts file remains in the Windows folder and causes the message stated above to be displayed the next time you start Windows 95. If Windows 95 cannot remove the Wnbootng.sts file, the message appears each time you start Windows 95.

RESOLUTION

If deleting this file does not resolve the issue, try the following steps.

NOTE: You must have a Windows 95 Startup disk to follow these steps. If you do not have a Startup disk, create one before following these steps.
To create a Startup disk, double-click Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel, click the Startup Disk tab, and then click Create Disk.
See "Assorted Categories"
"Rescue Disk That Reads Your CD-ROM"

1. Type the following lines at a command prompt, pressing ENTER after each line:

attrib -s -h -r :\io.sys
ren :\io.sys :\io.xxx

where is your computer's physical boot disk.

2. Insert the Windows 95 Startup disk in drive A.

3. Type the following line, and then press ENTER

a:\sys :

where is your computer's physical boot disk.

4. Remove the Startup disk and then restart Windows 95.

Step By Step Safe Mode TroubleShoot

I suggest you start by reflecting on what you installed after you reformatted the harddisk. You have most likely installed something that does not work correctly, so you need to eliminate it.

Troubleshooting follows this logic:

1. Start Win95 in Safe Mode. If the trouble does not appear in Safe Mode, then the trouble is caused by software conflicts or defects. Investigate each of the functions that Safe Mode turns off.

2. If the trouble also occurs in Safe Mode, rename the current Windows folder and reinstall Win95 into an empty folder. If the trouble does not appear with a fresh installation, the trouble is caused by something you have added to Win95 (but something that is not turned off by Safe Mode).

3. If the trouble occurs even with a fresh install of Windows, the trouble is arising in hardware.

Safe Mode does the following:
1.  bypasses config.sys and autoexec.bat
2.  prevents programs from starting automatically (from win.ini or the startup folder)
3.  uses standard VGA video
4.  prevents a network from being started
5.  disables protected mode device drivers (those listed in  Device Manager)
6.  bypasses the [boot] and [386Enh] sections of system.ini

If Safe Mode makes the problem go away, you can try tests from the list below to pin down the cause of the problem.

1. Rename the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat to Config.sss and Autoexec.bbb, or edit them so that the only things loading are absolutely necessary for the computer to run.  The latter items might be a SCSI driver for the harddrive, or disk management software for an EIDE drive.  Deactivate EVERYTHING else by putting REM in front of that line. Reboot the computer and test.

2. Rename the Win.ini and System.ini to Win.iii and System.iii. Then make a copy of System.cb and name it System.ini.  Do not rename System.cb itself. Edit the new System.ini as follows: Add
   device=*vmd
to the [386Enh] section, and add
   drivers=mmsystem.dll
   mouse.drv=mouse.drv
to the [boot] section. Restart Windows. You probably will have no mouse so you'll have to use keystrokes to do the following. Go into Device Manager and select the mouse (which will have a yellow exclamation point). Click "Remove." Again, restart Windows. Windows should find the mouse and install software for it. Test.

3. Remove EVERYTHING from the Start Menu/Startup folder by dragging their icons onto the desktop. Also disable or uninstall all utilities that are running TSR (such as Norton Navigator, SoftRam or Macafee AV). Restart Windows and test.

4. Change the video driver to Microsoft's Standard Display Adapter (VGA). Restart Windows and test.

5. Rename the current Windows folder (directory). Then install Win 95 to a new, empty folder. Test. If problem does not occur, it was caused by something in the old installation. I recommend that you keep this new installation and reinstall your Windows applications.  When you do this, install Windows applications that were written for Win95 or WinNT but do not install older applications that were written for Windows 3.x.

Bill Starbuck (MVP)
=============================
METHOD 2.
To solve Registry troubles.

First, it's important that you check all your hardware carefully. Make sure every card you have works correctly, that your RAM and cards are correctly inserted in your slots.  Check every connection on your motherboard, and try to momentarily remove or swap cards.

Then, I'd like you to try these steps, one after the other.  After each step, try to use the computer a few days to see if that solved the problem, and if not, try the next step.

- Boot in Dos-mode, and type
   regedit /e C:\reg.reg
   regedit /c c:\reg.reg

This will export the registry to a text file and restore it, thus pruning out any error in it.

- Rerun Windows setup from within the current installation.  Win95 will then rerun its full hardware detection routines and copy back any system files.

- Delete the registry (system.dat, user.dat, system.da0, user.da0) and copy the file in your root folder called system.1st to C:\Windows\system.dat.  This will completely rebuild your Registry from the first working copy you had.

- Delete the registry and rerun setup (without the system.1st step).

These last 2 steps will oblige you to reinstall any software that makes use of registry entries, mostly 32-bit ones.

- Remove Win95 completely and make a clean install.
========================
CONVENTIONAL MEMORY AND THE REGISTRY ERROR

There is a limit to what you can do with the registry in Real Dos Mode

The limit has to do with the amount of conventional memory. I have hit the limit when my registry gets about 1.8 meg in size. The "latest" version of 95 (OEMSR2), tends to work better with its new version of regedit, but it can still hit limits because of the amount of conventional memory available.

Troubleshooting Windows 95 Using Safe Mode

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q156/1/26.asp
The information in this article applies to:

* Microsoft Windows 95
* Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, you should first make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat). Both are hidden files in the Windows folder.

SUMMARY
Starting Windows 95 in Safe mode can help you resolve issues that occur when you start Windows 95 normally. These issues include (but are not limited to):

* Setup hangs during the first reboot
* Error messages
* Hanging
* Loss of functionality

Starting Windows 95 in Safe mode bypasses the current real-mode configuration and loads a minimal protected-mode configuration, disabling Windows 95 device drivers and using the standard VGA display adapter.

If the issue does not occur in Safe mode, you may be experiencing a conflict with hardware settings, real-mode configuration issues, incompatibilities with legacy Windows programs or drivers, or registry damage.

For a description of the events that occur when you boot Windows 95 in Safe mode, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q122/0/51.asp
TITLE     : How Windows 95 Performs a Safe Mode Start

PREPARING TO TROUBLESHOOT IN SAFE MODE

The procedures in the following sections describe steps to troubleshoot configurations in which Safe mode resolves an issue with Windows 95. Many of these troubleshooting steps require changes to system configuration files. These changes are not intended to be permanent; they should be used as techniques for isolating the conflict that resulted in an issue with the normal configuration.

The examples in this article assume that Windows 95 has been installed in the Windows folder on drive C. Adjust the syntax as required by your configuration.

Before you begin making changes, you should create an Emergency Boot Disk (EBD) if you do not already have one. You can use the EBD to restart the computer and edit the configuration files if any changes you make cause the computer to hang.

To create an Emergency Boot Disk, follow these steps:

1. In Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs.

2. Click the Startup Disk tab, and then click Create Disk.

Once you have an EBD, shut down Windows 95, insert the EBD in drive A, and restart the computer. Make sure the computer can boot using the EBD. Restart the computer normally.

Troubleshooting the Windows 95 configuration files may require that the files be edited. You can use the MS-DOS text editor or System Configuration Editor to edit these files.

To use the MS-DOS text editor, type "edit.com" (without quotation marks) at a command prompt, and then choose the Open command on the File menu to open the file you want.

To use System Configuration Editor, click the Start button, click Run, type "sysedit" (without quotation marks) in the Open box, and then click OK. Click the file you want to edit on the Window menu.

TROUBLESHOOTING

The Safe-mode troubleshooting steps are broken into the following sections:

* Issues with the real-mode configuration
* Windows 95 command-line switches
* Windows configuration files and programs started automatically at startup
* Protected-mode device drivers
* Changing the video driver to the standard VGA display driver
* Registry damage
* If the problem persists

ISSUES WITH THE REAL-MODE CONFIGURATION

Windows 95 bypasses the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files in Safe mode. A real-mode device driver or terminate-and-stay-resident program (TSR) loading in one of these files may conflict with Windows 95, leading to the issues you are experiencing during a normal boot. The following steps can help you determine if this is the case.

Test the Real-Mode Configuration

1. Restart the computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key, and then choose Command Prompt Only from the Startup

menu.

NOTE: If the Windows 95 graphical user interface (GUI) loads, edit the Autoexec.bat file and remove or disable the "win" line.

2. Start Windows 95 with a minimal set of Windows drivers by typing the following line:

win /d:m

NOTE: If networking components are required to start Windows 95, type the following line instead of the line above:

win /d:n

If the issue does not occur when you start Windows 95 in this manner, you have determined that the real-mode and protected-mode configuration conflict.

If the issue persists, the contents of the Config.sys or Autoexec.bat file may be at fault. You have determined that a conflict exists with the real-mode configuration, and you should perform a clean boot of the real- mode configuration.

Clean Real-Mode Boot

Windows 95 does not require a Config.sys or Autoexec.bat file. These files are necessary only for backward compatibility. If you do not need these files, rename them and restart your computer. For example, rename the Autoexec.bat file to Autoexec.bak, and rename the Config.sys file to Config.bak.

If the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files are required, perform a clean boot of the real-mode configuration with the required drivers. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Restart your computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key, and then choose Step-By-Step Confirmation from the Startup menu.

2. Load the following items when prompted:

- Dblspace driver (if the hard disk is compressed).
- Do not process the Config.sys file.
- Himem.sys.
- Ifshlp.sys.
- Dblbuff.sys (only if prompted).
- Do not process the Autoexec.bat file.
- Load the Windows 95 graphical user interface (GUI), choosing to load all Windows drivers.

If the clean boot of your real-mode configuration eliminates the issue, isolate the conflict with a TSR or real-mode device driver using the step- by-step confirmation function.

WINDOWS 95 COMMAND-LINE SWITCHES

Starting Windows 95 with command line switches is an effective method for isolating issues with your configuration. The switches should be used for troubleshooting only; use the information to modify your existing configuration and eliminate the conflict.

1. Follow the instructions for a clean real-mode boot in the "Clean Real- Mode Boot" section above, but do not load the Windows GUI.

2. Start Windows 95 using the troubleshooting command-line switches by typing the following line:

win /d:fsvx

Description of Command-Line Switches

/D - Used for troubleshooting when Windows 95 does not start correctly.

F - Disables 32-bit disk access. This is equivalent to disabling the hard disk controller(s) in Device Manager.

S - Specifies that Windows 95 should not use ROM address space between F000:0000 and 1 MB for a break point.

V - Specifies that the ROM routine will handle interrupts from the hard disk controller. This is equivalent to the System.ini file setting of "VirtualHDIRQ=FALSE."

X - Excludes all of the adapter area from the range of memory that Windows 95 scans to find unused space. This is equivalent to the System.ini file setting of "EMMExclude=A000-FFFF." If this switch resolves the issue, you may have a conflict in the upper memory area (UMA) that requires an Exclude statement.

NOTE: Each of the System.ini file entries referenced above belongs in the [386Enh] section of the System.ini file.

WINDOWS CONFIGURATION FILES AND PROGRAMS STARTED AUTOMATICALLY

Windows 95 includes several methods for loading programs automatically. Starting in Safe mode prevents any programs from being started automatically.

Windows 95 includes a Win.ini and System.ini file for backward compatibility with legacy programs and device drivers. Upgrading a previous installation of Windows 3.x to Windows 95, as well as adding software, can lead to conflicts within the Windows configuration files.

Determine If Issue Is Related to Program Starting at Startup

Load Windows 95 by booting to a command prompt and starting Windows 95 by typing "win" (without quotation marks), holding down the SHIFT key for the duration of the boot. This prevents any programs from loading automatically at startup.

If the issue is resolved by preventing programs from loading at startup, investigate the following possible sources:

The Winstart.bat File

The Winstart.bat file is used to load TSRs that are required for Windows- based programs and are not needed in MS-DOS sessions.

For more information concerning the Winstart.bat file, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q134/4/02.asp
TITLE     : Some TSRs Moved from Autoexec.bat to Winstart.bat During Setup

The Win.ini File

The "load=" and "run=" lines in the [Windows] section of the file can start programs automatically. See the following section for more information.

The Startup Group

If the issue is resolved by bypassing the Startup group, remove each of the programs from the Startup group individually to isolate the problem program.

The Run Key in the Registry

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall Windows 95. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

NOTE: For information about how to edit the registry, view the Changing Keys And Values online Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe). Note that you should make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat) before you edit the registry.

You can prevent programs from loading by removing the program's string from the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Test Windows Configuration Files

To test the Windows configuration files, follow these steps:

1. Boot to a command prompt.

2. Rename the Win.ini file by typing the following line:

ren c:\windows\win.ini *.bak

Start Windows 95 by typing "win" (without quotation marks). If this procedure corrects the problem, ensure that the "load=" and "run=" lines in the [Windows] section of the Win.ini file are either blank or preceded with a semicolon (;) to prevent the items from loading.

3. Rename the System.ini file by typing the following line:

ren c:\windows\system.ini *.bak

4. Windows 95 requires a System.ini file to load the graphical user interface (GUI). Replace the original file by typing the following line:

copy c:\windows\system.cb c:\windows\system.ini

NOTE: Starting Windows 95 with the System.cb file does not load a driver for the mouse. Edit the new System.ini file, adding the
following lines:

[386Enh]
mouse=*vmouse, msmouse.vxd

[boot]
drivers=mmsystem.dll
mouse.drv=mouse.drv

Start Windows 95 by typing "win" (without quotation marks) at the command prompt. If replacing the original System.ini file with the System.cb file corrects the issue, the problem most likely resides with either the [boot] or [386Enh] sections of the original System.ini. Restore the original file to troubleshoot it.

To isolate the cause of the problem, place a semicolon (;) at the beginning of a line to prevent the item from loading.

For more information about the System.ini file and its default entries, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q140/4/41.asp
TITLE     : Creating a New System.ini File Without Third-Party Drivers

PROTECTED-MODE DEVICE DRIVERS

Safe mode disables all protected-mode device drivers for Windows 95. Testing for incompatible components and resource conflicts can be conducted by disabling the protected-mode device drivers in Device Manager.

Removing Protected-Mode Device Drivers to Isolate Conflicts

1. In Control Panel, double-click System.

2. Click the Device Manager tab, and click the View Devices By Type option.

3. Disable each of the protected-mode device drivers. For example:

a. Double-click the Floppy Disk Controllers branch to expand it.

b. Click Standard Floppy Disk Controller, and then click Properties.

c. On the General tab, click the Original Configuration (Current) check box to clear it, and then click OK.

NOTE: If you have enabled hardware profiles, there is a check box for each of the configurations. Clear the check box for the hardware profile you are troubleshooting.

If there is no Original Configuration (Current) check box, click the Disable in This Hardware Profile check box to select it.

NOTE: In Windows 95 OSR2, the user interface has changed. Click the Disable In This Hardware Profile check box to select it to disable a protected mode driver.

d. Repeat steps A-C for each device in Device Manager.

4. Click Close, and then restart the computer.

If the issue is resolved by disabling the protected-mode drivers in Device Manager, you may have a hardware conflict or a driver may be incompatible with your hardware. For more information about troubleshooting resource conflicts in Windows 95, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q133/2/40.asp
TITLE     : Troubleshooting Device Conflicts with Device Manager

If you determine that a Windows 95 protected-mode device driver is incompatible with your hardware, contact the hardware vendor to determine the availability of new drivers.

CHANGING THE VIDEO DRIVER TO STANDARD VGA DISPLAY DRIVER

NOTE: If you followed the directions in the previous section ("Removing Protected-Mode Drivers to Isolate Conflicts"), you changed the display driver to VGA, and you can skip to the next section. Disabling the display adapter sets your video to the VGA driver.

Safe mode starts Windows 95 with the VGA display driver. To determine if the issue you are experiencing is related to your video driver, change to the VGA driver for testing purposes.

NOTE: To ensure a safe return to your previous configuration:

* Back up the System.ini file.
* Note the current desktop area (resolution) and color palette.
* Record the name of your current video adapter.

To change to the VGA display driver, follow these steps:

1. Start Windows 95 in Safe mode.

2. In Control Panel, double-click Display.

3. On the Settings tab, click Change Display Type.

4. In the Adapter Type area, click Change.

5. Click the Show All Devices option.

6. In the Manufacturers box, click (Standard Display Types). In the Models box, click Standard Display Adapter (VGA), and then click OK.

7. Click OK or Close until you return to Control Panel. When you are prompted to restart your computer, do so.

If you determine that your video driver is incompatible with Windows 95, contact the hardware vendor to determine the availability of new drivers.

REGISTRY DAMAGE

When you start Windows 95 in Safe mode the registry is read minimally. Damage to the registry may not be evident when running in Safe mode; it may be necessary to replace the existing registry (System.dat) with a backup to determine if the issue is caused by a damaged registry. To troubleshoot a damaged registry, follow these steps:

1. Boot to a command prompt.

2. Type the following line to remove the file attributes from the backup of the registry:

c:\windows\command\attrib -h -s -r c:\system.1st

3. Remove the file attributes from the current registry by typing:

c:\windows\command\attrib -h -s -r c:\windows\system.dat

4. Rename the registry by typing:

ren c:\windows\system.dat *.dax

5. Copy the backup file to the current registry by typing:

copy c:\system.1st c:\windows\system.dat

6. Restart your computer.

NOTE: The System.1st file is a backup of the registry created during the final stage of Windows 95 Setup. Therefore, the "Running Windows 95 for the first time" banner is displayed and Windows 95 finalizes settings as if it were being installed.

If replacing the System.dat file with the System.1st file resolves the issue, the problem may be related to registry damage. Programs and device drivers added after Windows 95 was installed may require reinstallation to update the new registry.

If the issue is not resolved, restore the original registry. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Restart the computer to a command prompt.

2. Type the following lines:

c:\windows\command\attrib -s -h -r c:\windows\system.dat

copy c:\windows\system.dax c:\windows\system.dat

3. Restart the computer.

The Windows 95 CD-ROM includes tools for backing up your system files as well as the registry. For more information about these tools, see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q139/4/37.asp
TITLE     : Windows 95 Emergency Recovery Utility

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q135/1/20.asp
TITLE     : Configuration Backup Tool for Backing Up the Registry

IF THE PROBLEM PERSISTS

If the troubleshooting steps outlined in this article do not resolve the issue, the issue may be related to one or more of the following items:

* Faulty hardware
* The computer requires a special machine switch for HIMEM.SYS
* CMOS settings may need to be changed (such as disabling shadow RAM)
* The system ROM BIOS may require an upgrade to be compatible with Windows 95
* A virus
* An unsuccessful upgrade of a previous Windows installation

To determine if Windows 95 is compatible with your current system configuration it may be necessary to install Windows 95 to a clean directory.

If you have enough free disk space, install Windows 95 to an empty folder (such as a Win95 folder). If this resolves the issue, your previous installation may have included components incompatible with Windows 95.

Consult your computer's documentation or manufacturer for information about modifying the CMOS settings and the availability of BIOS upgrades.

Safe Mode Troubleshooting With CD-ROM Access

Safe Mode is great for troubleshooting system problems, but you normally can't access your CD-ROM drive this way. Here's the secret: Restart your PC and hold down the Ctrl key to get to the Startup menu. Choose Command Prompt Only, type win /d:m at the prompt and press Enter; Windows will start in Safe Mode with the CD-ROM drivers. If you still can't access your CD-ROM drive, it means your real-mode CD-ROM drivers aren't installed.
For installation instructions, send an e-mail message to mshelp@microsoft.com with Q190303 in the Subject line and nothing in the body of the message. Microsoft's automated help system will send back the instructions.

Or use the link below.

How to Use Real-Mode CD-ROM Drivers from Windows 98 Startup Disk http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q190/3/03.asp

Windows 98 Starts in Safe Mode

If Windows 98 starts in Safe mode, step through the startup process to see if any devices do not load properly. To do so, follow these steps:

1.Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.

2.Click Selective Startup.

3.Try different boot options. The following table lists several startup options. The options are labeled Boot A, Boot B, Boot C. To use a boot option, click the appropriate check boxes to select or clear them. Follow the instructions below the table to determine the cause of your problem.

                                               Boot A   Boot B   Boot C
------------------------------------------------------------
Process Config.sys file                 Yes      No       Yes
Process Autoexec.bat file             Yes      No       Yes
Process Winstart.bat (if available) Yes      Yes      No
Process System.ini file                   No      Yes      Yes
Process Win.ini file                        No      Yes      Yes
Load Startup Group items             Yes      Yes      No

NOTE: The Msconfig tool cannot disable a file that has the read-only attribute, although it behaves as though it can. To determine if the Msconfig tool has replaced the file you are attempting to disable with a copy of the file, text similar to the following text should appear at the beginning of the file:

rem
rem   *** DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE! ***
rem
rem   This file was created by the System Configuration Utility as
rem   a placeholder for your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Your actual
rem   AUTOEXEC.BAT file has been saved under the name AUTOEXEC.TSH.
rem

NOTE: If Windows 98 does not start normally under any of the following scenarios, see the "Troubleshooting Protected-Mode Driver Problems" section later in this article.

First, try the Boot A option. If Windows 98 does not start normally under these conditions, try the Boot B option. If Windows 98 does start normally using the Boot A option, there is a problem in the System.ini or Win.ini file. To find which line in the System.ini or Win.ini file is causing the problem, follow these steps:

a.Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box type, and then click OK.

b.Click the Win.ini tab.

c.Double-click the Windows folder.

d.Click the load= and run= check boxes to remove the check marks.

e.Click OK.

f.When you are prompted to restart your computer, click Yes.

If Windows 98 starts normally using the Boot B option, there is a problem with a driver or terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) program being loaded from the Config.sys or Autoexec.bat file.

If Windows 98 does not start normally with the Boot A or Boot B options, try the Boot C option. If Windows 98 starts normally using the Boot C option, there is a problem with a program that is run during startup.

If you are still unable to start Windows 98 normally, use the System File Checker tool to check for damaged or replaced system files. To start System File Checker, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, click System Information, and then click System File Checker on the Tools menu.

Troubleshooting StartUp Folder Problems:

The problem may be a result of a program that is run during startup. To determine which program is causing the problem, follow these steps:

1.Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.

2.Click the Startup tab, and then click each check box to clear it.

3.Click OK, and then restart your computer when you are prompted to do so.

If the problem is resolved, follow these steps:

1.Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.

2.On the Startup tab, click the first check box in the list to select it.

3.Click OK. and then restart your computer when you are prompted to do so.

If the problem is still resolved, repeat steps 1-3, but click the next check box in the list to select it. When the problem returns, the last check box you selected is loading a program that is preventing Windows 98 to start normally. Contact the program's manufacturer for further assistance.

There may also be a problem with a TSR being loaded in the Winstart.bat file (if the Winstart.bat file exists). If the Process Winstart.bat File check box is available on the General tab in System Configuration Utility, click the check box to clear it, click OK, and then restart your computer.

The Winstart.bat file is usually located in the Windows folder, and is used to load TSRs that are required only by Windows-based programs.

Troubleshooting TSR Problems:

The problem may be a driver or TSR being loaded from the Config.sys or Autoexec.bat file. To determine if this is the case, follow these steps:

1.Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.

2.Click Selective Startup, and then click the Process Autoexec.bat File check box to clear it.

3.Click OK, and then restart your computer when you are prompted to do so.

If the problem is resolved, the problem driver or TSR is being loaded from the Autoexec.bat file. If the problem is not resolved, the problem driver or TSR is being loaded from the Config.sys file. To determine which line in the Autoexec.bat or Config.sys file is loading the driver or TSR, follow these steps:

1.Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.

2.Click the Autoexec.bat or Config.sys tab, and then click the check boxes for all non-essential drivers and programs to clear them.

3.Click OK, and then restart your computer when you are prompted to do so.

If the problem is resolved, follow these steps:

1.Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.

2.On the Autoexec.bat or Config.sys tab, click the first check box in the list to select it.

3.Click OK, and then restart your computer when you are prompted to do so.

If the problem is still resolved, repeat steps 1-3, but click the next check box in the list to select it. When the problem returns, the last check box you selected is loading the driver or TSR that is causing the problem.

If the problem is not resolved, run the Windows Registry Checker as there may be a problem with the system registry. To start Windows Registry Checker, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, click System Information, and then click Registry Checker on the Tools menu.

Troubleshooting Protected-Mode Driver Problems:

The problem may be a Windows 98 protected-mode driver. To determine if this is the case, follow these steps:

1.Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.

2.On the General Tab, click Advanced.

3.Under Settings, click a check box to select it.

4.Click OK, click OK again, and then restart your computer.

If the problem is not resolved, repeat steps 1-4, but click a different check box to select it in step 3. When the problem is resolved, the last check box you selected is causing the problem.

SEE:

ARTICLE-ID: Q181966 TITLE:
System Configuration Utility Advanced Troubleshooting Settings

If the problem is not resolved, disable PCI bus IRQ steering in Windows.

ARTICLE-ID: Q182628 TITLE:
How to Disable PCI Bus IRQ Steering in Windows

If the problem is not resolved, follow these steps to disable devices in Device Manager:

1.Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

2.Double-click System.

3.On the Device Manager tab, disable all devices under the following branches:

Display adapters

Floppy disk controllers

Hard disk controllers

Keyboard

Mouse

Network adapters

Ports

PCMCIA socket

SCSI controllers

Sound, video, and game controllers

To disable a device in Device Manager, follow these steps:

a.Double-click the branch containing the device you want, click the device, and then click Properties.

b.On the General tab, click the Disable In This Hardware Profile check box to select it, and then click OK.

c.Restart your computer.

4.If the problem is resolved, enable the devices you disabled in step 3, and then verify that no devices are conflicting.

NOTE: Enable devices in the following order:

COM ports

Hard disk controllers

Floppy disk controllers

Other devices

To enable a device and check for possible conflicts, follow these steps:

a.Double-click the branch containing the device you want, click the device, and then click Properties.

b.On the General tab, click the Disable In This Hardware Profile check box to clear it.

c.Click the Resources tab and verify that there are no conflicts listed under Conflicting Device List. Note that the Resources tab does not appear for each device.

d.Click OK, and then restart your computer.

If the problem is not resolved, run the Automatic Skip Driver Agent tool to enable any device that has been disabled. To start Automatic Skip Driver Agent, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, click System Information, and then click Automatic Skip Driver Agent on the Tools menu.

If the problem is not resolved, check for a damaged static virtual device driver (VxD) by following these steps:

1.Restart your computer, press and hold down the CTRL key until the Windows 98 Startup menu appears, and then choose Step-By-Step Confirmation.

2.Press Y at each prompt up to and including the "Load all Windows drivers?" prompt, and then press N to everything else. Note that you should make a list of all the items trying to load after this point. This prevents VxDs from loading and VxDs in the Windows\System\Vmm32 folder from overriding Windows internal VxDs (VxDs built into the Vmm32.vxd file).

For information about known hardware issues, see the Hardware.txt file in the Windows folder.

For additional troubleshooting assistance, view the Bootlog.txt file in the root folder. The Bootlog.txt file lists the loading status of all real- mode and protected-mode drivers. If Windows 98 does not start properly, the Bootlog.txt file lists the last driver that loaded successfully, and lists a "LoadFail" entry for each driver that failed to load before the problem occurred.

NOTE: Some "LoadFail" entries in the Bootlog.txt file are normal entries. For a listing of normal "LoadFail" entries in the Bootlog.txt file, see:

ARTICLE-ID: Q127970 TITLE:
Load Failures Listed in the Bootlog.txt File