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Troubleshooting Startup Problems |
Copy your SYS.COM to your startup disk, it's in your C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND directory. Then boot to Dos and switch to A:\> and type "SYS C:" no qoutes then [Enter]. This will rebuild your IO.SYS, COMMAND.COM and MSDOS.SYS on your harddrive. Then try rebooting. If no luck, read on.
You can't extract Win.com as it is created by windows 95 during install.
You can, however, extract a file called Win.cnf and rename it Win.com,
which is what occurs during the windows setup. To extract from CD, 1st
Change Directories to the X:\WIN95> prompt, where X is your CD-ROM's drive
letter. Then type the following:
EXTRACT /A /L C:\Windows WIN95_02.CAB WIN.CNF
You can do this in windows, I think Dos is a better way. Boot and Shutdown
To Real Dos Mode First, configure your system to boot
to DOS: At you Dos Prompt type; ATTRIB -H -S -R -S MSDOS.SYS
Then type: Edit MSDOS.SYS.
In the MSDOS.SYS file, make this changes.
[Options]
BootGUI=0
BootKeys=1
BootMenu=1
LOGO=0
BootDelay=0
After you save and exit EDIT Type ATTRIB +H +S +R +S
Reboot to a new menu.
1) Boot into SAFE MODE, by following these steps:
- Press the F8 key when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message.
- From the Startup menu, choose Safe Mode.
2) Try the Step by Step:
When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key. From
the Startup menu, choose Step-By-Step Confirmation. Step through each command
in the Config.sys and Autoexec.Bat files. Load only one line and see if
the computer starts. If so, restart the computer and load two lines. Continue
until the startup problem returns. Once you have determined which line
is causing the problem, check the syntax of that line
3) Are the protected-mode drivers configured incorrectly or damaged? To determine whether a protected-mode driver is preventing the computer from booting properly, follow these steps:
1.Start Windows 95 in Safe mode.
2.Use the right mouse button to click My Computer, and then click Properties on the menu that appears.
3.On the Device Manager tab, disable any devices in the following categories: Display adapters Floppy disk controllers Hard disk controllers Keyboard Mouse Network adapters PCMCIA socket Ports SCSI controllers Sound, video, and game controllers To disable a device, follow these steps:
a. In Device Manager, double-click the category name, and then double-
click the device.
b. On the General tab, click the Original Configuration (Current) check
box to clear it, and then click OK.
c. Restart your computer.
4.Once Windows 95 restarts, enable the devices you disabled in step
3. Enable the devices in the following order: Com ports Hard disk controllers
Floppy disk controllers Other devices To enable a device, follow these
steps:
a. In Device Manager, double-click the category name, and then double-
click the device.
b. On the General tab, click the Original Configuration (Current) check
box to select it, and then click OK.
c. While the properties for each device are open, click the Resources
tab and make sure there are no conflicts listed in the Conflicting Devices
list.
5.Restart your computer.
If the computer does not boot, restart the computer in Safe mode and disable the last device you enabled. This driver or device may be configured incorrectly or may be damaged
Now you will be able to use the following WIN.COM switches to Troubleshoot with. The following switches are available to start Windows 95 from the command prompt when you need to isolate an error condition:
win [/d:[f] [m] [n] [s] [v] [x]]
The /d: switch is used for troubleshooting when Windows 95 does not
start correctly. The switches in the following table can be
used with the /d: switch.
Switch Description
f Turn off 32-bit disk access if the computer appears to have disk problems, or if Windows 95 stalls. This is equivalent to 32BitDiskAccess=FALSE in SYSTEM.INI.
m Starts Windows 95 in Safe Mode.
n Starts Windows 95 in Safe Mode with Networking.
s Specifies that Windows 95 not use ROM address space between F000:0000 and 1 MB for a break point. Try this if Windows 95 stalls during system startup. This is equivalent to SystemROMBreakPoint=FALSE in SYSTEM.INI.
v Specifies that the ROM routine should handle interrupts from
the hard disk controller. Try this if Windows 95 stalls during
system startup or disk operations. This is equivalent to VirtualHDIRQ=FALSE
in SYSTEM.INI.
x Excludes all of the adapter area from the memory that Windows 95 scans
to find unused space. This is equivalent to
EMMExclude=A000-FFFF in SYSTEM.INI.
We need to look at your memory configuration, here is a batch file that will show a MEM/C only in an edit screen where you can save it to text. copy everything between the lines and paste it to notepad then "Save As" M.BAT. Put it in your root directory and in dos after booting type "M" then touch the [Enter Key]
@ECHO OFF
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MEM /DEBUG > TEMPFILE.$$$
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\EDIT TEMPFILE.$$$
DEL TEMPFILE.$$$
Article ID: Q136337
This article lists troubleshooting tips you can use if your computer stops responding (hangs) or returns an error message (such as a fatal exception error or an invalid VxD error).
This article is meant to provide you with a general strategy for isolating the problem.
MORE INFORMATION
Safe Mode
If Windows 95 does not start, try to start it in Safe mode. To start Windows 95 in Safe mode, press the F8 key when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, and then choose Safe Mode from the Startup menu.
If Windows 95 does not start in Safe mode, see the "Windows 95 Does Not Start in Safe Mode" section below. If Windows 95 starts in Safe mode, see the "Windows 95 Starts in Safe Mode" section below.
Windows 95 Does Not Start in Safe Mode
Any of the following conditions can cause Windows 95 not to start in Safe mode:
* Your computer is infected with a virus. For additional information about computer viruses, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q129972
TITLE : Description of Computer Viruses
* Your computer's CMOS settings are not correct. Check your computer's CMOS settings to make sure they are correct. (You may need to contact the computer manufacturer to verify these settings.) * There is a hardware conflict. These conflicts can include, but are not limited to, PCI BIOS settings, IRQ conflicts, redundant COM ports (for example, two COM1 ports, or an internal modem set to the same COM port as an existing serial port), and defective RAM chips. * A setting in the Msdos.sys file needs to be changed (for example, the Logo setting should be set to zero). For additional information on the Msdos.sys file, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q118579
TITLE : Contents of the Windows 95 Msdos.sys File
* You need to use the Vga.drv or Vga.vxd video drivers from the Windows 95 CD-ROM. These files are located in the Drivers\Display\Vga folder. For example, these drivers may be helpful if you have an Intel Triton PCI controller or a Cirrus Logic 5401 or 5402 VGA video adapter. For more information about these files, please see the Readme.txt file in the same folder. * You are using Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) and your computer stops responding (hangs) after booting to a previous operating system. For information about this issue, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q155364
TITLE : OSR2 Hangs After Booting Previous Operating System
If you still cannot start your computer in Safe mode after checking these items, reinstall Windows 95 in a new, empty folder. This step helps to establish whether the problem is related to a remnant of the previous operating system (such as a configuration setting) or a hardware problem.
Windows 95 Starts in Safe Mode
If Windows 95 starts in Safe mode, step through the startup process to see if any devices fail to load. To do so, restart your computer, press F8 when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, and then choose Step-By-Step Confirmation from the Startup menu.
The following table lists several startup options. The options are labeled Boot A, Boot B, Boot C, and Boot D. Try each option and note your results. To use a boot option, press Y or N as outlined in the option in the table below each time you are prompted whether you want to load a particular device.
Boot A Boot B Boot C Boot D
Boot A:
If Windows 95 does not start under these conditions, try the Boot D option. If Windows 95 starts, there is a problem with a driver or terminate-and-stay-resident program (TSR) loading in the Config.sys or Autoexec.bat file, or there is a problem with a Windows 95 protected-mode driver.
Boot B:
If Windows 95 does not start under these conditions, try the Boot C option. If Windows 95 starts, there is a problem with a driver or TSR loading in the Config.sys, or Autoexec.bat file. You can pinpoint the problem by stepping through these files.
There may also be a problem with a TSR loading in the Winstart.bat file if one is present on your computer. Rename the Winstart.bat file and try the Boot B option again. The Winstart.bat file is usually located in the Windows folder, and is used to load TSRs that are required for Windows- based programs, but are not needed in MS-DOS sessions.
For information about how to rename a file, click Start, click Help, click the Index tab, type "renaming" (without quotation marks), and then double-click the "Renaming files" topic.
Boot C:
If Windows 95 does not start under these conditions, try the Boot D option. If Windows 95 starts, there is a problem with a Windows 95 protected-mode driver. For more information about these problems, see the "Troubleshooting Protected-Mode Driver Problems" section of this article.
Boot D:
If Windows 95 does not start under these conditions, try the steps in the "System.ini" section below. If Windows 95 starts, there is a problem with the system registry. For information about restoring the registry, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q131431 TITLE : How to Troubleshoot Registry Errors
System.ini:
To determine whether the System.ini or Win.ini file is causing a problem, try the following steps:
1. Rename the System.ini file in the Windows folder to System.sav.
2. Copy (do not rename) the System.cb file in the Windows folder to System.ini.
3. Add the following line to the [boot] section of the System.ini file and then save the file:
drivers=mmsystem.dll
4. Rename the Win.ini file in the Windows folder to Win.sav.
5. Restart your computer.
If this works, there is a problem with an entry in the System.ini or Win.ini file. Examine these files more closely to determine the exact cause of the problem.
If Windows 95 does not start when you step through the boot process, start your computer in Safe mode, and then change the video driver to the standard VGA driver.
NOTE: When you copy the System.cb file to System.ini, your mouse may stop working. If this occurs, add the following lines to the appropriate sections of the new System.ini file:
[boot] mouse.drv=mouse.drv
-and-
[386Enh] mouse=*vmouse, msmouse.vxd
For additional information about troubleshooting startup problems using Safe mode, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q156126 TITLE : Troubleshooting Windows 95 Using Safe Mode
Troubleshooting Protected-Mode Driver Problems
If Windows 95 starts only when you press N at the Load All Windows Drivers? prompt, try the following steps:
1. Start Windows 95 in Safe mode.
2. Use the right mouse button to click My Computer, and then click Properties on the menu that appears.
3. On the Device Manager tab, disable any devices in the following categories:
Display adapters Floppy disk controllers Hard disk controllers Keyboard Mouse Network adapters PCMCIA socket Ports SCSI controllers Sound, video, and game controllers
To disable a device, follow these steps:
a. In Device Manager, double-click the category name, and then double- click the device.
b. On the General tab, click the Original Configuration (Current) check box to clear it, and then click OK.
c. Restart your computer.
NOTE: If Windows 95 does not start, go to the "System.ini" section of this article.
4. Once Windows 95 restarts, enable the devices you disabled in step 3. Enable the devices in the following order:
- Com ports - Hard disk controllers - Floppy disk controllers - Other devices
To enable a device, follow these steps:
a. In Device Manager, double-click the category name, and then double-
click the device.
b. On the General tab, click the Original Configuration (Current) check
box to select it, and then click OK.
c. While the properties for each device are open, click the Resources
tab and make sure there are no conflicts listed in the Conflicting Devices list.
5. Restart your computer.
Additional Notes
For information about known hardware issues, please see the Hardware.txt file in the Windows folder on your hard disk.
For additional troubleshooting assistance, check the Bootlog.txt file in the root directory on your hard disk. This file lists the loading status of all real-mode and protected-mode drivers. If Windows 95 does not start, 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.
Phase 1: Hardware phase
Power supply stabilizes voltages, asserts Power Good line to mobo CPU rolls; hds, fans and some other devices initialize themselves
Phase 2: BIOS hardware phase
BIOS initializes, checks crucial hardware, checks CMOS checksum Searches
UMBs for ROM signatures, passes control to init (VGA splash) Loads chipset
settings, sizes/checks RAM, builds equipment list (POST) BIOS splash screen
displayed PnP extension queries and activates devices, checks ESCD data
PnP-identified devices explained If changes, ESCD data is rebuilt (Updating
ESCD...) Checks "advanced" CMOS for boot device test order Tests each device
for boot signature end of 1st sector
If finds boot signature, loads that sector and jumps into it Else jumps
to IBM cassette BASIC or "No ROM BASIC" etc.
Phase 3: Master Boot Record phase
It is at this point that EZIDE, Disk Manager, some viruses etc. run If diskette, boot sector loads OS however it chooses; IO.sys etc. If hd, partition table's 4 entries checked for marker with bit 7 set Error if no active partition found Else active partition table entry consulted for start address Check for boot sector marker at end 1st sector of partition Error if not found Else jumps into 1st sector of partition
Phase 4: Operating system phase
From here on, what happens depends on the operating system It is at
this point the other "pre-file" viruses run Case of successfully-installed
Win95 will be described Partition loader loads IO.sys; "Windows 95 is loading..."
Win95's IO.sys will interpret MSDOS.sys settings, act accordingly If no
Fn keystroke or bad exit to the contrary, interprets Config.sys Initial
interpretation of registry (*** here or where?)
If no DOS=NoAuto, will set and load Win95 auto defaults as per:
LastDriveHigh
FilesHigh
BuffersHigh
StacksHigh
FCBSHigh
DOS=UMB,High (NB if Single, UMB only possible if Emm386 loads)
Set Prompt=$p$g (*** here or earlier?)
Set Path={winbasedir};{winbasedir}\Command (*** here or earlier?)
Device={winbasedir}\HiMem.sys
DeviceHigh={winbasedir}\IFSHlp.sys
DeviceHigh={winbasedir}\SetVer.exe
Rest of Config.sys interpreted
Check for C:\AutoExec.bat; if exists, Command.com loaded to interpret
If no DOS=Single (Config.sys) or BootGUI=0 (MSDOS.sys), Win.com loads
(*** from this point on, exact order of events unclear; ### waypoints)
Win.com displays {winbasedir}\Logo.sys (*** here or earlier?) (###)
Registry drivers, PnP etc. loaded
System.ini drivers etc. loaded
Desktop paints in, mouse pointer; Task Manager is clickable (###)
Logon dialog appears, if appropriate (###)
0th instance Explorer launches, desktop icons, Desktop clickable (###)
Registry Run, RunOnce, RunServices, RunServicesOnce interpreted
Win.ini Run= and Load= interpreted
"Welcome to Windows" dialog launched, unless suppressed (###)
{start menu}\StartUp group items launched
At this point, boot process is complete.
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q174/0/18.asp
The Windows 95 startup process can be broken into the following
steps:
* The read-only memory (ROM) Basic Input-Output (BIOS) bootstrap
process
* The master boot record (MBR) and boot sector
* The Io.sys file
* Real-mode configuration
* The Win.com file and the Windows 95 Environment
Step 1 - The ROM BIOS Bootstrap Process
When you start your computer, the ROM BIOS bootstrap loads from the FFFF0h memory address. The following steps occur during the ROM BIOS bootstrap process:
1. The Power On Self-Test (POST) occurs.
2. The A drive is checked for the existence of a boot disk.
3. If a boot disk is not found in the A drive, the ROM BIOS bootstrap checks for a hard disk. If a hard disk is found, the ROM loader transfers control to the operating system loader.
4. The master boot record and partition table are read.
Microsoft and several original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have defined a Plug and Play BIOS specification. This specification defines the interactions between the Plug and Play BIOS, Plug and Play devices, and option ROMs. If your computer has a Plug and Play BIOS, the following additional steps are performed:
1. The Plug and Play BIOS checks non-volatile random access memory (RAM)
for input/output (I/O) port addresses, interrupt
request lines (IRQs), direct memory access (DMA) channels, and other
settings needed to configure Plug and Play devices on
the computer.
2. All Plug and Play devices found by the Plug and Play BIOS are disabled.
3. A map of used and unused resources is created.
4. The Plug and Play devices are configured and re-enabled, one at a time.
Windows 95 Configuration Manager queries the Plug and Play BIOS for device information, and then queries each Plug and Play device for its configuration.
If your computer does not have a Plug and Play BIOS, Plug and Play devices are initialized using their default settings when you start your computer. These devices may be reconfigured dynamically when Windows 95 starts.
Step 2 - The Master Boot Record and Boot Sector
-----------------------------------------------
The master boot record determines the location of the boot partition
by reading the partition table located at the end of the
master boot record. Once the location of the boot partition is determined,
the master boot record passes control to the boot
sector in that partition. The boot sector contains the disk boot program
and a table of disk characteristics. The boot sector checks
the BIOS Parameter Block (BPB) to find the location of the root directory,
and then copies the Io.sys file from the root directory
into memory.
Step 3 - The Io.sys File
The following steps occur when the Io.sys file loads into memory:
1. A minimal file allocation table (FAT) file system is loaded.
2. The Msdos.sys file is read.
3. The "Starting Windows 95" message is displayed for <n> seconds,
or until you press a Windows 95 function key. The
amount of time the message is displayed is determined by the BootDelay=<n>
line in the Msdos.sys file. The default is 2
seconds.
4. If you have multiple hardware profiles in Windows 95, you receive
the following message and must choose a hardware
configuration to use: Windows cannot determine what configuration your
computer is in.
5. The Logo.sys file is loaded and displays a startup image on the screen.
6. If the Drvspace.ini or Dblspace.ini file exists, the Drvspace.bin or Dblspace.bin file is loaded into memory.
7. The Io.sys file checks the system registry files (System.dat and User.day) for valid data.
8. The Io.sys file opens the System.dat file. If the System.dat file
is not found, the System.da0 file is used for startup. If
Windows 95 starts sucessfully, the System.da0 file is copied to the
System.dat file.
9. The Dblbuff.sys file is loaded if the "DoubleBuffer=1" is in the
Msdos.sys file, or if double buffering is enabled under
the following registry key:
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\WinBoot\DoubleBuffer
Windows 95 Setup automatically enables double buffering if it detects that it is required.
10. If you have multiple hardware profiles in Windows 95, the hardware profile you chose is loaded from the registry.
11. The Io.sys file processes the Config.sys file.
Step 4 - Real-Mode Configuration
Some hardware devices and programs require that drivers or files be loaded in real-mode in order for them to work properly. To ensure backwards compatibility with these types of hardware devices or programs, Windows 95 processes the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files if they exist.
1. The Config.sys file loads drivers into memory. If the Config.sys file does not exist, the Io.sys file loads the following required drivers:
- Ifshlp.sys
- Himem.sys
- Setver.exe
The Io.sys file obtains the location of these files from the "WinBootDir=" line of the Msdos.sys file. These files must reside on the hard disk.
2. Windows 95 reserves all global upper memory blocks (UMBs) for Windows 95 operating system use or for expanded memory support (EMS).
3. The Autoexec.bat file loads files and terminate and stay resident (TSR) programs into memory.
Step 5 - The Win.com File and the Windows 95 Environment
1. After the Autoexec.bat file is processed, the Win.com file is run.
2. The Win.com file accesses the Vmm32.vxd file. If there is
enough available RAM, the Vmm32.vxd file loads into memory,
otherwise, it is accessed from the hard disk. This may result in a
slower startup time. The Vmm32.vxd file is similar to the Win386.exe file
used in earlier versions of Windows.
3. The real-mode virtual device driver loader checks for duplicate virtual device drivers (VxDs) in the Windows\System\Vmm32 folder and the Vmm32.vxd file. If a VxD exists in both the Windows\System\Vmm32 folder and the Vmm32.vxd file, the duplicate VxD is "marked" in the Vmm32.vxd file so that it is not loaded.
4. Real-mode VxDs can be loaded into memory in any of the following ways:
- Real-mode device drivers or TSRs that respond to the Windows 95 INT2F broadcast load their embedded VxDs when Windows 95 starts.
- Drivers internal to the Vmm32.vxd file that are not "marked" are loaded from the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD
If the real-mode virtual device driver loader finds a "marked" driver,
it changes its registry entry from a VxD (a driver preceded
with an asterix "*") to a file with a .vxd extension so that the external
driver is found in the Windows\System\Vmm32 folder. When the external driver
is found, it is loaded into memory.
- VxDs that are not already loaded by the Vmm32.vxd file are loaded from the [386 Enh] section of the Windows\System.ini file.
- Some VxDs are required for Windows 95 to run properly. These required VxDs are loaded automatically and do not require a registry entry. The following VxDs are required by Windows 95:
*BIOSXLAT *CONFIGMG *DYNAPAGE
*DOSMGR *EBIOS
*IFSMGR
*INT13 *IOS
*PAGESWAP
*SHELL *V86MMGR
*VCD
*VCACHE *VCOMM
*VCOND
*VDD *VDMAD
*VFAT
*VKD *VMCPD
*VPICD
*VTD *VTDAPI
*VWIN32
*VXDLDR
5. The real-mode virtual device driver loader checks that all required VxDs loaded sucessfully. If not, it attempts to load the drivers again.
6. Once the real-mode virtual device driver loading is logged, driver initialization occurs. If there are any VxDs that require real-mode initialization, they begin their process in real-mode.
7. Vmm32 switches the computer's processor from real-mode to protected- mode.
8. A three-phase VxD initialization process occurs in which the drivers are loaded according to their InitDevice instead of the order in which they are loaded into memory. The VxDs are carried out in the following sequence:
a. SYS_CRITICAL_INIT (SYSCRITINIT):
Interrupts are disabled during this phase. This gives VxDs time to prepare for device initialization without being interrupted by the system. No file I/O is allowed during SYSCRITINIT, so all SYSCRITINITs are not written to the Bootlog.txt file until after SYSCRITINIT is complete for all VxDs.
b. SYS_DEVICE_INIT (DEVICEINIT)
The bulk of the VxD initialization takes place during this phase. File I/O is allowed during DEVICEINIT, so each VxD's DEVICEINIT is logged as it occurs. The one exception is during Ifsmgr's DEVICEINIT. Ifsmgr takes over the real-mode file system, and disk I/O is not allowed until Ifsmgr's DEVICEINIT succeeds. For this reason, Ifsmgr does not appear in the DEVICEINIT phase.
When a DevLoader VxD is called, it loads other drivers it is responsible for, regardless of their InitDevice order. The DevLoader examines the Registry and finds drivers (for example, portdrivers [such as.mpd files]) and any associated support drivers. It then initializes the device associated with these drivers. During this phase, if a VxD failed to initialize, it was unable to properly communicate with the hardware or service it drives. Typically, this is due to incorrect hardware settings or the service not being installed.
The remaining static VxDs continue with the initialization phase. Also, dynamic VxDs may begin initializing during this phase. They do not have a SYSCRITINIT phase. However, a dynamic VxD may also load anytime after Windows 95 has started.
c. SYS_INIT_COMPLETE (INITCOMPLETE)
VxDs that successfully pass the InitComplete phase should be working properly. If a VxD was listed in one of the previous phases but is not successful in this phase, that VxD is unloaded from memory.
GUI Components:
After all the static VxDs are loaded, the Krnl32.dll, Gdi.exe, User.exe, and Explorer.exe (the default Windows 95 shell) files are loaded.
Network Environment and Multi-User Profiles:
The next step in the startup process is to load the network environment. Once this occurs, the user is prompted to log on to the network that is installed.
Windows 95 allows multiple users to save their custom desktop settings. When a user logs on to Windows 95, their desktop settings are loaded from the registry. If the user does not log on, the desktop configuration uses a default desktop.
StartUp Group and RunOnce Programs:
Programs in the StartUp group and the RunOnce registry key are run during the last phase of the startup process. After each program in the RunOnce registry key is started, the program is removed from the key.
Before you upgrade your existing version of Windows or Windows for Workgroups to Windows 95, you should perform the following steps:
Make sure that your computer is not infected with a virus. To do so, run an anti-virus program with the latest virus signatures and allow the program to remove any viruses that it finds. Close any programs that run automatically, including anti-virus programs, screen savers, and third-party memory managers and shells. Back up all critical data on your hard disk. While it is unlikely that you will encounter a serious problem installing Windows 95, it is always a good idea to perform a complete system backup before installing a new operating system. When you upgrade your computer's operating system, it is possible that an error could occur (such as a problem due to incompatible hardware or a power failure) that could temporarily or permanently prevent access to the data on your hard disk. Make sure that any network software installed on your computer is functioning properly. The settings from your existing network configuration may not be successfully transferred to Windows 95 if the network software is not functioning properly.
Installing Windows 95
After performing the steps in the previous section, install Windows 95 on your computer by following these steps:
1.Insert the Windows 95 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive, or insert Windows 95 disk 1 in the appropriate floppy disk drive.
2.In File Manager or Program Manager, click Run on the File menu.
3.In the Command Line box, type the following line and then click OK
<drive>:\setup.exe
where <drive> is the drive letter of the CD-ROM drive or the floppy disk drive containing Windows 95 disk 1.
4.Follow the instructions on the screen.
If you are installing Windows 95 from a command prompt, follow these steps:
1.Insert the Windows 95 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive, or insert Windows 95 disk 1 in the appropriate floppy disk drive.
2.Change to the drive containing the Windows 95 CD-ROM or Windows 95 disk 1, type the following line, and then press ENTER:
setup
NOTE: If you are upgrading Windows or Windows for Workgroups version 3.1 or later, you should run Setup from your existing installation of Windows or Windows for Workgroups. If you are upgrading Windows version 3.0, you must run Setup from a command prompt.
Get "WW1247.EXE" From, ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/Softlib/MSLFILES/
This application performs a Pre-Installation Systems check on your computer.
It does not install or write to your computer. It is intended only for
Win95 compatibility.
Last reviewed: January 31, 1996
Article ID: Q143283 The information in this article applies to:
SYMPTOMS
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
This behavior can occur if Windows 95 was unable to delete the Wnbootng.sts file in the Windows folder the last time you started Windows 95. This file is created each time you start Windows 95, and is deleted after Windows 95 starts successfully.
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
Use Windows Explorer or My Computer to delete the Wnbootng.sts file in the Windows folder, and then restart your computer.
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.
1.Type the following lines at a command prompt, pressing ENTER after each line
attrib -s -h -r <drive>:\io.sys
ren <drive>:\io.sys <drive>:\io.xxx
where <drive> 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 <drive>:
where <drive> is your computer's physical boot disk.
4.Remove the Startup disk and then restart Windows 95.
=========================
1) Check with decent antivirus packet, if you have a virus. Many boot-viruses have tendence to really screw things. :) 2) Boot to Command prompt and run Scandisk (or from Safe Mode) 3) Check BIOS setup, what mode your HDD(s) is/are detected (Normal, Large, LBA, CHS, ECHS ...)
If everythings seems OK, no virus, HDD clean from errors, HD more than
504MB is in LBA mode then reinstall Win95 with command:
SETUP /p f
This will clean your registry files (SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT) from
broken entries. If you don't care about installed programs and ready to
reinstall them you can issue command:
SETUP /d /p f
You need to run it from DOS.
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.
This behavior can occur if Windows 95 was unable to delete the Wnbootng.sts
file in the Windows folder the last time you started Windows 95. This file
is created each
time you start Windows 95, and is deleted after Windows 95 starts successfully.
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.
Use Windows Explorer or My Computer to delete the Wnbootng.sts file in the Windows folder, and then restart your computer.
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.
1.Type the following lines at a command prompt, pressing ENTER after each line
attrib -s -h -r <drive>:\io.sys
ren <drive>:\io.sys <drive>:\io.xxx
where <drive> 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 <drive>:
where <drive> is your computer's physical boot disk.
4.Remove the Startup disk and then restart Windows 95.
Observe the warning please: Make a copy of your System.ini before you make this change and save it to a floppy disk.
Otherwise, windows needs memory for startup. This gives it a real boost in some situations.
1st. Look in your system.ini for
[386Enh]
LocalLoadHigh=1
Warning: this may cause unpredictable results if you are not using
the EMM386 memory manager or if you're using a compressed drive. Remove
DoubleSpace/DriveSpace from memory: If it is not there add that line, reboot.
That should fix it. See that LocalLoadHigh=1 is or is not in you MSDOS.sys.
If it is, remove it.
Then step 2
Is there a conflict in the Config.sys or Autoexec.bat file?
When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key. From the Startup menu, choose Step-By-Step Confirmation. Step through each command in the Config.sys and Autoexec.Bat files. Load only one line and see if the computer starts. If so, restart the computer and load two lines. Continue until the startup problem returns.
Step 3.
Are the protected-mode drivers configured incorrectly or damaged?
To determine whether a protected-mode driver is preventing the computer from booting properly, follow these steps:
1.Start Windows 95 in Safe mode.
2.Use the right mouse button to click My Computer, and then click Properties
on the menu that appears.
3.On the Device Manager tab, disable any devices in the following categories:
Display adapters Floppy disk controllers Hard disk controllers Keyboard
Mouse Network adapters PCMCIA socket Ports SCSI controllers Sound, video,
and game controllers To disable a device, follow these steps:
a. In Device Manager, double-click the category
name, and then double- click the device.
b. On the General tab, click the Original Configuration
(Current) check box to clear it, and then click OK.
c. Restart your computer.
4.Once Windows 95 restarts, enable the devices you disabled in step
3. Enable the devices in the following order: Com ports Hard disk controllers
Floppy disk controllers Other devices To enable a device, follow these
steps:
a. In Device Manager, double-click the category
name, and then double- click the device.
. On the General tab, click the Original Configuration
(Current) check box to select it, and then click OK.
c. While the properties for each device are open,
click the Resources tab and make sure there are no conflicts listed in
the conflicting Devices list.
5.Restart your computer.
If the computer does not boot, restart the computer in Safe mode and disable the last device you enabled.
Step 4.
Startup Group: Drag all application Icons from your Start up group
to your Desktop temporarily.
Step 5.
Is your video adapter or driver compatible and working properly? If
the computer will boot in Safe mode, change your video display driver to
the Windows 95 Standard VGA driver. To do this, follow these steps:
1.In Control Panel, double-click Display.
2.Click the Settings tab, and then click Change Display Type.
3.Click the Change button in the Adapter Type section, and then click
Show All Devices.
4.In the Manufacturers box, click (Standard Display Types).
5.In the Models box, click Standard Display Adapter (VGA), click OK,
and then click Close.
6.Click Close.
If the computer will not boot in Safe mode, or these steps do not work properly, your display adapter may not be configured correctly or may be damanged. Check your display adapter documentation to ensure it is configured and installed correctly.
Step 5.
Registry
Step 6.
Are the entries in the Windows .ini files correct?
To determine whether the System.ini or Win.ini file is causing a problem, try the following steps:
1.Rename the System.ini file in the Windows folder to System.sav.
2.Copy (do not rename) the System.cb file in the Windows folder to
System.ini.
3.Add the following line to the [boot] section of the System.ini file
and then save the file: drivers=mmsystem.dll
4.Rename the Win.ini file in the Windows folder to Win.sav.
5.Restart your computer.
If this works, there is a problem with an entry in the System.ini or Win.ini file. Examine these files more closely to determine the exact cause of the problem.
Step 7.
Is there a Winstart.bat file loading TSRs for your older Windows-based
programs?
A Winstart.bat file may be located in your Windows folder. If it exists, rename it to Winstart.old. If this resolves the problem, one of the files being loaded by the Winstart.bat file is causing the problem. Contact the manufacturer of the program that is causing the problem for information about using it with Windows 95.
Step 8.
FAQ's
http://support.microsoft.com/support/windows/faq/default.asp?PR=OFW&FR
=0&A=T&T=B&M=S&
Step 9.
FAQ's
Windows 95 How-To Guide on optimizing Win95;
http://support.microsoft.com/support/windows/howto/default.asp?PR=OFW&
FR=0&A=T&T=B&M=S&
In order to run scandisk, you should have a file titled scandskw.exe on the "C" drive or wherever Windows 95 is installed. You should find it in C:\Windows. If it's there, then check to make sure the file is not damaged.
Click Start, Programs, Msdos prompt at the prompt type:
start scandskw It should look like this:
C:\Windows> start scandskw
If this or the library file disk maintenance file that it needs is
damaged it will return an error telling you what's missing. Both scandskw
and dskmaint.dll can be extracted from the windows 95 or Plus cd rom. Modify
your MSDOS.SYS to make the AUTOSCAN=0 If you don't know how to do that
please let me know and I'll give you a step by step through it. To modify
this default behavior, the following new settings have been defined for
the [Options] section of the Msdos.sys file:
- AUTOSCAN=0
This turns the new feature off completely. The kernel does not check
the Clean Shutdown and Hard Disk Error bits, and ScanDisk is not started.
- AUTOSCAN=1
This is the default behavior described above.
- AUTOSCAN=2
This is the same as the default behavior, but no error message is displayed
before ScanDisk is started. ScanDisk starts with no prompt. See: http://www.annamaria.net/tools/scandisk.htm
Extract a new Win.com You can't extract Win.com as it is created by
windows 95 during install. You can, however, extract a file called Win.cnf
and rename it Win.com, which is what occurs during the windows setup. To
extract from CD, 1st Change Directories to the X:\WIN95> prompt, where
X is your CD-ROM's drive letter. Then type the following:
EXTRACT /A /L C:\Windows PRECOPY1.CAB WIN.CNF
I don't know if you ever tried this but for future reference here's an option to try before reloading. Boot into safe mode and delete everything you can under device manager. If there are duplicate entries they can cause protection errors. Then boot into normal mode and run the hardware installation wizard. You won't be able to load very many things until the primary IDE controlers are loaded but once they are you should be able to load all of the device drivers. I've had this work many times.
If no luck here see: Misc problems & windows
protection errors