Can't Install Software After System Recovery

[Twiddly-Dum]

I will be truly grateful if anyone can help me solve this mystery. I've already contacted Dell Support and Microsoft KB and my problem is still not resolved. About a month ago, I was using Photoshop 6.0 to open, view, & edit picture files saved on a SmartMedia digital camera card when the computer suddenly crashed. I later found out that my son downloaded and saved a game to my SmartMedia digital card because he thought it was okay to do that. My guess is that I inadvertently clicked on his executable game file from within PhotoShop 6.0 and that's what threw my computer out of whack. I had to reformat my hard drive and reinstall Windows 98. Everything worked okay for a few weeks. Then while on the Internet, it suddenly crashed again for no apparent reason. Since then, I have had to reformat and reinstall my operating system so many times I've lost count. On subsequent attempts to restore my system the computer would crash after attempting to install the audio & modem drivers. I perservered and got them working. The biggest problem I have right now is I can't install the rest of my software programs. Everytime I try to install any software, ie., Office XP, McAfee Virus Scan, Photoshop 6.0, I get this same dreadful blue screen error message before the programs can finish installing:

An exception OE has occurred at 0028:C004AD5D in VxD VFAT(01) +
00009805. This was called from 0028:C004B57C in VxD VFAT(01) + 0000A024.

Does anyone know what this means and what I can do to fix it?

Thanks in advance!

[Miz]

VFAT (the path references a floppy disk drive, a hard disk, or an FTL-formatted Linear Flash PCMCIA card (Flash File System)" Source

So, that more or less narrows it down to a problem with one of your drives.

When you reformatted, did you run fdisk first, removing all partitions and then putting them, or it, depending on how many partitions the drive has, back? If you're up to another reinstall, run fdisk to remove/restore the partitions, then proceed with another reformat/reinstall.

If that doesn't fix things and since you've reformatted and reinstalled so many times, I'm thinking that the problem is a failing harddrive.

[Murf]

May be coincidental but that error is usually caused by defective memory, mix-matched speeds or manufacturers of paired memory, or using 12 or 10ns SDRAM with the bus speed set at 100Mhz.

Have you replaced memory before this started happening?

[Twiddly-Dum]

First of a big thank you to everyone involved in trying to help me. I really do appreciate it!!! I did not "replace" memory before this crash incident, however, I "added" memory. The computer came with 128MB RAM in memory bank 0. I added 256MB RAM to memory bank 1 over a year ago but I have not had serious problems with the computer until recently.

[Twiddly-Dum]

Miz, Thank you very much for responding to my post. Is fdisk used only if your hard drive is partitioned? My hard drive was never partitioned. If FTL-formatted Linear Flash PCMCIA card (Flash File System) has anything to do with my camera's memory card then I suspect this is the connection to the problem. I will research the link you provided me to see what I can find out.

[Murf]

Lets try this:

START | FIND | FILES

Look for the following file;

Ifshlp.sys

It should be in your Windows Folder, if you do not find it then do the following:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
Type sfc, and then press ENTER.

2. Click Extract one file from installation disk.

3. In the Specify the system file you would like to restore box, type

C:\windows\Ifshlp.sys

4. Click Start, click Browse next to the Restore from box, and then locate the Windows installation files. Put your Windows CD in and then locate the Windows installation files. The folder is named "Win98".Click OK, and then follow the instructions on the screen.

If the file is already there then try this:

1. Restart your computer, press and hold down CTRL after your computer completes the Power On Self Test (POST), and then choose the Safe Mode Command Prompt Only option from the Startup menu.

2. Type the following edit config.sys (hit <enter>)

If you see a line that references Ifshlp.sys file, delete it.

Then go to FILE save.

Reboot.

If not then lets look at a file:

START | PROGRAMS | ACCESSORIES | NOTEPAD

Now go FILE | OPEN

On the box at the bootom change it from *.txt to *.*

Find the file system.ini (should be in C:\Windows folder

Open it

If you see a line in there starting with maxfilecache=4096 then put a semicolon ( at the beginning of the line then go to FILE | SAVE.

Reboot

[Twiddly-Dum]

I'll give your suggestions a try and I'll let you know what happens ASAP. If you don't hear from me by tomorrow, it may be (heaven forbid) because of another crash.

Originally Posted by Murf

Lets try this:

START | FIND | FILES

Look for the following file;

Ifshlp.sys

It should be in your Windows Folder, if you do not find it then do the following:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
Type sfc, and then press ENTER.

2. Click Extract one file from installation disk.

3. In the Specify the system file you would like to restore box, type

C:\windows\Ifshlp.sys

4. Click Start, click Browse next to the Restore from box, and then locate the Windows installation files. Put your Windows CD in and then locate the Windows installation files. The folder is named "Win98".Click OK, and then follow the instructions on the screen.

If the file is already there then try this:

1. Restart your computer, press and hold down CTRL after your computer completes the Power On Self Test (POST), and then choose the Safe Mode Command Prompt Only option from the Startup menu.

2. Type the following edit config.sys (hit <enter>)

If you see a line that references Ifshlp.sys file, delete it.

Then go to FILE save.

Reboot.

If not then lets look at a file:

START | PROGRAMS | ACCESSORIES | NOTEPAD

Now go FILE | OPEN

On the box at the bootom change it from *.txt to *.*

Find the file system.ini (should be in C:\Windows folder

Open it

If you see a line in there starting with maxfilecache=4096 then put a semicolon ( at the beginning of the line then go to FILE | SAVE.

Reboot

[Twiddly-Dum]

I followed your instructions and this is what I found:
1) The Ifshlp.sys file is already in the C:\Windows folder.
2) I rebooted into Safe Mode Command Prompt Only & typed edit config.sys. I did not see a line that referenced Ifshlp.sys.
3) I opened the system.ini file using Notepad. I did not find a line starting with maxfilecache=4096.
If you have any other troubleshooting ideas, please let me know. I'm willing to try anything. Meanwhile I will try to get in touch with the technical support for my Flash-Link card reader (for my digital camera) to see if they can offer a solution.

[Murf]

OK,

The computer runs, just can't install additional software.

Right Click on "My Computer" then go to Properties, then click on TAB Device Manager.

Are there any "Yellow" or Red" marks next to a device?

If you have the SmartMedia digital card installed, uninstall it. and physically pull the card out.

Reboot, and see if the problem persists. You may have a Windows installer problem. If any of the devices have the Yellow/Red mark post them here.

[Twiddly-Dum]

There is only one yellow question mark (?) by the audio driver device and that is because I decided not to install it at this time due to earlier installation problems. My FlashLink camera card reader is an external USB device. I had already disconnected it from my computer and had already removed the SmartMedia camera card from the card reader. As a matter of fact, I disconnected all of the USB cables (printer, scanner, & external Zip drive). I contacted Simple Technology tech support and they wouldn't help me because they said they no longer support my FlashLink camera card reader model.