windows 98se start up problem

[palomino]

I have Windows 98 SE installed on my ancient Compaq PC 100 (yes they still exist!) and it was working just fine until yesterday. I was working in Internet Explorer and got hung up. I could not restart using ctrl /alt / delete, so as usual, I turned the power off to reboot but on re-booting, as always, the scandisk came on. Since I was in a hurry, I pressed "x" / exit to get out of scan disk and continue opening windows but, after the initial Windows start up screen all I got was a black screen with the flwg error msg and the DOS command prompt.

The following file is missing or corrupted c:\windows\system\cpqidecd.sys
There is an error in the config.sys file on line 4
File vmm32.vxd may be missing or corrupted, this is required to open Windows.
If this is not in your PATH you may have to reinstall Windows.

Line 4 of my config.sys file is devicehigh=c:\windows\system\cpqidecd.sys /d:idecd001

I later noticed that my kids had left a Math Rabbit educational CD in the CD ROM tray. I do not want to reload windows if I can avoid it as I do not want to lose my data and re-load all the software which did not come with the PC, as I do not have some of these disks anymore. I have searched for the vmm32.vxd file but it looks like it does not exist on my hard drive (wonder why ? as I did not delete it). I have the Compaq restore CD but contrary to the instructions that came with it, does not give me an option of a "custom restore".
Can anyone out suggest a solution that is simple and does not involve rebuilding the vmm32.vxd file ?

[FijiJohn]

Usually, you can simply "re-install" Windows 98 right over the existing install and you will lose nothing. Needless to say, it is a REALLY good idea to back up the entire drive first. Do NOT format, just boot with the Windows 98 CD (or the Win98 startup floppy, then put the CD in and type "setup"). Do NOT use a Compaq "Restore" CD as that can be very different (i.e., it can erase your hard drive and replace the contents with an image file returning th HD contents to the way it originally was purchased.) I have done this dozens of times (mostly for high school lab machines trashed by students) and the applications and documents in the My Documents folder are untouched.

[TempTunz]

System File Checker should replace those files for you.
Go to Start > Run and type in sfc
Have your Windows disk ready.

[naptownman]

Be careful using a restore disc because they often start with a format and then load the OS and the drivers and pre-installed software. It'd be best if you could get your hands on an original Win98 SE disc or and upgrade disc to re-install with.

Opps! Didn't mean to be redundant as I've now seen where FijiJohn has basically said the same thing. GMTA?

[palomino]

Usually, you can simply "re-install" Windows 98 right over the existing install and you will lose nothing. Needless to say, it is a REALLY good idea to back up the entire drive first. Do NOT format, just boot with the Windows 98 CD (or the Win98 startup floppy, then put the CD in and type "setup"). Do NOT use a Compaq "Restore" CD as that can be very different (i.e., it can erase your hard drive and replace the contents with an image file returning th HD contents to the way it originally was purchased.) I have done this dozens of times (mostly for high school lab machines trashed by students) and the applications and documents in the My Documents folder are untouched.

Thanks for your reply which gave me a lot of hope.
Tried to reinstall Windows 98 by staring in DOS safe mode ( cannot start windows in safe mode - get a msg saying vmm32.vxd is required to open Windows etc. )
and typing c:\ windows\options\cabs and then typing setup / iw / is but soon after getting to the start up screen and copying reqd files (100 %) get this msg -

Your computer already has an operating system installed, which cannot be upgraded by this version of setup. You need to obtain the Windows 98 upgrade.
Meassage SU 0168.

My computer came with Windows 98 SE installed which I kept upgraded / updated through the microsoft web site by downloading updates. Can you suggest a solution or send me a link for another setup file to fix the OS ? I did not get a Windows 98 SE disk with my PC when I bought it, just the Compaq Quick Restore disk. Thanks again.

[TempTunz]

Hmmm...I guess it's kinda tough running SFC if Windows won't boot. Sorry 'bout that.

There are other ways of replacing these files.
Get yourself a Win98se oem bootdisk at www.bootdisk.com. It will boot you to a DOS prompt and provide you with some tools which may be helpful.

Download cpqidecd.sys and copy it to C:\Windows\System

http://www.cdrom-drivers.com/drivers/16/16054.htm

The VMM32.VXD file is not so easy to replace because it is actually a cab folder full of device drivers which Windows custom builds with each installations. You can get clear instructions on how to repair this file here:

http://www.easydesksoftware.com/news/news10.htm

[FijiJohn]

There is an easy way around the message "Your computer already has an operating system installed, which cannot be upgraded by this version of setup. You need to obtain the Windows 98 upgrade." (Kinda stupid that the FULL version won't work - only the upgrade version.) Boot to the DOS prompt with a startup floppy, change to C drive, change directory to C:\ Windows, rename the winver.exe to something like "winver.old" (type "ren winver.exe winver.old") and also rename win.com to something like win.old -- that will keep Windows from giving you that silly message.

[palomino]

Back now after being overseas for nearly a whole year and thought I would get this dinosaur Compaq 100C sorted started again. Had a friend rebuild the vmm32.vxd file as suggested by TempTunz but on booting up got the flwg error msg - "an I/O subsystem driver failed to load. Either a file in the .\iosubsys sub directory is corrupt or the system is low on memory."
Anyway to cut a long story short, got hold of a W98 SE CDs and loaded the OS again. Now I can boot up in safe mode and can see all my icons, applications and docs but cannot boot up in normal mode. See this error nessage just before the machine shuts down - "Error loading lmouse.drv. You must reinstall windows" I have reinstalled the OS twice using the same W 98 SE installation CD as well with another CD with the same result. Don't want to lose my applications and data files. Anyone have any idea what is the problem ?

[druggas]

How about scanreg /restore?

[rwest]

I think I remember Norton 2000 as having a utility that could repair the registry for 95/98. That is if you could find it.

[palomino]

Forgot to mention that had already run scanreg and it confirmed that the registry is good. Also on each occasion that I reinstalled W 98, during the file copying process, I got the error msg that file d3dim.dll could not be found / copied and I had no choice but to skip copying this file to continue with the install.

[Ol'Tunzafun]

Start by downloading d3dim.dll from this site:

http://www.dlldump.com/download-dll-files_new.php/dllfiles/D/d3dim.dll/5.1.2600.0/download.html

and copy it to C:\Windows\System

[palomino]

Thanks a whole bunch! I have now copied this file and also the vmouse.drv (found it on my Compaq restore CD) to my PC and it now boots up ok in normal mode.
I see some of my shortcuts on the desk to but not all of them, although I can see all my applications when I go to "programs" from the start" button.
Many of these programs fail to launch due to missing dll files and the MS Office 2000 applications give the flwg error "The Managed Software installer failed
to the program associated with this file. Please contact your system administator"
Also unable to connect to the internet via the dial up modem. Get Error 645 " The Microsoft Dial up Adapter is not installed or not responding properly.
In the Network section of control panel, remove the driver and add it again." No luck even after doing this. Any suggestions ?

[Sterling_Aug]

Your Windows is hosed too bad to try copying individual files.

Time to do a Windows Repair install and get everything fixed at the same time.

[palomino]

How do I do a repair install ? I just re-installed Windows 98 and am getting all these errors afterwards. Fyi sfc did not uncover anything wrong with the system files. Thanks

[Sterling_Aug]

Sorry, Windows 98 did not have a repair install feature.

You could either reinstall Windows 98 from scratch with a drive format to clean everything up or you can buy a Windows 2000 CD and upgrade to a newer OS on this computer. You should still be able to find drivers for Win2K.

If you do not want to buy Win2K, then you may be surprised how well Ubuntu Linux runs on that "ancient" PC.

http://www.ubuntu-linux.com

[palomino]

Thanks again.There are some proprietary programs on this PC for which I do not have the installation disks anymore and which I wanted to revive.This is what prevented me from using the big hammer to fix this by formating the drive.I have Win2K but this needs 128MB of RAM and my PC only has 64. Any thing else you can suggest?

[mcool61]

Much too late now but I had a similar problem once & ran scandisk from a boot floppy & all was well.

[rmanet]

Even though you've managed to get 98SE almost back to normal, I suspect you either lost or corrupted those program app files, or even scrambled the FAT, that's why even though the reigistry is fixed, you can't launch some of those apps. Running a full scan disk might help but it won't solve all your problems.

Please list all the programs (we know about MS Office 2000) that you can see in your programs, but can't launch because it can't find a file or two. Error messages would help.

I know that'll take time, but it is possible to fix some of them, and you can always borrow a CD and/or buy older legacy software - some programs let you use a detect and repair option, much like SFC does for Windows system files.

[Ol'Tunzafun]

You can replace those dll files one at a time as it calls for them or you can reinstall Office 2000.