WIN98 BOOT UP PROBLEMS

Have you changed any hardware or the processor lately? Like to an AMD K6 or Athalon?

The IOS error was more common in Win95, but I have heard of it happening to Win98.

Some of the suggested fixes ( these are the most common )

1. copy yourc:\config.sys file to config.bak and delete config.sys to remove any real mode memory managers.

2. Boot with the cache turned off, and under settings-controlpanel-system-devicemanager, look for any devices that have a yellow exclamation. Run sysedit, in system.ini file, rem out any vxd devices associated with the missing/corrupt hardware. You will then have to remove the hardware, reboot and turn on cache, and restart windows to re-install the hardware. If the problem recurs, get an updateddriver for the hardware.

3. Your rmm.pdr file in c:\windows\system\iosubsys is corrupted. Rename it rmm.xxx and replace with a copy from your windows CD ( located in Cab45)
This file controls real mode drivers

4. In system.ini, make sure maxfilecache=6144

5. check C:\windows\system\iosubsys to see if the file bigmem.drv is present
if not, restore from Windows CD ( Cab40 )
Normally only for scsi drivers, but other devices do make use of it, especially IOmega.

Hope this helps

Check and see that the exit command is not broken (Fouled string command ) and I would suggest you use the Dos Auto command , as Win recognizes it, for your minimum if you are placing a custom size , also make sure you have set the maximum at least 3 times higher than the default as it can mess with the Fat allocations, and once it decides it is too low , Windows writes a caution file that won't allow any setting other than 1# default, 2# a setting at least 3 times higher than the one that is chosen for default by Windows if setting a custom size. I ran into this problem when attempting to adjust the Virtual cache to compliment another setup I was attempting. A good rule of thumb , and I will NOT explain this, is to use 2.5 times as a multiplier , the first time , if this causes a problem , double the primary and move it 2.5 times again , keep doing this (Doubling until it allows the setting). The Fat problem I recieved is not the only possible error , and likely it was a cover errorthat showed it could not load enough into cache to allow the shell to complete it's cycle. Luck, hope you resolve it.

Boot in Safe Mode or to command prompt
Perform one of the following two steps
1)Edit the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files and disable any references to Smartdrv.exe
To disable a line type REM at the begining of the line
Rename Smartdrv.exe to another name
For references see microsoft knowledgebase
Q164666
Q192841
Q168866

HI!
How far does the boot process go? Possibly this isn't related to O/S, but is a hardware problem related to external cache chips or supply voltage.
Regards
/WGIRID

This question was closed by the author