Microsoft windows98 Start Up Menu

[AML4150]

This is probably a very easy solution for someone familiar with the operating system.
When I boot up my system, in the beginning when it is going thru all the DOS stuff, a message appears asking me to chose 1-Normal, 2-SAFE, etc. I always select 1-NORMAL and my system continues to boot normally and all is fine. How can I bypass this annoying message and have it boot up normally by default?
Thanks in advance for any and all assistance.

[rangeral]

It means your having a problem with windows or piece of hardware getting along with win which wants to go into safe mode, go into device manager and see if there are any conflicts or exclamation marks next to a device, might also try disabling all your apps that are running on startup via msconfig/startup tab you can type msconfig in the run box off start menu and see how your startup goes.

[Michael Chiew]

AML4150

Two possibilities that I can think of.

ENABLE STARTUP MENU
Run MSCONFIG (System Configuration Utility).

When Msconfig dialog box appears, click ADVANCED button. From ADVANCED TROUBLESHOOTING SETTINGS box, check entry ENABLE STARTUP MENU. This entry should not be checked. If it is, uncheck it and click OK.

MSDOS.SYS
Entries in MSDOS.SYS affect how your system boots. Sometimes, a corrupted/damaged MSDOS.SYS plays tricks with boot-up, e.g., BootGUI=0 gets you invariably into MSDOS (C:\ prompt). By default, Windows assigns 1 to BootGUI to enable you to get into the Windows operating environment.

BOOTMENU, an entry in MSDOS.SYS, determines whether you're automatically confronted by the Windows98 Startup Menu or whether you need to Press F8 to access it.

Default value is 0 (BootMenu=0) which means that you have to Press 8 to get the Startup Menu. BootMenu=1 gets you the Startup Menu every time you boot up.

There are several options you can try to resolve the anomaly. Replace MSDOS.SYS (run SFC), or do a clean re-installation of your OS. You might want to reconstruct MSDOS.SYS yourself just for the fun and experience.

Generally, when things go wrong with my MSDOS.SYS, I do a reconstruction of it (for lack of something better to do). For example, an occasion had arisen about a year ago when I came face-to-face with an error message like INVALID SYSTEM DISK. This message, among other things, does signify a damaged/corrupted MSDOS.SYS. I reconstructed MSDOS.SYS and was home free.

Here's how you may reconstruct MSDOS.SYS.

Boot up with a book disk. At the A:\ prompt, type:

Sys C: (enter).

Change to C: drive.

C:

Attrib -r -h -s Msdos.sys

Edit Msdos.sys

(Msdos.sys is a hidden, system file. You need to remove its attributes before being able to edit it).

When the file opens, you'll see ";format". Delete ";format" and type the following:-

[Paths]
WinDir=C:\Windows
WinBootDir=C:\Windows
HostWinBootDrv=C
UninstallDir=C:\

[Options]
BootMulti=1
BootGUI=1
BootMenu=0
Doublebuffer=1
Autoscan=1

Save the file and exit.

Restore the attributes of MSDOS.SYS like so -

Attrib +r +h +s Msdos.sys (Enter)

Do the three-finger salute (Ctrl+Alt+Del). You should be out of the Startup Menu and booting as you should.

Before you do any of these options, might be a good idea to run your anti-virus software just to be on the safe side.

Michael Chiew

[AML4150]

Thank you Michael and Rangeral for your responses. After running my Norton AntiVirus program, I edited and changed the msdos.sys file BootMenu from 1 to 0 and it works. I have some strange info in the MSdos.sys file and not sure if it belongs there. If it does, not sure why. Here is a copy of my MSDos.sys file:

[Paths]
WinDir=C:\WINDOWS
WinBootDir=C:\WINDOWS
HostWinBootDrv=C

[Options]
BootMulti=1
BootGUI=1
DoubleBuffer=1
AutoScan=1
WinVer=4.10.1998
;
;The following lines are required for compatibility with other programs.
;Do not remove them (MSDOS.SYS needs to be >1024 bytes).
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxa
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxb
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxc
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxd
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxe
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxf
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxg
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxh
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxj
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxk
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxl
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxm
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxn
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxo
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxp
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxq
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxr
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxs
orig_diag_BootMenu=<nil>
BootMenu=0

As you can probably tell, I know nothing about PC internal makeup.
Thanks again.

[Michael Chiew]

Your MSDOS.SYS file is just about right.

Don't worry about the "xxx" stuff. They're there because MSDOS.SYS needs to be at least 1,024 bytes in size. This is because some old DOS programs cannot read MSDOS.SYS if it is less than 1,024 bytes.

The "xxx" brings the file up to 1,024 bytes in size.

Great to hear that it works for you.

Michael Chiew