win95 or 98 installation

[looney44]

Old hard drive bombed. Installed a Western Digatal 6.4. Cannot get 95 or 98 to boot. Have got both installed on several occasions but, it won't boot up. Sometimes it will show the Windows screen and look like it is coming up, but will then lock up. Several times it shows VFAT Initialization Failed, system halted. I have partioned it in both FAT16 and FAT32 in several different partitions sizes. The last time in FAT32 I used 3 partitions of equal size. I have had 2 friends who are very good with computers take a shot a fixing it, but both are stumped by the VFAT message. I am ready to take a sledge hammer to it!! Help me please...

[CMonster]

OKAY - You hold the drive and I'll swing the hammer! Were you hoping for a disk doctor in the house? It sounds like you have already Fdisked and reformatted, if not then do it again and include fdisk /mbr

having done that if it doesn't allow install of Windows then it is time for either a RMA or the hammer.

[reboot]

Check out winreviews.com and see what they have to say about WD HD's! JUNK! Take it back and get anything else. Even a cheap Samsung will give you better results.
BTW, are you sure you have the jumpers set right? Might think it's a slave, and not allow boot even though the OS is there.
Cheers, Jim

[Bleeding Edge]

Sounds like you installed 95/98 over previous/same versions. You should have FDISK/REFORMATed.

Here.

This tells you what's going on.

I'm getting tired of this folks.



Error Message: VFAT Device Initialization Failed
The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft Windows 95
Microsoft Windows 98


SYMPTOMS
When you start Windows, you may receive the following error message on a blue screen:


VFAT Device Initialization Failed

A device or resource required by VFAT is not present or is unavailable. VFAT
cannot continue loading.

System halted.

CAUSE
This error message can occur when any one of the following conditions exists:

* The Ifshlp.sys file is missing from the Windows folder.

* The Config.sys file contains a line pointing to a previous version of the

Ifshlp.sys file.

* The following Ifshlp.sys statement was deleted from the Config.sys file after
reinstalling Windows:

DEVICE=<DRIVE>:\<WINDOWS>\IFSHLP.SYS

where <drive> is the drive containing Windows and <windows> is the
Windows folder. For example, if Windows is installed in the WINDOWS folder on
drive C, the line will read:

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS


* The [Paths] section in the Msdos.sys file is incorrect.
* A Winboot.ini file from a previous incomplete installation is present in the

root folder of the boot disk.


RESOLUTION
To resolve the problem, use the method in the appropriate section below.

IFSHLP.SYS FILE MISSING FROM WINDOWS FOLDER

If the Ifshlp.sys file is missing from the Windows folder, extract a new copy of the file from your original Windows disks or CD-ROM to the Windows folder.

For information about using the Extract tool, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:


ARTICLE-ID: Q129605
TITLE : How to Extract Original Compressed Windows Files

CONFIG.SYS FILE POINTS TO PREVIOUS VERSION OF IFSHLP.SYS FILE
1. Restart your computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press

the F8 key, and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only from the Startup
menu.

For Windows 98, restart your computer, press and hold down the CTRL key after
your computer completes the Power On Self Test (POST), and then choose Safe
Mode Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu.

2. Use any text editor (such as Edit.com) to open the Config.sys file.
3. Remove the line that loads Ifshlp.sys. (Windows automatically loads this

driver when you start your computer.)

4. Save and then close the Config.sys file.
5. Restart your computer.

Ifshlp.sys statement was deleted from the Config.sys file after

REINSTALLING WINDOWS

When reinstalling Windows, Setup will delete the Ifshlp.sys statement in the Config.sys file and not replace it. To add the Ifshlp.sys statement back to the Config.sys file, follow these steps:

1. Restart your computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press

the F8 key, and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only from the Startup
menu.

For Windows 98, restart your computer, press and hold down the CTRL key after
your computer completes the Power On Self Test (POST), and then choose Safe
Mode Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu.

2. Use any text editor (such as Edit.com) to open the Config.sys file.
3. Add the following line to the Config.sys file:


DEVICE=<DRIVE>:\<WINDOWS>\IFSHLP.SYS

where <drive> is the drive containing Windows and <windows> is the
Windows folder. For example, if Windows is installed in the WINDOWS folder on
drive C, add the following line:

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS


4. Save and then close the Config.sys file.
5. Restart your computer.

INCORRECT [PATHS] SECTION IN MSDOS.SYS FILE

1. Restart your computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press

the F8 key, and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only from the Startup
menu.

For Windows 98, restart your computer, press and hold down the CTRL key after
your computer completes the Power On Self Test (POST), and then choose Safe
Mode Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu.

2. Type the following line at the command prompt:

" attrib -s -h -r msdos.sys " (without the quotation marks)

3. Use any text editor (such as Edit.com) to open the Msdos.sys file.
4. Verify that the following lines in the Msdos.sys file are correct


[Paths]
WinDir=<Windows>
WinBootDir=<Windows>
HostWinBootDrv=C

where <Windows> is the folder containing Windows. Note that if you are
using disk compression software (such as DriveSpace), you must change the
drive letter in the "HostWinBootDrv=" line to the drive letter of the host
drive.

5. Save and then close the Msdos.sys file.
6. Type the following line at the command prompt:


" attrib +s +h +r msdos.sys " (without the quotation marks)

7. Restart your computer.

WINBOOT.INI FILE PRESENT IN ROOT FOLDER OF BOOT DRIVE

1. Restart your computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press

the F8 key, and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only from the Startup
menu.

For Windows 98, restart your computer, press and hold down the CTRL key after
your computer completes the Power On Self Test (POST), and then choose Safe
Mode Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu.

2. Delete the Winboot.ini file in the root folder of the boot drive by typing
"deltree winboot.ini" (without quotation marks), and then press. ENTER.

3. Restart your computer.


[This message has been edited by Bleeding Edge (edited 03-23-99).]