Errors with startup

[Kerrek]

Hi there. I recieved an old Win 95 computer from a friend, and upon startup I recieve these errors:

"The following file is missing or corrupted: C:/WINDOWS/HIMEM.SYS"
"The following file is missing or corrupted: C:/WINDOWS/DBLBUFF.SYS"
"The following file is missing or corrupted: C:/WINDOWS/IFSHLP.SYS"

I've already created the correct 95 startup disk from bootdisk.com, and cannot get it to fix these three errors.

I've also checked the hardware components - everything is connected and working properly (minus the errors upon startup).

Any help would be appreciated...thank you much for your help and time.

[mattpg1]

I might not know what I'm talking about here but:

could you find those 3 files on a companion or backup or installation CD maybe or perhaps a friends computer running Win95 and copy them to C:\WINDOWS selecting yes if it asks you to overwrite?

Let us know how it goes.

[Kerrek]

I don't have a 95 startup CD unfortunatly. I'm just hoping that I don't have to locate one, because thats gonna make things a bit difficult.

Also...while searching around Google I found this:

http://forums.windrivers.com/archive/index.php/t-61182

I have no idea if that's gonna help my problem at all, but at this point I'm willing to try anything.

Any other suggestions besides finding a 95 startup disc and moving further along with this issue? :hmm:

[Wainui]

Kerrek,
There is no such thing as a Windows 95 Startup CD but there is a Windows 95 Startup floppy disk. If you dont have one you can download it from bootdisk.com (http://www.bootdisk.com) Better still get a Windows 98 Startup disk.

You will need a Windows 95 CD-Rom and when you get one have a read of this Tutorial (http://www.cybertechhelp.com/html/tutorials/tutorial.php/id/39)

[hatimania]

frist file is high memory file , so got prb in boot
run any startup disk ,then type this sfc /scanboot

or fdisk /mbr

i hope it works

[Kerrek]

Kerrek,
There is no such thing as a Windows 95 Startup CD but there is a Windows 95 Startup floppy disk. If you dont have one you can download it from bootdisk.com (http://www.bootdisk.com/) Better still get a Windows 98 Startup disk.

You will need a Windows 95 CD-Rom and when you get one have a read of this Tutorial (http://www.cybertechhelp.com/html/tutorials/tutorial.php/id/39)Thanks for the clarification, but this still doesnt answer my question. I'm not looking to install Windows 98, but instead get 95 to function properly.

Hatimania: Thanks for the suggestion - I'll give it a try.

[tetonbob]

The reason Wainui suggested the Win98 Startup floppy is that it has CD ROM support built in, a Win95 startup floppy does not. This will come in very handy when you go to install your Windows 95 from the Installation CD. It doesn't matter which OS you want to install, the Win98 startup floppy will help you in either case.

[mattpg1]

What kind and company computer is it? Is it a laptop?
Also, I don't think it's been made clear if you have a Win95 CD for installation?

[Kerrek]

Okay, maybe I didn't make this clear. Sorry. :hmm:

I'm not trying to re-install the 95 OS. I need to get the OS up and working, as it is, so I can save whatever important information is left on the computer, then scrap it. I don't have a Windows 95 CD, or a Windows 98 CD for that matter. I only have the 95 and 98 bootdisks from bootdisk.com.

The issue that I have is the one mentioned in my first post: the three "missing and corrupt files". I need to figure out some way to fix those files, or something...just to make the computer start and run somewhat stable for enough time to save what I need on it, then scrap it.

If in order to fix this problem that I NEED the Windows 95 and/or the Windows 98 CD's (not the boot floppy's), I doubt I will be able to fix the computer, because I have no access to either. :(

Sorry to confuse any that I may have.....hope this helps. Again, I appreciate everyone's help. Thanks.

[Kerrek]

What kind and company computer is it? Is it a laptop?
Also, I don't think it's been made clear if you have a Win95 CD for installation? "Compaq DeskPro". Its a really really old desktop. Thats all I know about it.

[tetonbob]

OK, that clears things up. You want to save data, you need access to the C drive.

try mattpg1's idea. After booting with a startup disk, do this:

To copy the file from the floppy, type

copy a:\himem.sys c:\windows then hit the enter key

You need to observe spaces and direction of slashes etc. Repeat for the other files. You can add them to the startup disk, or make another floppy and copy from there once you've booted to the A prompt.

If that doesn't work

Using a Win98 boot disk, start your system. From the A prompt, change to C:\ then type
scanreg /restore and hit the enter key.

Another tack-

You can always slave the Hard drive to another system to save any data you care about. It won't matter then about missing files needed for boot.

[Kerrek]

Thanks tetonbob. I'll try and locate those three files, copy them, then do as you say. If that doesn't work....then well I'll give the slave thing a try (good idea btw, didnt think about that), but thats gonna be a ton more work than I had anticipated. But I'll do anything to get this to work at this point.

Anybody have any other suggestions in case this doesn't work? Thanks

[mattpg1]

If you can't find the 3 files yourself, I found them on my computer running Win95. If you're trusting enough to Private Message me your email address I'll send them.

[Kerrek]

Okay believe it or not, I actually found a Windows 95 CD. A friend of mine happened to have one at his house, and I just go it from him today.

So now I'm stuck again. Should I try and reinstall the system files? Will doing that effect any of the program files, like the ones I am trying to save from the hard drive? Again, I'm not aiming to re-format the HD, but rather get the system files to work again so I can get onto it and get what I need off of it.

Again, thanks everyone for your help. :)

[tetonbob]

Well, first, I think I would try to copy the files from a working computer running Win95 to the C:\Windows folder of the affected system.

If that doesn't work, then I would try to reinstall. A dirty install almost always maintains all data and settings...I've not had one go wrong, but I always back up any valued data first, just in case.

The only reason I don't suggest this first is that you seem to have no way to back up your data. Also, I don't think Windows 95 was as successful as 98 or ME at a reinstall over the top. Meaning data can be lost sometimes, and sometimes the system can get even more twisted.

My opinion only, at this point. Any more learned others care to chime in?

[Kerrek]

Okay, I used the 95 CD, did a re-install of the OS, and went into the computer to find the files I needed gone. As it turns out...the re-installation of 95 caused a complete wipe of the files that I needed to save. :upset:

I friend of mine suggested that because the computer itself is so old that perhaps the HD just died, or took physical damage, and caused most of the system files and other things that were old on the HD to be corrupted, lost, or deleted.

In any case....I'm wishing now I just would have slaved the drive first to see what I could have saved off of it, before going in and wiping the data on accident (I think it was accidental, not sure atm).

Thank you everyone for your help, in any case. Sorry to cause so much trouble. Looks like I'm just gonna trash the HD and get a new machine for my friend. :(

[tetonbob]

Argh!

Sorry there's no happy ending to this story. I wish I could have been more helpful. As you now know firsthand, that's why we back up data first. I hope I was clear enough on that issue. The only way I could think of to have done that with an unresponsive drive would have been to slave it to another system.

I'm not convinced the drive itself is physically bad, just corrupted. If the install was successful (other than wiping your data), I'd say the drive is fine. Your call, of course, but you could now format it and install Win95. That way you would be more certain you were starting with a clean slate. You could also get the manufacturer's diagnostic program and run it to be sure there is no physical damage.

[mattpg1]

You may want to try one of these here

http://www.cybertechhelp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46701

[Kerrek]

Thanks guys. I'll do what I can to see what's left of what I think is a dead HD. :(