Windows 95 MenuTroubleshooting Windows 95Full screen

Topics

1)The Windows 95 Troubleshooter Step-by-step checklist.
  • Shutdown and Startup Troubleshooting by Jim Eshelman.
    2)Starting in DOS or Safe Mode The Windows Startup Menu.
    3)Hardware Problems
    4)Error Messages
    5) Windows 95 has a few basic tools built in for troubleshooting. The trick is knowing where they are and how to use them.
  • MSDOS.SYS
  • LOGGED STARTUP
  • START MODE SWITCHES
    6)OTHER SOURCES FOR HELP
     

     
    MSDOS.SYS

          When you start a computer with DOS, the IO.SYS is run. This checks for Drivespace or Doublespace and loads it as necessary. Then it checks the MSDOS.SYS file. In earlier DOS versions. this file was a fixed binary file. With Windows 95 and later, it is a TEXT INI file.

          If you use the SYS command to make a floppy disk bootable or to transfer system files to the hard drive, the MSDOS.SYS file is replaced by a non-functional MSDOS.SYS file. It will contain only ;sys. Since none of the boot paths are give, necessary files are not loaded and Windows will not run. Not even in safe mode.

          If Windows was installed to default settings, you should find the following in the MSDOS.SYS file. You can copy this to create a file if yours is missing. If this is copied to the boot floppy disk, you could even run Windows from a floppy boot.
    It is a good idea to have a backup copy of this file just in case. Some installations have a backup file as MSDOS.---.

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

    [Options]
    BootGUI=1
    BootMulti=1
    Network=1
    BootWarn=1
    Logo=1
    autoscan=1
    ;
    ;The following lines are required for compatibility with other programs.
    ;Do not remove them (MSDOS.SYS needs to be >1024 bytes).
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxa
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxb
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxc
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxd
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxe
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxf
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxg
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxh
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxj
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxk
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxl
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxm
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxn
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxo
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxp
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxq
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxr
    ;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxs
    To edit this file:
    If you booted from a floppy disk it needs the EDIT.COM. It will probably also need the ATTRIB..EXE.
    If the commands here don't work, type PATH and make sure it shows C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND. If it doesn't, type:
    PATH=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND;C:\WINDOWS

    At the DOS prompt type:
    EDIT C:\MSDOS.SYS
    If the file doesn't have the proper information in it, type it in or paste it. If you get a message the the file is READ ONLY, exit and type the following:
    ATTRIB -R -H -S C:\MSDOS.SYS
    Then retry the edit.

    Under the PATHS heading:

    WinDir=
    This is the path and directory name where the Windows program files are installed. The directory can have whatever name you gave it when you installed Windows and be a drive letter other than C.

    WinBootDir=C:\WINDOWS
    This will almost always be the same as the WinDir= line.

    HostWinBootDrv=
    Since the computer boots from C drive, that will usually be the letter here. However, if C drive is a compressed drive, such as Double Space or Drive Space, the host drive letter will be entered here. Note: The host drive is the Real C drive.

    Under the OPTIONS heading:

    BootGUI=
    There are 2 possible options here:
    0 which (normally) will start the DOS Prompt instead of Windows. You can still start Windows by typing WIN.
    1 which runs the Graphical User Interface (GUI), Windows (normally).

    BootMulti=1
    If you Upgraded from an earlier DOS version (and Windows 3.1), this will add that option to the F8 boot menu and enable F4 boot. If 0 is entered, those options are disabled.

    Network=1
    Enables Networking.

    autoscan=1
    Allows Scandisk to run at boot automatically is a problem is detected. "0" prevents it from running.

    See AXCEL216's Max Speed-Windows 95 - 98 Complete MSDOS.SYS Reference. Information On the commands in the MSDOS.SYS file. See
    Contents of the Windows Msdos.sys File for Microsoft's information.


     

     

     

    ERRORS

    VFAT Device Initialization Failed This error may come when Windows fails to boot.
    Device IOS failed to initialize.     You may get this when installing Windows 95.
    or
    Microsoft Windows 95 Update for AMD-K6-2/350 and Above From AMD Site.

    VMM32 error:
    VMM32.VXD Error An InfiniSource TechFile By Roy Lehrer. Rebuilding the VMM32.VXD without reinstalling.

    Error Message: Insufficient Memory to Initialize Windows A Microsoft Knowledgebase article. You may get this when trying to install Windows 95/98 as well.

    "Out of Memory" Error Messages with Large Amounts of RAM Installed A Microsoft Knowledgebase article. This applies to Windows 95, 98 and ME.

    Error Message: There Are No Spare Stack Pages A Microsoft Knowledgebase article.

    Compatibility Mode:
    Troubleshooting MS-DOS Compatibility Mode on Hard Disks

    Out of Environment space:
    Out of Environment Space Error Message in MS-DOS Programs a Microsoft article.

    Fatal Exception Errors:
    What Are Fatal Exception Errors, A Microsoft Knowledge Base Article.

    Registry error:
    Error Message: XMS Cache Problem. Registry Services May Be... , A Microsoft Knowledge Base Article.

    Kernel32 & Krnl386 - Errors by Henry Leboeuf


     

    LOGGED STARTUP

          Logged Boot is a feature on both Windows 3.1 and Windows 95. It records each step Windows attempts to accomplish and what Windows succeeds in installing during the startup. If Windows fails to start you can see how many tasks it completed. Knowing where it stopped can indicate a bad command, bad file or a possible hardware conflict. This certainly can beat staring at "It is safe to shut off your computer" when you were trying to start it wondering why.

          Another set of diagnostic tools are the switches for starting Windows in different modes. With Windows 3.1 you can start in DOS and add the switches. But DOS mode in Windows 95 doesn't load the drivers if you use F5 or select DOS mode from the F8 Boot menu. So if the device that is causing the problem is among the drivers loaded in a normal startup, the problem won't show up.

    DOS

    At DOS type EDIT
    C:\bootlog.txt

    		 

    WINDOWS

    Open the Notepad.
    Select File, Open, then type:
    c:\bootlog.txt

    If there is one there, look at the end to see if all was completed. The last few lines should be:
    InitDone = Final USER
    InitDone = Installable Drivers
    InitDone = TSRQuery

    You can save this as c:\bootone.txt as you will make a new one.
    Exit Windows and restart the computer.

    When the computer boots it will say:
    "Starting Windows 95"
    At that point, or just before, press F8. A menu will appear. The second selection is:
    2. Logged (Bootlog.txt)
    Select 2 and it will start Windows
    If Windows starts correctly open that bootlog.txt and save it as boot-ok.txt
    If Windows Crashes restart with the pressing F8 and select 6. "Command Prompt Only" mode. At the prompt type:
    copy bootlog.txt bootfail.txt
    Then you can restart. Look at the bootfail.txt. It will show how far the windows got before it crashed. You can compare the BOOT-OK.TXT file to the BOOTFAIL.TXT file to find what the next command would have been and hopefully what needs correcting.


     

     

     

    WINDOWS START MODE SWITCHES

    Windows 95 has a group of startup switches as does Windows 3.1. At the DOS prompt type:
    win /?
    to see a list of them. See this Microsoft Knowledge Base Article Q142544 for more information about these switches.

    For easy use of them without modifying files to activate them copy the following into your AUTOEXEC.BAT file or another batch files you can call up with the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. I suggest creating a Multiple Boot Menu and creating a Diagnostic selection on it.

    echo off
    :start
    cls
    echo                         Windows 95b Boot Mode Menu
    echo Diagnostic Windows Startup. Choose one or more of the following:
    echo MODE             DESCRIPTION
    echo F   Turns off 32-bit disk access.
    echo       Equivalent to SYSTEM.INI file setting: 32BitDiskAccess=FALSE.
    echo M   Enables Safe mode.
    echo       This is automatically enabled during Safe start (function key F5).
    echo N   Enables Safe mode with networking.
    echo       This is automatically enabled during Safe start (function key F6).
    echo S   Specifies that Windows should not use ROM address space between
    echo       F000:0000 and 1 MB for a break point.
    echo       Equivalent to SYSTEM.INI file setting: SystemROMBreakPoint=FALSE.
    echo V   Specifies that the ROM routine will handle interrupts from the hard
    echo       disk controller. Equivalent to SYSTEM.INI file setting: VirtualHDIRQ=FALSE.
    echo X   Excludes all of the adapter area from the range of memory that Windows
    echo       scans to find unused space.
    echo       Equivalent to SYSTEM.INI file setting: EMMExclude=A000-FFFF.
    echo Q   Quit. Windows may start if BOOTGUI=1 is in MSDOS.SYS file.
    echo After you have made selections from above type D to start Windows in the mode
    echo selected.
    echo The selections you have made are: %m1% %m2% %m3% %m4% %m5% %m6%
    echo D Starts Windows with selected settings. If none selected, starts normally.
    choice /c:fmnsvxdwq /n /t:w,15 W starts Windows normally. If no key is press within 15 seconds Normal is run!
    if errorlevel 9 goto end
    if errorlevel 8 goto win
    if errorlevel 7 goto diag
    if errorlevel 6 goto setx
    if errorlevel 5 goto setv
    if errorlevel 4 goto sets
    if errorlevel 3 goto setn
    if errorlevel 2 goto setm
    if errorlevel 1 goto setf
    :setf
    set m1=F
    goto start
    :setm
    set m2=M
    goto start
    :setn
    set m3=N
    goto start
    :sets
    set m4=S
    goto start
    :setv
    set m5=V
    goto start
    :setx
    set m6=X
    goto start
    :diag
    echo.
    echo.
    echo.
    echo.
    echo.
    echo.
    echo.
    echo the following command line was executed:
    echo c:\windows\win.com /D:%m1%%m2%%m3%%m4%%m5%%m6%
    c:\windows\win.com /D:%m1%%m2%%m3%%m4%%m5%%m6%
    goto end
    :win
    c:\windows\win.com
    goto end
    :end
    set m1=
    set m2=
    set m3=
    set m4=
    set m5=
    set m6=
    You can copy this and paste it into a new file or into your AUTOEXEC.BAT. Make sure the headers (:names) don't already exist in the file. If they do you have to change one set or the other. The group of "set =" after ":end" should be at the end of the file you paste is in.

     

     

     

    Starting in Safe Mode, DOS Mode or Previous DOS Mode

          When the computer boots it will check memory floppy and Hard drives and other equipment. This is P.O.S.T. After this completes, the operating system will be loaded. With Windows 95 you will see:
    Starting Windows 95
    at this point.

    If you have and OEM computer, all of this may occur behind a logo screen. This makes it hard to know what to do ,and when. Hold down the CTRL key while the computer starts until the Startup Menu appears.

    When you see "Starting Windows 95", press:

    F4Pressing this loads your previous MS-DOS operating system if you have that set up. This may be present if you upgraded from Windows 3.1, which can only be done with Windows 95 OSR1. Or you may have added that capability with OSR2FIX or the equivalent. If your other system is DOS 6.22, the computer will boot in that mode.
    F5Pressing this bypasses your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files and start Windows. Although Windows will work without those files, some programs that are loaded by these will not function. This quickly isolates the possibility that line in those files are causing problems with your computer.
    F6Pressing this bypasses your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files and starts Windows, as F5 does. But it provides networking capabilities if you need those. See Microsoft article:
    How to: Boot to the command prompt instead of to Windows.
    for more information.
    F8Pressing this calls up the Startup Menu.
    Microsoft Windows 95 Startup Menu
    ==========================

          1. Normal
          2. Logged (\BOOTLOG.TXT)
          3. Safe mode
          4. Safe mode with network support
          5. Step-by-step confirmation
          6. Command prompt only
          7. Safe mode command prompt only
          8. Previous version of MS-DOS

    Enter a choice: 1

    F5=Safe mode   Shift+F5=Command prompt   Shift+F8=Step-by-step confirmation [N]


    If Windows detects a problem, this menu is automatically called up. If you start Windows, a file: C:\WINDOWS\WNBOOTNG.STS, is created. If Windows finishes starting properly, this file is deleted. If the file does not get deleted because of a problem, Windows will automatically go to Startup Menu with Safe mode selected the next time the computer boots.
     
  • Selection 1 will force the system to try to start normally.

  • Selection 2 creates a file, BOOTLOG.TXT, which records what successfully loads.

  • Selection 3 allows you to access Windows to make changes if the program fails in normal mode.

  • Selection 4 allows you to network the computer while in Safe Mode.

  • Selection 5 lets you choose what drivers to load.

  • Selection 6 boots to the Command prompt. The CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files are skipped. So few features are available. You can start Windows by typing WIN.

  • Selection 7 boots to the Command prompt. The CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files are skipped. So few features are available. You can start Windows in Safe mode only by typing WIN.

  • Selection 8 loads your previous version of MS-DOS if you have that set up.

    • See:
    How to: Start Windows in safe mode.
    for more information from Microsoft.

    Shift F4bypasses the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files and starts Windows. This is done without going to the F8 Startup Menu first.
    Shift F5bypasses the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files and starts the Command Prompt. This is done without going to the F8 Startup Menu first.
    Shift F8Sets Step-by-step loading of drivers. You type Y for yes, or N for no as each driver loads. You can bypass a driver to determine which one might be causing problems. See:
    Step-By-Step Startup from Microsoft for more information.
    Notes:
    If there is an error in the MSDOS.SYS file, many commands may not work. Try typing:
    path=c:\windows\command
    (if that is your correct Windows location). Otherwise you will have to type complete paths to execute some commands such as:
    c:\windows\command\attrib
    c:\windows\command\edit
    in order to make modifications to files such as the MSDOS.SYS file.


     

    Hardware Problems

    Floppy Drive:
    Check to see it the drive works correctly in REAL DOS Mode. If it works, see:
    Troubleshooting Floppy Disk Drive Problems in Windows A Microsoft Article.

    If it fails at DOS see DOS Troubleshooting.


     

    "Starting Windows 95"

    If you get this message, it means:
  • The computer is capable of booting.

  • The hard drive was detected, whether or not it has errors.

  • The hard drive has boot files on it.

    • If you do not get this message, see Troubleshooting DOS.

          When the computer starts, you will usually see the above message. If you have a Name Brand Computer that has a logo image on the screen when it starts, you may not see this message. That makes it harder to know what's happening behind that picture. See Dealing with OEM Computers if that is the case.

    Symtoms:
     The computer shows "Starting Windows 95" and does nothing else.

    The computer gets to the Clouds image with the moving bar at the bottom, but doesn't go further.

    The computer boots to the DOS C:\> prompt, not Windows.

    The computer reports missing files as it boots.

    Error Messages when starting Windows.

    Windows Opens to Desktop then freezes.


     

     

     

    The computer reports missing files as it boots.

    If you get a message that the following files are missing:
    The file himem.sys missing
    The file ifshlp.sys missing
    The file smartdrv.exe missing
    The windows registry was not found
    this usually means a missing or damaged MSDOS.SYS. This file establishes the path where Windows is located. If the path is missing or the file is missing, Windows will not find them. The files may be there. But the system doesn't know where to look. This will also affect Safe mode. While you can get the command prompt, most commands will report "Unknown Command".

    Type:
    dir c:\windows\*.*
    dir c:\windows\command\*.*
    path
     You should see files listed and, for the path:
    path=c:\windows;c:\windows\command
     There may be more. But this much should be there. If there are no files, there is no Windows.

    To edit the MSDOS.SYS file, type:
    c:\windows\command\attrib -r -h -s c:\msdos.sys
    c:\windows\command\edit c:\msdos.sys
    compare your file with the one shown here.

    End of string. Back to Opening Menu.


     

     

     

    The computer starts Windows.
    But after loading and opening the Desktop, the computer freezes!

    This might be caused by a program that is automatically started when Windows runs.

    The first line of defense is restoring from a backup registry. If you don't have this, you have to rely on other fixes.

    The first key to check is:
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
    The programs listed here are started each time Windows starts. At DOS you can type:
    regedit /e run.reg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    Note: Your browser may break this command in to two or more lines. But it is one continuous line.
    This will copy the values under this RUN key into a file named run.reg. You can give what name and path you want for that file.
    Now you can type:
    edit c:\run.reg
    (if that is where you put the file) and delete lines you think are causing problems. Then exit, saving the modified file.

    Next at DOS type:
    regedit /d HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    This will delete the RUN key and all of its values from the registry.
    Next type:
    regedit run.reg
    which will update the registry with the file you modified. Now you can reboot the computer and cross your fingers. There are also the:
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce]
    and
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices]
    keys which you might want to check also.

    This could be caused by a program in the Startup folder. This is relatively easy to deal with. Boot the computer to MSDOS Prompt mode. If you Windows is located in:
    C:\WINDOWS\
     type:
    ren c:\windows\startm~1\programs\startup c:\windows\startm~1\programs\startup_
     This will stop programs in that folder from being started automatically. Now restart the computer normally. Windows will create a new c:\windows\startm~1\programs\startup folder. You can move any program, except that which you find to be causing the freeze, back to the Startup folder.

    If that didn't do the trick, you can check the win.ini file. At the MSDOS Prompt type:
    edit c:\windows\win.ini
     the first section should have:
    [windows]
    load=
    run=
     If either the load= or run= line have a program listed, place a semicolon ; at the beginning of the line to disable it. Save the file and restart the computer normally and see if the problem is gone.

    If the problem still persists, it could be a problem in the registry. This can be a little more involved. If Windows won't run, especially in Safe Mode, then you have to export parts of the registry at DOS, edit them, then import them back to the registry, all at DOS.

    End of string. Back to "Starting Windows 95" Menu.


     

     

     

    The computer shows "Starting Windows 95"
    and does nothing else.

     Reboot. When you see "Starting Windows 95" or just before that, press the F5 key.
    What are the results?
    The computer still stops at "Starting Windows 95".
    Windows Starts.

     

    Pressing F5, The computer still stops at
    "Starting Windows 95".

    This would indicate a corrupt IO.SYS file, COMMAND.COM
    or a corrupt DRVSPACE.BIN or DBLSPACE.BIN.
    It could also be a hardware conflict.

    Boot with a boot disk (virtually any version) and see if the computer boots to a command prompt. If it does, this would tend to eliminate a hardware conflict (at least at this level).

    If the computer would not boot from a bootdisk either. Go to the DOS Troubleshooter.

    If the computer did Boot with a boot disk, insert a boot disk with the same version of Windows boot files on it as the computer has and transfer the system files by typing:
     sys a: c:
    Remove the disk and reboot the computer. This replaces the IO.SYS and COMMAND.COM files. If included, it will also replace the DRVSPACE.BIN or DBLSPACE.BIN file. If you are not using a compressed disk, you can delete or rename these two files as they are not needed.


     

    Pressing F5, Windows starts.

     This indicates that there is an error in the boot files CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Reboot the computer again. This time, when you see "Starting Windows 95", press the F8 key.

    You should see a message that
    "Windows will prompt you to confirm each CONFIG.SYS command.
    The name of each file to be processed next will be displayed. Type Y for each step watching what happens.

    You normally will progress through all of the steps and be asked if you want to
    "Process the AUTOEXEC.BAT file [[Y,N]?"
    In some systems you will be able to do a step-by-step here as well. If you make it all the way through this with no errors, this may not be so easy.

    After all of the steps of the AUTOEXEC.BAT you will be asked if you want to load the GUI. That means start Windows. This will include loading IFSHLP.SYS and HIMEM.SYS.

    If the boot makes it all the way through these then stops, there is an incompatible driver in either the CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

    What results did you get?
    The process froze at one of the steps.
    The process made it through all of the steps then froze.


     

     

     

    The process made it through all of the steps then froze.

    It's a process of elimination. The system worked when you pressed F5 to bypass the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT file. That means that something in those files isn't compatible with Windows. Reboot the computer again. When you see "Starting Windows 95", press the F8 key. You should see a message that
    "Windows will prompt you to confirm each CONFIG.SYS command.
    The name of each file to be processed next will be displayed. Saying Y to all of the CONFIG.SYS commands, and N for the AUTOEXEC.BAT commands.

    What results did you get?
    Windows Started!
    The system still froze.


     

    The system still froze with
    the AUTOEXEC.BAT bypassed.

    We have narrowed it down to an apparent problem in the CONFIG.SYS file.

    Restart the computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message or just before, press the F8 key. You should see a message that
    "Windows will prompt you to confirm each CONFIG.SYS command.
    The name of each file to be processed next will be displayed. Type N for Any commands you want to eliminate as the cause of the problem. Start by skipping all but the following lines:
    device=C:\WINDOWS\himem.sys
    device=C:\WINDOWS\emm386.exe noems
    dos=high,umb
    files=80
    buffers=80
    shell=c:\command.com /p
     Yours may differ from the above. These are generally standard lines. If the system fails with these lines active, it is most likely a corrupt file.

    The HIMEM.SYS is basically needed if you add any other commands in this file.
    The EMM386.EXE command is optional. If it fails, it could be a SWITCH that is incorrect or needed.
    If you were able to boot to the COMMAND prompt using SHIFT F5, you know the COMMAND.COM works.

    Test other lines one by one. When you isolate a line causing the problem, boot to the command prompt (SHIFT F5). Then type:

  •  
    		• edit c:\config.sys
  •  
    		• Find the line displayed when the process failed and put a semicolon ; at the beginning of that line.
  •  
    		• Now save the file by pressing the ALT key and selecting File, Save, then press ALT again and select Exit.
  •  
    		• Restart the computer and see if the problem went away.
    If it works, try to determine what program uses the command. If you don't need it, you can delete the line.

     

     

     

    Windows Started without the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

    O.K. Progress. The problem seems to be in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If you are able to run step-by-step of the AUTOEXEC.BAT during the F8 Startup, skip various commands lines in that file. You do not need to skip lines with REM, ECHO, PATH=, @PATH=, or SET at the beginning. When you find a line that skipping allows windows to start, edit the file as follows:
  •  
    		• edit c:\autoexec.bat
  •  
    		• Find the line displayed when the process failed. If is starts with an LH, remove that. This command loads the line in High Memory. Some programs will not function in High Memory. If you have already tried that, put REM and a space at the beginning of the line to omit loading it.
  •  
    		• Now save the file by pressing the ALT key and selecting File, Save, then press ALT again and select Exit.
  •  
    		• Restart the computer and see if the problem went away.
    You can use this method if the Step-by-step isn't allowed on the AUTOEXEC.BAT. Try various lines or combinations of lines until you isolate what is causing the problem. Then try to determine what program uses the line and see if you need the command.

     

    The process froze at one of the steps.

    Well this may be a simple fix.

    Restart the computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message or just before, hold down one of the shift keys and press the F5 key. This should start the command prompt only.

    If the error occured in the CONFIG.SYS type:

  •  
    		• edit c:\config.sys
  •  
    		• Find the line displayed when the process failed and put a semicolon ; at the beginning of that line.
  •  
    		• Now save the file by pressing the ALT key and selecting File, Save, then press ALT again and select Exit.
  •  
    		• Restart the computer and see if the problem went away.
    If the error occured in the AUTOEXEC.BAT, type:
  •  
    		•  edit c:\autoexec.bat
  •  
    		• Find the line displayed when the process failed and put an REM and a space at the beginning of that line.
  •  
    		• Now save the file by pressing the ALT key and selecting File, Save, then press ALT again and select Exit.
  •  
    		• Restart the computer and see if the problem went away.
    If that cured the problem, try to determine what program it was associated with. If the command isn't needed, you can delete that line. The command may be correct, but the file corrupt.

     

     

     

    The computer gets to the Clouds image with the moving bar at the bottom, but doesn't go further.

    When windows passes the "Starting Windows 95 message, you can press the ESC key. This will clear the Clouds Image and you will be looking at the bare screen. You may see an error reported. I suggest backing up the registry before you do much else.
    Reboot. When you see "Starting Windows 95" or just before that, hold down one of the Shift keys and press the F5 key. This will take you to the DOS prompt. At the prompt type:
    c:
    cd windows
    attrib -r -h -s system.da0
    attrib -r -h -s user.da0
    copy system.da0 system.da9
    copy user.da0 user.da9
    This will make separate copies of the previous Registry in case Windows corrupts the current one and the backup. If you have already made a recent backup of the registry, you can skip this step.
    If you made changes such as adding a new program or driver just before Windows stopped working, you can copy the current backup registry by typing:
    attrib -r -h -s system.dat
    attrib -r -h -s user.dat
    copy system.da0 system.dat
    copy user.da0 user.dat
    When you restart the computer, the changes will be gone. The program or driver you just added will probably no longer function. And it will have to be removed manually as the uninstall will no longer be in the registry. But if that gets the computer working, you can try the install again.
    Replacing the registry from backup cured the problem. Back to Opening Menu.
    Backed up old registry, but want to get my program working.
    Replaced the registry from backup, same problem.

     

     

     

    Backed up old registry, but want to get my program working.

    Reboot. When you see "Starting Windows 95" or just before that, press the F8 key. This will take you to the Windows Start Menu. Select 3. Safe mode.
    When the computer boots you may get a warning that the registry is corrupt and will be restored from backup. Selecting O.K. will copy the system.da0 as system.dat and the user.da0 as user.dat. Then the computer will restart.

    If the computer fully boots to safe mode, you can check for hardware conflicts. You can also Uninstal programs that may be causing a conflict.

    Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, System, Device Manager. Look for yellow marks indicating conflicts.

    End of string. Back to Opening Menu.


     

    Replaced the registry from backup, same problem.

    Reboot. When you see "Starting Windows 95" or just before that, press the F8 key. This will take you to the Windows Start Menu. Select 3. Safe mode.
    When the computer boots you may get a warning that the registry is corrupt and will be restored from backup. Selecting O.K. will copy the system.da0 as system.dat and the user.da0 as user.dat. Then the computer will restart.

    If the computer fully boots to safe mode, you can check for hardware conflicts. You can also Uninstal programs that may be causing a conflict.

    Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, System, Device Manager. Look for yellow marks indicating conflicts.

    End of string. Back to Opening Menu.


     

    The computer boots to the DOS C:\> prompt.

    Well, at least the computer works.
    Type PATH. You should see
    path=c:\windows\;c:\windows\command\
    If your windows is in C:\WINDOWS, this is the minimum you should see. There can be more, depending on installed programs, usually DOS based programs.

    The path is correct.
    The path does not include "path=c:\windows\;c:\windows\command\" or there is no path.


     

    The path does not include
    "path=c:\windows\;c:\windows\command\"
    or there is no path.

    This indicates an error in the MSDOS.SYS file or incorrect PATH line in either the AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS file. Note that if the path is not set, you will have to type complete paths for commands such as:
    c:\windows\command\edit
    or
    c:\windows\command\attrib
    You can try to set the path by typing:
    path=c:\windows\command;c:\windows

    To check the files, start by typing:
    c:\windows\command\edit c:\autoexec.bat
    Find any instances of path=, @path= or set path=. If the statement does not include the path=c:\windows\;c:\windows\command\ it should include %path%;. This adds what is on the line to what already exists in the path. Each section must be separated by a semicolon. Example:
    path=%path%;c:\newdir1;c:\newdir2
    or it could be:
    path=c:\newdir1\;c:\newdir2\;%path%
    The last backslash for each path is optional. The sequence is important. If you had:
    path=a:\newdir1\;c:\newdir2\;%path%
    A drive would be the first path checked each time a command was executed. This can really slow things down, especially if there is no disk in A drive. The same path as:
    path=c:\newdir2\;%path%;a:\newdir1\
    would accomplish the same thing, but A drive would only be checked if the command was not found in any of the other paths.

    If you do not find any such errors in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, exit and type:
    c:\windows\command\edit c:\config.sys
    Check for the same error here. It is rare for a path statement to be entered in the CONFIG.SYS.

    If there are no errors in either of these files, check the MSDOS.SYS. You may have to remove the ATTRIBUTES before you can make changes to this file. To do that, type:
    c:\windows\command\attrib -r -h -s c:\msdos.sys
    then type:
    c:\windows\command\edit c:\msdos.sys
    and compare it to this.


     

     

     

    The path is correct.

    Type WIN. If that fails, type:
    DIR C:\windows\win.com
    If the file is there, it may be corrupt. If the file is missing, there is your problem. To fix either instance you can Extract a replacement from the cab files. To do that, type:
    extract /a d:\win95\win95_02.cab win.cnf
    This will unpack the file which you must rename as win.com. The above example assumes that the CDROM is D drive and that the CAB files are in the WIN95\ directory. Type:
    ren win.cnf win.com
    If you did not extract the file into the C:\WINDOWS\ directory, you will have to move it there. If you already have a win.com file when you type REN, it will not rename and you will get an error. You must delete that file first.

    Windows restarts back to DOS mode.


     

    Windows restarts back to DOS mode.

    At the prompt type:
    dir c:\*.wos /a
    Do you find any file such as CONFIG.WOS or AUTOEXEC.WOS?

  • If so, at the DOS prompt type:
    • c:\windows\win /wx
     The computer should restart into your normal Windows. If that doesn't work:
  • Reboot and press the ESC key right after P.O.S.T. This would be when you normally see "Starting Windows 95". Still no "Joy"?
    • At the DOS prompt (use a boot disk if necesary):
  • Delete or rename the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. Now type the following:
    • ren c:\autoexec.wos c:\autoexec.bat
    ren c:\config.wos c:\config.sys
    Now try to reboot.

          These are copies of your boot files created when you have Windows start a program in Real DOS mode. As long as windows finds files with a WOS extension in the root directory, it will not run Windows. Your actual files are renamed with the WOS extension. Windows creates new CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files with commands for the specific program you have launched. These programs are launched by DOS ICONS. They also contain commands for returning the system to normal operation. The new files created contain the line
    win /wx
    This line normally returns the WOS extension files to their original names then restarts the system. But if some program makes modifications to the CONFIG.SYS and/or AUTOEXEC.BAT files, the command may not be executed. Sometimes typing:
    win /wx
    at the prompt will restore the original files. But somtimes this fails as well.

    Microsoft's Knowledge Base article on this problem:
    MS-DOS-Based Program Starts When You Start Your Computer

    Did not find any WOS files.


     

     

     

    Did not find any WOS files.

    It could be a command in the CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT or MSDOS.SYS files.

    CONFIG.SYS

  • Edit the CONFIG.SYS

  • Find the line SHELL= (if there is one). If this line calls up a third party command processor (I use Norton Utilities 7.0 NDOS.COM), this can stop the Windows boot sometimes.

    If you want this command processor, you can add the line:
    win
    in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file to start Windows.

    AUTOEXEC.BAT
     If the line:
    command.com or another command processor name is used, this will stop the boot process unless certain switches are also used with it. If the /P switch is not present, you can type EXIT at the prompt and Windows would start in this instance.

    MSDOS.SYS
     If the line:
    BootGUI=0
    is present, this will normally stop Windows from starting.

    In all of these instances, Windows should start if you type WIN.


    •  

     

     

    Dealing with OEM Computers

          Many name brand computers have a logo image that displays as the computer boots. This will hide the Windows messages normally visible as Windows 95 starts. Once the Operating system begins to load, you can usually press the ESC key to watch the execution of boot commands (if any). You can attempt to count the seconds it takes to get to that point so you know when to press the appropriate keys.

  • If you cannot do that, as the computer starts, press the F8 ket repeatedly as the computer boots. Don't hold the key down as you will get a stuck key error message.

  • If that doesn't work, as the computer starts, press and hold down the CTRL key until the the Windows 95 Startup Menu appears.

    •       Another way to give your self more time is to edit the MSDOS.SYS file. Add or modify the line:
    BootDelay=5
     If the line is not present, the delay is 2 seconds by default. you can enter the number of seconds you want the boot to stop at "Starting Windows 95", so you can press keys. Some manufacturers enter 0 so there is no delay.

          You can also add the line
    Logo=0
     The default, if this line is not present, is 1 which shows the cloud images, or what ever other logo image is specified, as Windows starts.

          If the computer isn't starting properly so you can make these modifications, use a boot disk to access this file. You may have to type:
    attrib -r -h -s c:\msdos.sys
     if the file has the R attribute set, as you won't be able to modify the file.


     
    OTHER SOURCES FOR HELP
    Murf's Garage
    (Murf moved from his "Place" to his "Garage")    		 Windows 95/98 Error codes-SUWIN
    Henry Leboeuf
    Bud's Safe Mode Procedures Fatal Exception 0E Errors
    from Windows-Help.Net    		 
    Tip: If you have to restart Windows as you make changes and don't want to wait for the the computer to completely reboot, from the Shutdown Menu:
  • Select "Restart the computer?".

  • Hold down the Shift key as you type Y or click on Yes

    • Windows will restart without rebooting the computer. You should see "Windows is re-starting". This means that changes to the CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT and MSDOS.SYS, will not take effect. You must fully reboot for those changes to take effect. See:
    How to: Avoid the cold boot and POST when restarting Windows 95.
    From Microsoft.

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    Updated October 29, 2003
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