Rescue Disk Problem - Some files seem to have disappeared from my W98 CD

[Pat Alley]

My W98 program (version 4-10-1998 which I am told is an OEM) was installed in 1999 on my then new 233 computer. I made a Rescue disk (floppy) plus another two at 2 year intervals and I always checked they got me into W98. Recently I tried to make another Rescue disk in Add/Remove but after loading my Windows98 CD it said it could not find the first file ‘ega.cpi’.. Confirming the computer was searching in the correct disk D:, I eventually had no alternative but to press the ‘Skip File button’. It then said it could not find the next file Keyb.com. . All told I had to press the ‘Skip file button’ 6 times before it started to load files onto the floppy. At 80% (when loading) an error was detected when trying to read the file 'EBD' and I had to press Cancel. Altogether the computer had loaded 22 files versus 30 files on the previous three Rescue floppies (which incidentally did have the first 6 files that I had just been forced to Skip???)

I now did a manual search of my W98 CD and found only the ega.cpi file but none of the others.

Following this I tried all 3 original Rescue disks to see if they still worked. They did get me to the menu asking if I wish to start 1.With CD-ROM support or 2. Without CD-ROM support.

***If I selected 1. it scrolls down two pages of DOS then stopped and froze.

If I selected 2. I got the A:> which I convert to C:>WINDOWS then irrespective of what I did after this I got a blue screen headed “VFAT Device Initialization Failed. A device or resource required by VFAT is not present or is unavailable. VFAT cannot continue loading. System halted”

An expert then advised me to download a Rescue Disk at www.bootdisk.com . On Bootdisk’s Home page I scrolled down to:
“HOW TO GUIDES FOR DOS AND WINDOWS 95/98” and 4 lines below that I clicked on

“Make a DOS Bootdisk”
1. Under this heading it could be that the 2nd paragraph answers my initial problem above, because I did instal a CD-RW last year (now D: with original CDROM as E: )
2. I followed the instructions to create a .sys file which put 23 files including config.sys on my floppy drive A:.
3. I then scrolled down to the paragraph mentioning download Shebang2 which proved to be an Application folder but it threw me a bit because it was in DOS and had a line saying:
PKSFX : (W18) Warning! CONFIG.SYS already exists Overwrite (y/n)?
I did not know what to do so I simply dragged the Application box over to the floppy A: drive

At this point I tried out the new Rescue Disk. However after choosing “CD ROM support” it scrolled down 2 pages of DOS then halted at :
The following file is missing or corrupted display.sys error in config.sys
file line 33 con=(ega,,1)
file line 34 country=044,850,country.sys
file line 35 install=mode.com con cp prepare=((850) ega.cpi)
file line 36 install=mode.com con cp select=850
file line 37 install=keyb.com uk,,keyboard.sys

I now checked my C:\ WINDOWS \ COMMAND\ Config.sys and the lines were identical to the above. However under

C:\Config.sys
device=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\display.sys con=(ega,,1)
Country=044,850,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\country.sys : thus this line was not the same but then I am utterly clueless as to whether this is relevant!!

I now went to Cyber Tech help and under w98 section I read the Moderator’s notes (JT Doom) which seemed to indicate that all I need do was to locate \tools\mtsutil\fat32ebd\fat32ebd.exe on the W98 CD and double click on the file. I did this and it transferred 25 files to my floppy. With great relief and supreme optimism that at last I'd cracked it (you know the feeling) I then tried it out and the result was exactly as the 2 paragraphs after the 3 asterix *** above.

I have now spent two days on this but more important others are spending their precious time reading it all, so it makes me wonder “Is it all worth it?”. In 5 years I have never been forced into using a Rescue Disk so would I be better taking the risk that I never will! Murphy, whose Murphy! However on second thoughts, any leads would be gratefully received. Thankyou in anticipation.

[Murf]

Hi! Welcome to CTH

1. A good bootdisk at Bootdisk.com is HERE

Download the file Windows 98 Custom, No Ramdrive or Windows 98 SE Custom, No Ramdrive if you have Windows 98SE (Second Edition).

Once downloaded, double click on the file and have a clean floppy inserted, it will extract all the boot files to the floppy.

When you boot with it, say YES to cdrom support, and it will assign a drive letter to your cdrom, screen will tell you.

2. If your original Windows 98 CD is 5 years old, it could be going bad. What I mean, is it could have a scratch on it, dirty... Try cleaning the CD with a good cd cleaner.

3. It's great your making a rescue disk every so often, however, I think you misunderstand exactly what a recue disk is.
- When you use FAT32EBD.EXE:The FAT32 Emergency Boot Disk (EBD) provides a virus-free means for starting and troubleshooting a computer, as well as a means for partitioning large drives with the FAT32 file system.

It writes an image of a known-good boot sector that was scanned for viruses. A virus-free boot disk can be used to troubleshoot systems that you suspect are infected with a virus, or to create a large partition for Windows 98.

It will not boot into Windows 98 it will only allow you to get to the A:\> prompt and will load a cdrom driver so you can access your cdrom and allow working in DOS, which is useless unless you completely understand DOS and what you are looking for.

4. If your hard drive is large enough and has more then one partition or you have a CD burner (oops you said you did), and are concerned about losing everything, then I woul make a image of your drive either to a CD or on another partition of your hard drive. This way, if you run into problems that you can't solve you can copy the image back.

Now this will takle a software program to do this, many out there.

If in fact you want to do this post back and let us know what cd burner software you use? Do you have say Norton System Works? Is your hard drive partitioned, to find out double click on "My Computer" is more then the C: drive listed (excluding your cdrom and cdrw)?

[jtdoom]

Hi

I shall ahve to suggest at least two things
first one would be a full virus scan (housecall, or panda online, or norton online, or avg online... (if you have a antivirus CDROM, use it... it's faster)

now IF you have an antivirus CDrom, that could already tell us wether there is something wrong with the cdrom-DRIVE

the windows CD could have become scratched, smudged, or something, but I reckon you looked at it.

the drive could need a cleaning, tho...
that is easily tested, provided you have enough room on hard disk
(reasons I want a scan done befor this, is simple. I don't like to copy files to an infected computer, making people think the files are safe to use later on...)

assuming you have about one gigabyte free room

put the windows CD in
start run
xcopy32 D:\*.* C:\TSTCDROM /i /c /r /e /y
the /C tells it to continue even if there is an error but at least you see an error reported.

after a cleaning, you can run same string, and it will overwrite

[jtdoom]

this tests readability of the CD, and with a CD as big as win98, it also tests much of the length the lens moves over the CD.
sometimes, the lens (which moves over a wormspindle) no longer moves its full length over the spindle.

a CDR101 error could tell us about scratches, but then you will have to delete the tstcdrom folder, and try copy another CD using same string

[jtdoom]

just re=read this....
that VFAT error makes me think something is wrong with one of the drives
this could be cdrom, cdr/w, and even hard disk

also see you have a E:
you can try xcopy string to test the other drive too
xcopy32 E:\*.* C:\TSTCDROM /i /c /r /e /y

you can use same CD for testing D: and E:
when you get errors, then delete folder, use other CD, and again test both drives.

IF you can boot from CD, you could use a copy method to test the drives from within real mode DOS
xcopy32 would not be available. (its the dosbox version in windows, see)
but, if you have xcopy on hard disk,
C:\windows\command\xcopy D:\*.* C:\tstcdrom /c /i /y /e /r

[Pat Alley]

Thankyou JaaK for your reply:

The statistics you asked for : My CD Software is Nero 5.0.2.4 Traxdata installed 29/8/02
Norton System works – No C: disk not partitioned Full AVG virus scan reports no virus
The Windows CD version 4/10/98. Under a magnifying glass the surface looks perfect.
CD–RW drive D: Reads all CD’s okay
CD-ROM drive E: (Originally Drive D) will not read my Windows CD nor my W97 Office CD but reads other CD’s okay
C: drive 6.4 GB total : 2.69GB used 3.62GB free memory


1. I downloaded the Bootdisk you recommended, W98 Custom (no Ramdrive).
After booting up, the very first page ended with ………Loading Boot from Floppy..OK Starting Windows 98…

The second page started :
CD-ROM Device Driver for IDE (Four Channels Supported)
© Copyright Oak Technology Inc 1993-96
Driver Version : V340
Device Name : Banana
Transfer Mode : Programmed I/O
Drive D : Port = 170 (Secondary Channel), Master IRQ = 15
Firmware Version
Drive 1 : Port = 170 (Secondary Channel), Slave IRQ = 15
Firmware Version : K6C2

At this point the computer halted!!

A few more facts in case they are relevant. Under Control Panel> System Properties>Device Manager>CDROM, it lists 2 CDs namely ATAPI CD-ROM 36x and IDE-CD R/RW 8x4x32. Under Driver tab (in both cases) it says “No driver required or loaded. To update click Update Driver” which I did and it answered “Best Driver already installed and located at C\Windows\INF\MSCDROM.INF” ……which is all a little confusing having said, No driver required or loaded!!

Reference your remark about the purpose of a rescue disk…My understanding was it being the only method left to boot into Windows when all other methods have failed and certainly www. bootdisk gives this impression otherwise why call it a bootdisk?

With reference to the 3 methods of xcopy: I understand the first two are for testing the D: and E: drives respectively directly from the Start>Run box. The third method is to test the C: drive and the command entered in DOS at the C:\>. I see problems viz:
1. As already stated above CDROM (E:drive) will not recognise my Windows 98 CD. I don’t know why and is this significant or can I use another CD?
2. Is there a downside to any of these 3 tests since unfortunately Jaak you will not be sitting on my shoulder when I carry them out and if a question comes up and I don’t know the answer I may well wish I hadn’t started it?
3. About how long will these checks take to complete since I don’t know if I would be up to the strain?
4. Having carried out these checks am I likely to get a definitive answer to effect a fix to the problem as to why I cannot make a rescue disk or are more checks likely to be necessary?
I would weigh your answers against the alternative to go on as I am with no rescue disk, bearing in mind I may never need one. If I did then at least I do keep updating my own work via CD and may have to accept that perhaps after 5 or so years its time to get a new computer. Then again an expert (like you Jaak) may be able to effect a cost effective repair for me! Sorry if this all sounds defeatist talk. I maintain my own car, I love making electronic circuits; I have even learned how to program a PIC micro-controller but it seems that troubleshooting DOS and Windows needs a massive amount of background knowledge and even then is not an exact science because I often read many long threads where both questioner and moderator are talking way above my head but still the seemingly knowledgable questioner remains absolutely frustrated in his/her inability to effect a solution to the problem.

Regards,
Pat

[jtdoom]

hi
...
if only one of the two CDROM drives is going bonkers, you can have errors on both drives sitting on the same ribbon.


I suggest you get the CD's out of all the drives, shut down, kill power to computer, and unconnect the slave CDromdrive (the one on middle connector)
(disconnect ribbon and power to it)

power up, and look at POST info
(use tweakui to hide windows logo at boot, and maybe select silent/quiet boot off in BIOS)

the POST info will tell you what it thinks is still connected to which chain
(chain maning, primary or secondary IDE ribbon)
(if it says there is a slave on that IDE chain (probably secondary) when you disconnected a slave on secondary, you should take a closer look at jumpering.

with only this single cdromdrive connected, you could run the test from within windows.

I would also want to see the result when the master (the drive at the end) is disconnected, with slave (on middle) present
you see, if it says there is a master on the chain when the one at far end is not connected, you most certainly have to look at jumpers.

cleaning a cdromdrive is easy enough.
the first thing I usually try is pushing the button so the tray opens, and blow into the slit. (when a fluffball dislodges, this can do things you don't want, but you'd notice pretty quickly)

the last thing I do, (when the drive is still recent enough) is opening the drive (even when it's already considered to replace it.)
when I find a fluffball, its cleaned, and if it works again, all the better.
with the price of drives being so low, this is something you don't want to pay a pro for...

I have this gutfeeling that the one on middle connector is acting up.

[jtdoom]

since the cdrw is now D: and the cdrom got letter E:, I have to assume that the cdrw is master on that chain, and cdrom is connected on middle connection of ribbon.

if the cdrw is not at the end, look at jumpering on both the drives.

[Pat Alley]

Quite correct Jaak, the CD R-W is master and the CD ROM is slave. I checked the leads and jumpers, re-read the instructions which accompanied the CD R-W and found nothing untoward. However it must have done some good because:

1. Both CDs were correctly defined in BIOS (although in truth I had not checked previously)
2. When checked under System Information>Components>Multimedia>CD-ROM both CDs were shown to be functioning correctly, each re-acting to being activated by displaying 12 lines of correct statistics when loaded with a CD.
3. Through Add/Remove I was able to create an Emergency disk (floppy) with a total of 30 files; for the first time in 2 years.

I then tested the floppy, selected CD-ROM support, changed A:\> to C:\>Windows\win, and holding my breath and crossing my fingers came the final stroke of pressing “Enter” to the wonderful world of WINDOWS; whereupon that ominous 'ding' and the fatal words, “HIMEM.SYS is missing. Make sure the file is in your Windows directory” , to which my reaction was to utter those immortal words %#@$\%.#@$. However wiping away my tears, I checked and not only was HIMEM.SYS on the floppy but also in Windows and Windows\Command folders. I now checked them all through with Notepad and all were identical. However at the end of HIMEM.SYS it read viz:
---------------------------------------------------------------
$
Shadow RAM disabled.$<
WARNING: Shadow RAM disable not supported on this system.$7
WARNING: Shadow RAM is in use and can"t be disabled.$3
ERROR: HIMEM.SYS requires MS-DOS 3.00 or higher.$:
ERROR: An Extended Memory Manager is already installed.$4
ERROR: HIMEM.SYS requires an 80x86-based machine.$1
ERROR: No available extended memory was found.$%
ERROR: Unable to control A20 line!$3
ERROR: VDISK memory allocator already installed.$(
XMS Driver not installed.
$
$$ extended memory handles available.$
Minimum HMA size set to $ K.$
Installed A20 handler number $ .$"
Installed external A20 handler.$8
WARNING: The High Memory Area (HMA) is unavailable.
$/
WARNING: The A20 Line was already enabled.
$'
WARNING: Invalid parameter ignored: $/
64K High Memory Area (HMA) is available.
$&
HIMEM is testing extended memory...$ done.
$B
ERROR: HIMEM.SYS has detected unreliable XMS memory at
address $5. To continue starting your computer, press ENTER.
$6This program is the property of Microsoft Corporation.4½ ïþ ?
ENUNS‡
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Of these there are only 3 references to HIMEM.SYS file and only the last one appears to be relevant viz:
--------------------------------------------------
ERROR: HIMEM.SYS requires MS-DOS 3.00 or higher.$:
ERROR: HIMEM.SYS requires an 80x86-based machine.$1
ERROR: HIMEM.SYS has detected unreliable XMS memory at address $5. To continue starting your computer, press Enter.
--------------------------------------------------
So near yet so far……I now have a gut feeling Jaak that the solution ain't going to be straightforward. Nothing ever seems to be with Windows; but prove me wrong!

Regards,
Pat

[jtdoom]

hi
could it be that gate A20 is disabled in BIOS?

if you want, you can run sysedit, copy and paste the content of config.sys and autoexec.bat into a wordpad file, and then copy the combined txt / paste it in a message here.

you had a multimillion dollar error report there.
it is quite unusual, what you have there...

gate A30 and INT13 are things one can set in BIOS, but... FAIK, the defaults are the settings one wants.
You better check wether this is at default.

one other thing, it would not surprise me to see content of a EBD or even setup floppy's configuration when you post content of the two files sitting on C:

[jtdoom]

GRINZ

I missed this.... you posted content of HIMEM.SYS

I thought you posted errors you saw during boot.

just for laughs, here is the bottom txt pasted from a dutch win98se himem.sys

Het schaduw-RAM is uitgeschakeld.$]
WAARSCHUWING: het uitschakelen van het schaduw-RAM wordt
niet ondersteund op dit systeem.$Q
WAARSCHUWING: het schaduw-RAM is in gebruik en kan
niet worden uitgeschakeld.$?
FOUT: MS-DOS versie 3.00 of hoger is vereist voor HIMEM.SYS.$<
FOUT: er is al een Extended Memory Manager ge‹nstalleerd.$I
FOUT: voor HIMEM.SYS is een computer met een
80x86-processor vereist.$;
FOUT: er is geen beschikbaar extended geheugen gevonden.$#
FOUT: kan A20-lijn niet beheren.$8
FOUT: de VDISK-geheugentoewijzer is al ge‹nstalleerd.$5
 XMS-stuurprogramma niet ge‹nstalleerd.

$
$. extended geheugen-ingangen zijn beschikbaar.$+
Het minimum HMA-formaat is ingesteld op $K.$*
De A20-handler nummer $ is ge‹nstalleerd.$+
De externe A20-handler is ge‹nstalleerd.$+
WAARSCHUWING: HMA is niet beschikbaar.
$2
WAARSCHUWING: de A20-lijn is al ingeschakeld.
$@
WAARSCHUWING: de volgende ongeldige parameter is
genegeerd: $#
Er is 64 kB HMA beschikbaar.

$'
HIMEM test momenteel het geheugen...$
gereed.
$G
FOUT: HIMEM.SYS heeft onbetrouwbaar XMS-geheugen gevonden op adres $.EDruk op ENTER om door te gaan met het opstarten van de computer.

$4Dit programma is eigendom van Microsoft Corporation.4½ïþ

[jtdoom]

disregard that A20 and int13 checkup in bios I asked to do

but, you can still post content of the hard drive's autoexec.bat and config.sys
(those at root)

[jtdoom]

AND, the reason you could not launch into windows after booting from the floppy, is quite simply that this is not win3.x but win9x, where you don't do that.

IF you really want a floppy which is able to boot into windows, you can read the method in butter
(from within windows it is quite simple, as long as you have " show hidden and system files" and "show known extentions" in folder options.)


and btw, I recommend you make that EBD too, and see the differences for yourself

[Pat Alley]

Hi Jaak,
First can we establish we are not talking at cross purposes. My reason for wanting a Startup disk is because it is a “last ditch”method of booting into Windows when all other methods have been exhausted so is obviously useful to have. My main guide is the A4 size US edition of “The Big Basics Book of W98” by Que.which on page 442 itemises how to make a Startup disk using Add/Remove followed by how to use the floppy which states:
Start computer –Select cdrom support - Change A:\> to C:\>Windows and finally type win then press Enter whereupon the Windows Desktop comes on screen (in Safe Mode). I know this to be true from past experience when checking out previous Startup disks. However in your last post you say…… AND, the reason you could not launch into windows after booting from the floppy, is quite simply that this is not win3.x but win9x, where you don't do that.
You then go on to say….......
IF you really want a floppy which is able to boot into windows, you can read the method in butter (from within windows it is quite simple, as long as you have "show hidden and system files" and "show known extentions" in folder options.) and btw, I recommend you make that EBD too, and see the differences for yourself….......

However Jaak in your very first reply dated 4 March marked 3. you said (referring to the EBD)... It will not boot into Windows 98 it will only allow you to get to the A:\> prompt and will load a cdrom driver so you can access your cdrom and allow working in DOS, which is useless unless you completely understand DOS and what you are looking for.......

May I ask you to elaborate on the above because I am obviously a little confused by your comments as to what kind of Startup disk, Bootdisk, Rescue disk, Emergency disk..call it what you like..is supposed to boot into Windows?

May I also ask you to elaborate on your comment:
What “butter” means followed by (from within windows it is quite simple, as long as you have "show hidden and system files" and "show known extentions" in folder options.)

In fact under Windows>Tools>Options "Show all files" has always been ticked on my computer and "Hide file extensions for known file types" has always been unticked ......but how does this all tie in with booting into Windows?

Reference your request for me to post content of the hard drive's autoexec.bat and config.sys (those at root)……I looked in C: and there was no autoexec.bat but there was an 'autoexec…Batch file' which when I pressed it things started happening as though it was about to re-boot up windows, so I stopped it and instead have sent you the autoexec.bak plus the config.sys. Reference the autoexec.bak I would mention that I no longer have any Norton programs other than Norton Uninstaller Deluxe (for removing programs) and the only reference to Bitware I can find is C:\Program Files\Cheyenne BitWare which has a Readme file 1kb which Windows reports it can't find, and an Uninstal file 1kb which I am loath to press in case it does something I may be sorry for!

Autoexec.bak
@C:\PROGRA~1\NORTON~4\NAVDX.EXE /Startup
@REM Added by Norton Utilities
@CALL REGPACK
mode con codepage prepare=((850) C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\ega.cpi)
mode con codepage select=850
keyb uk,,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\keyboard.sys

PATH C:\BITWARE\;


Config.sys
device=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\display.sys con=(ega,,1)
Country=044,850,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\country.sys

Kind regards,
Pat

[jtdoom]

hi

booters...
the one made from control panel, software, is often called a start disk, and it is the one I call setup disk, because it loads a ramdrive during boot, and its dialogs are about windows setup.

the EBD, aka emergency boot disk, is the one made directly from fat32ebd which is a file on the cdrom
this behaves different in that it loads no ramdrive, and don't have a menu dialog..

and butter is that long thread about bootdisks I use for signature line.
in there, you can read how one can make a bootable floppy which launches you straight into windows.

now, why can you not boot straight into windows from a floppy you systemised, or from the ebd, or from the setup/start floppy?

in win 3.x this could be done
one could boot into DOS (from a floppy), and then still load windows from within DOS. (c:\windows\win loaded windows)
in win98, this don't normally work, because of changes made to C:\IO.sys and MSDOS.SYS during windows setup.
In these files, setup places configuration info, and some of it is about paths.
(when you boot from a dosfloppy, and try launch into windows by executing C:\windows\win, then ifshhelp.sys and command.com (etc) are not found.)

now, when one formats and systemises a floppy in win98, and then copies the systemfiles IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS (and config.sys and autoexec.bat) from root of C: to the floppy (overwriting the ones there), then this floppy will launch you straight into windows.
this time, ifshhelp.sys etc is found, because the whereabouts info is in the files on floppy.

is this special one a useful floppy?
yes, this can come in usefull if rootfiles from C: got damaged...

But, that particular disk won't do you good if it is your only booter... You should also make the EBD, and the standard start disk.
With the help of commands these floppies provide, (in particular, sys.com, attrib and copy), you can then repair the C: rootfiles with the copy you have on that floppy from pure DOS command prompt, or you can make that special one boot you into windows, and copy them back from within windows.

read butter, and you will see there is a lot of stuff in there.
My native language is Dutch (Flemish, actually) so the explanations have suffered at times.
(the links in there are worth investigating too, of course)