Win98 starts then freezes

[gmann]

Need help. I am running Win98 on AMD K6 processor. It started yesterday. Windows starts and freezes, no icons loaded. CTRL+ALT+DEL shows only one process running MDM.

[AnnMarie]

Welcome to CTH gmann. Try booting into Safe Mode and see if Explorer loads.

[gmann]

Tried that, tried do step by step, to no avail. I have installed McAfee Security Center installed. It had worked for a week or two. Maybe I am running low on space or memory (maxed out at 256 Mb). I still cannot get through.

[renegade600]

Turn it on and check to see if the fan to the power supply is running.

[AnnMarie]

If you are still having problems, try editing system.ini to take you into a Win3.1-type environment that will exclude the Explorer shell. Boot to DOS (select "Command Prompt Only" from the boot menu) or power up again with a Win98 bootdisk in the drive.

At the a:\> prompt enter the following and press enter after each line:

c:
cd windows
edit system.ini

Scroll down to the Shell=Explorer.exe line and edit out Explorer.exe. Then make the line read Shell=Winfile.exe. Save the changes (Alt > Enter > Save and Alt > Enter > Exit) and reboot. If you can get that to work, we may be able to do some troubleshooting.

[gmann]

Thanks,

I was able to get it to Win3.1 type shell. What should I do next?

gmann

If you are still having problems, try editing system.ini to take you into a Win3.1-type environment that will exclude the Explorer shell. Boot to DOS (select "Command Prompt Only" from the boot menu) or power up again with a Win98 bootdisk in the drive.

At the a:\> prompt enter the following and press enter after each line:

c:
cd windows
edit system.ini

Scroll down to the Shell=Explorer.exe line and edit out Explorer.exe. Then make the line read Shell=Winfile.exe. Save the changes (Alt > Enter > Save and Alt > Enter > Exit) and reboot. If you can get that to work, we may be able to do some troubleshooting.

[gmann]

Thanks, fan is in working condition

Turn it on and check to see if the fan to the power supply is running.

[Murf]

Now try booting into SAFE MODE.

If you are using Active desktop then turn off Active Desktop Start > Settings > Active Destop > Deselect View as Web Page.

Then try running System File Checker

START | RUN

Type in SFC hit OK, select Check ALtered files.

Once that is done reboot, if it boots normally then go back and change back to explorer.exe

If not then try gettting back to the DOS prompt and at C: type

scanreg /fix

[gmann]

Not successful.
I have a CD ROM that came with the PC to diagnoze any problem (PC Doctor) but I can run it only in DOS. However my CD ROM is not recognised from command prompt. Moreover, floppy drive is not working. I need to have CDROM drive to be recognised. What do I have to change? Step by step

Now try booting into SAFE MODE.

If you are using Active desktop then turn off Active Desktop Start > Settings > Active Destop > Deselect View as Web Page.

Then try running System File Checker

START | RUN

Type in SFC hit OK, select Check ALtered files.

Once that is done reboot, if it boots normally then go back and change back to explorer.exe

If not then try gettting back to the DOS prompt and at C: type

scanreg /fix

[AnnMarie]

Hi gmann - I have never tried this in a 3.1 environment before but it cant do any harm. Go here (http://www.merijn.org/files/hijackthis.zip) and download the latest version of Hijack This to a new folder on your drive, unzip it and run a scan. Most of the files listed will be harmless and/or required so do not make any changes, just click on Save Log, copy it and post it back in this thread.