windows 98 no boot

[aged parent]

Windows 98 stops on boot screen with

"Data error reading drive C"

"Registry file was not found. Registry services may be inoperative for this session."

Also

"While initializing device *vkd windows protection error......"

I have tried another keyboard by get the same message.

I cannot boot in safe mode - It only brings up the *vkd protection error.

[Tweaker]

Hello aged parent :D (That name is something I can relate to:D )

First, have you tried booting from a startup floppy and run
scandisk C Then run scandisk c: /surface takes a while but it checks out the drive pretty well. :)

[aged parent]

Thanks Tweaker

Computer is now working successfully.

Run full surface scan which came up with bad clusters and fixed them for me. The bad clusters seem isolated to one area of the disk. Three of the clusters contained system.dat file.
The log suggests that at least one area of dirve C has sustained physical damage.

What is the likelyhood that I may need to get a new hard drive?

Also while I was going round in circles trying to get the system to work, I had a message that HIMEM.sys ccould not be found and change the CONFIG. sys file.
So obviously I am getting a message that line two of Config.sys is not right.

It now reads

device=C:-windows-himem.sys
*device=C:-windows-command-display.sys con=(ega,,1)
Country-044,C:-windows-command-country.sys

(Sorry about (-) but no forward slash button on the laptop.)
* was my input.


Is this line required or not?

Thanks again for the help,
from a very happy aged parent :D

[Tweaker]

Originally posted by aged parent
Thanks Tweaker

Computer is now working successfully.

Run full surface scan which came up with bad clusters and fixed them for me. The bad clusters seem isolated to one area of the disk. Three of the clusters contained system.dat file.
The log suggests that at least one area of dirve C has sustained physical damage.
Glad its working for you.


What is the likelyhood that I may need to get a new hard drive?
Hard to say, but if it were me, I would look into a new drive. I certanly would back up everything now just in case.

Also while I was going round in circles trying to get the system to work, I had a message that HIMEM.sys ccould not be found and change the CONFIG. sys file.
So obviously I am getting a message that line two of Config.sys is not right.

Just replace the HIMEM.SYS file in C:\Windows. It has probably become corrupt. That is why on bootup you are getting the error message referring to Config.sys. Make sure that you use the same version as what you are already running. You may find it already on your emergency boot up disk. To see if it is, go to a DOS prompt as above and type DIR /p A:\ If not get a copy of the file put on a floppy or if it is on the bootup disk ... go to a DOS prompt as above. At the DOS prompt type Copy A:\himem.sys C:\windows
and press enter. This will replace the old file in C:\windows with the one from the floppy. Note that there is a space in the command between SYS and C:\

Hope this helps. :)

[aged parent]

Thanks.
It probably would work, but unfortunately I think the drive is beyond redemption.
I have had more serious crashes and ever increasing reports of bad clusters from scandisk. I think a new hard disk is definitely
the answer.
aged parent