Windows 98 will not boot up even with bootdisk

When I boot to safe mode, I get a "Explorer has caused an exception 6doo7eH in module explorer.exe at 0167:0040a067." error box. The computer then stops booting into safe mode and just sits there. =S

More help...

Brewrocker

Boot up with the W98 bootdisk......and when you get to the A: prompt, type

SCANREG /FIX

If that doesn't let you then boot to windows or safemode, go back with the bootdisk and type

SCANREG /RESTORE

and see if one of the dates appearing for choices has one far enough back to let windows restore a good working registry....and then reboot without the disk again.

TONI

Everytime I place the boot disk into A: and restart, it tells me to remove non-system disk and hit any key to restart. I've tried various versions of the Windows 98 system bootdisks and none of the versions are seeming to be able to boot the computer up. Is there a way to make a boot disk from the dos prompt on this computer? Or will it have to use the same bad file (whichever one it is on the computer now) that is causing the computer to not boot up now (thus defeating the purpose of making a boot disk)?

Thanks,

Brewrocker

Although it's nice to have working boot disk, it's not necessary at the moment. If you know how to boot in Safe Mode (and apparantly you do) you can boot into MS-DOS the same way (different choice in the boot menu). Then type the scanreg /fix (or probably you need scanreg /restore, I think) commands Toni suggested. That's all.

Then to the boot disk. A non-bootable disk (non-system disk) is not a bootdisk, as you recognize already, so - given the message received, whatever you call them, it's just 4 non-boot disks. The three ways easy ways to make a boot diskette:
a) Config Panel>Add and Remove software
b) locate and run bootdisk.bat on your PC
c) go to www.bootdisk.com, download a program to make it, and RUN that program (don't just copy it to the diskette)
It's a good idea to try if it works before you need it.

Not to forget: the probable cause of your initial Explorer problem is a virus or spyware. When up and running again, go and find it!

Kees

Herein lies my problem... When I try to boot it into safe mode, I get the Explorer error and explorer.exe shuts down, therefore the desktop never loads up. I'm left with a blank desktop with no icons and no explorer bar and not being able to do anything.

I'm wondering if I can or should put a second hard drive in the computer with a working windows program on it and use that one as the master hdd to be able to go in and correct his primary hdd. Is this a workable option for me?

Thanks for the input and advice,

Brewrocker

To boot in Safe Mode, you press ctrl or f8 to get into the boot menu and choose Safe Mode (by head: 3) to continue. And that goes wrong.

To boot in MS-DOS, you press ctrl or f8 to get into the boot menu and choose MS-DOS (by head: 5, but have a look at the menu to be sure) to continue. And then you are in MS-DOS, more or less like you booted from a boot diskette. And you can restore the registry, and that has a fair chance to correct your immediate problem.

As the state of affairs is, I wouldn't advice to tamper with an another hard disk.

Good luck,


Kees

EXPLORER.EXE ERROR AND CAN'T GET TO THE DESKTOP IN EITHER NORMAL OR SAFEMODE

Error Message: Error Loading Explorer.exe You Must Reinstall Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q299/2/96.ASP

Thank you, I'll try these suggestions and hopefully all will be well.

Brewrocker

you said Is there a way to make a boot disk from the dos prompt on this computer?

if you have a DOS prompt, where is your problem?

if you get the non-system disk error,there are two possible reasons:
A: there is no floppy in the drive and your HD is kaput! OR
B: you have a floppy in the drive BUT you don't (IMO) have a proper boot disk


.

Like someone said,you use the floppy too get into DOS to format,go from drive C too D too set up with CD ROM.Their are two Boot floppys, I use the one thats says Windows boot disk.

1. When booting a system with a Windows 98 Startup Disk, a boot menu appears offering two options - to load with or without CD-ROM support. After a selection is make, the process continues. The CD-Rom process builds a 2MB RAMDrive (virtual drive). The drive designation is the VERY next drive letter following the last hard drive designation already on a system. IOW, the current assigned CD-ROM drive letter is pushed +1 drive letter ahead from what it was before booting with the EBD. Example:

a. You have one hard disk drive with three designated drives/and/or/partitions; Drives C:\, D:\ and E:\.

b. You have one CD-ROM drive F:\

c. You have one DVD drive G:\

d. Therefore, the RAMDrive will be designated F:\ and your prior drives F:\ = G:\, and G:\ = H:\. Perhaps these two may even swap drive designations because of certain system anomalies.

Caveat: Not every CD-ROM drive is supported by the drivers included on the Windows 98 Startup disk/EBD. If your CD-ROM drive does not function with the included default drivers, you must use the drivers that came with your CD-ROM drive or acquire them elsewhere. Copy those drivers onto the disk and perhaps it may be necessary to edit the configuration files to ensure they are appropriately referenced on boot.

2. A RAMDrive is created where the EBD.CAB files are extracted before certain MS-DOS commands can be used. Essentially, this virtual drive emulates a physical hard drive on a system and is created where the EBD.CAB files are uncompress:

Attrib.exe - Add or remove file attributes
Chkdsk.exe - A simpler and smaller disk status tool
Debug.exe - Debugging utility
Edit.com - Real-mode emergency text editor
Ext.exe - New, simple file extract utility
Format.com - Disk format tool
Mscdex.exe - Microsoft CD-ROM file extension for MS-DOS
Scandisk.exe - Disk status tool
Scandisk.ini - Disk status tool configuration file
Sys.com - Transfers system files and make disk bootable
Uninstal.exe - A tool to remove Windows 98 from the system and return the system to its previous state

Note: Should the MS-DOS command dir be performed on the newly created Startup disk the above files are not reflected, and they are not usable until the extraction has been performed. Several of the other necessary MS-DOS maintenance tools are provided separately as standalone files.

3. Depending on the version of Windows, Setup will place an EBD sub folder to Windows\Command folder, consist of the following twenty-two files:

ASPI2DOS.SYS
ASPI4DOS.SYS
ASPI8DOS.SYS
ASPI8U2 .SYS
ASPICD.SYS
AUTOEXEC.BAT
BTCDROM .SYS
*BTDOSM.SYS
COMMAND.COM
CONFIG.SYS
DRVSPACE.BIN
EBD.CAB
EBD.SYS
EXTRACT.EXE
FDISK.EXE
FINDRAMD.EXE
FLASHPT.SYS
HIMEM.SYS
IO.SYS
*MSDOS.SYS
OAKCDROM.SYS
RAMDRIVE.SYS
README.TXT
SETRAMD.BAT = 24 files

Note: Except for the following, a Startup disk/EBD created either by running Bootdisk.bat or from Windows are:

BTDOSM.SYS = by the Bootdisk.bat
EBD.SYS = by Windows, which is a 0-byte file (worthless)
MSDOS.SYS = by Windows

4. What a Startup disk/EBD is and what is it used for?

a. An EBD will not be very useful unless a new backup is created each time certain significant changes are made to a system, particularly if you compress a drive. Get in the habit of creating an EBD each time Windows Setup is run and at any time you feel appropriate.

b. An EBD/Startup disk is nothing more that an open door to the system and provides a bunch of DOS tools. It provides few peripheral drivers (See list in #2 above) and you cannot start the GUI environment (Windows) after booting with it, [Q178947].

Warning Icon: If a floppy is not a System Bootable Floppy, it will not function. If you used the Windows procedure next or the file located in the system Command folder then the floppy will contain system files.

? Be sure this floppy is write-protected at all times

5. To create a Startup disk/Emergency Boot Disk (EBD) (Click to see an example screenshot), click Start, Settings, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, Startup Disk, Create Disk..., and follow the instruction.

6. If you do not have an EBD to access the computer system, Windows cannot be booted, and therefore, you have no means of downloading from the Web, then perhaps it could be created from the MS-DOS command prompt, provided the system will even boot. In the Windows "Command" folder is a file named Bootdisk.bat which can be used to create an EBD.

a. Crank the computer up until you see the command prompt. Hopefully, this will be shown as "C:". If not, then enter that and press Enter. If you cannot change to "C:" then there is no need trying further. Otherwise, continue...

b. Insert a floppy disk into drive A.

c. Type the following commands, pressing Enter upon completion of each line. Case is irrelevant:

Note: Line #2 is not required for the actual creation of the Startup disk itself and may be left off since it is used only to speed the creation of the startup disk, which doesn't take that long.

cd windows\command
smartdrv.exe
bootdisk a:

d. Follow the instructions on the screen to finish.

7. "BootDisk.com" is a good source for acquiring a copy of an EBD/Startup disk for the particular version of Windows.

a. After the ?.EXE has downloaded, find and double-click it. (? will depend on the version selected but for Windows 98 it's, Win98.exe).

b. Follow the instructions after the WinImageExtractor appears - I assume that each of their files include this utility.

c. Place a floppy in drive A:\ as instructed by the first box checked. Also note the section "Writing on Floppy", which give you certain options.

d. Click OK to continue.

e. Caveats:

(1) The instructions shown in paragraph #1 above is not true with this download. The CD drive designation after boot is labeled drive R:\, and the device is named Banana.

(2) If there are drivers which you know your system must have to boot and operate properly in the MS-DOS (real-mode) environment, I suggest you ensure these files are copied to the EBD so they are available.

f. Boot the system with this EBD and ensure everything operates properly.

Note: If the system's CMOS is set for booting from the hard disk first, you must change the options so the system boots first from a floppy drive.

g. Once the system is up and running make sure the CD-ROM drive and any other essential devices are accessible and working correctly. The time to fix any mistakes is NOW while the hard disk is functioning and you have ready access to all files.

8. "Cannot Gain Access to Multiple CD-ROM Drives Using Startup Disk".

Note: The content of this article explains how to edit the default information on the Windows 98 Startup disk concerning the particular CD-ROM accessed during boot. IOW, the device identification contained may read D:\MSCD00? - where ? equals CD-ROM drive identification and that identification required for your computer may be different.

9. Supplemental reading:

a. "Manually Updating the Startup Disk After Installing MS Plus! (Q136900)".

b. "How to Create a Windows 98 Startup Disk from MS-DOS (Q186300)."

c. "How to Create a Windows 98 Startup Disk that Supports FAT32 (Q187532)."