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Windows 2000 vs. hidclass.sys on boot

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6 replies

by erlu

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I know of a system that (of course) for no known reason has started booting to a windows 2000 blue scree startup error regarding the drivers\hidclass.sys is missing or somesuch. Research so far on this file relates it to win98 powermanagement architecture and especially USB.
Any clues why this would be choking on a win2k system? The problem is further complicated in that while I have administrative access via a windows logon, I don't have the Administrator account password, so attempted access via the Recovery Console is fruitless.

6 replies

by craigmjackson

It sounds like you should take the message literally, if it says a file is missing, it probably is (or it's corrupt). If you've formatted in FAT32 you can use a DOS boot disk to try to replace those files from another W2k system or the CD. If you have NTFS and you dont have the Admin password, You should have the admin password if it's your machine. :) If you got it from someone already passworded and you are concerned about maintatining the data on the drive, it should work fine to install W2k over the top of the other installation. Just make sure you do no formatting during setup (I believe the option says "Keep the current file system intact (make no changes)") and install to the same drive/partition you were working with before.There's a very remote possibility it could be related to the USB settings in the BIOS. Access it by hitting "Del" or "F2" or "F1" or something like that when you see the computer's logo or the memory testing when you turn it on (before the NT Startup menu). If USB is enabled, disable it, and if its disabled, enable it. If disabling USB fixes the error you have a physical problem with either one of your USB devices or the USB controller itself. That usually means a motherboard replacement, although I doubt it is a hardware problem as it sounds like it just cant find the file "hidclass.sys".

by erlu

I'm no longer local to the system, but I'm passing recommendations to the owner. Thanks.

by schefer

Here's what you need to do. Just substitute hidclass.sys for Isapnp.sys and you should be back up and running in no time.

This article was previously published under Q315311
SYMPTOMS
When you attempt to start Windows 2000, you may receive the following error message:

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
\Winnt\System32\Drivers\Isapnp.sys
CAUSE
This behavior can occur if the Isapnp.sys file is damaged or is not present in the path that is specified.
RESOLUTION
To resolve this behavior, use Recovery Console to replace the Isapnp.sys file. Follow these steps:
Start the computer from the Windows 2000 CD-ROM.
At the "Welcome to Setup" screen, press R to repair, and then press C to start Recovery Console.
At the C:\Winnt prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
expand cd-romdriveletter:\i386\isapnp.sy_ c:\winnt\system32\drivers\isapnp.sys

For example, type:
expand d:\i386\isapnp.sy_ c:\winnt\system32\driversAfter the file is successfully expanded, type exit to quit Recovery Console, and then restart the computer.

by erlu

I'm no longer local to the system, but I'm passing recommendations to the owner. Thanks.

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