Error message windows 98; can't reboot

so help me clear some space and let's load this puppy already

 

Beers appreciated mate, but you're not going to like the next order of business

Let's try with the safe option

Deltree \temp /y
Deltree \windows\temp /y

The above will remove temporary files (very unlikely to be useful) from your drive.

now

cd \
dir

Look for the number of bytes free (bottom line), if less than 300,000,000 you may not like the next options

del \windows\*.chk
del \win98\*.chk

The above will delete those erlier recovered files, but as I said the data is not easy to recover anyway and given our limited (ie virtually non existant) options for backup then I'd sacrifice them if it were me.

if you did decide to delete then check the number of free bytes again

dir

If around 300,000,000 then carry on with the install.

cd \win98
setup

 

Paddy: I didn't forget you;I tried the deltree \windows\temp /y and it said: now deleting windows/temp files and all subdirectories and the cursor just keeps flashing and flashing so I'm waiting for it to clear.I'll keep you posted

 

That's twice now, but I have to assume they're typos... otherwise you'd have been able to pull more errors out of the hat

There's a big difference between \ and /

you did mean to type

now deleting windows\temp didn't you?

I'll stay online for the next hour or so but it's 3:30 AM here so I'll need some kip soon.

 

the cursor is still flashing after about 10 minutes;shouldn't those files delete quicker then that?? What concerns me is a few lines above my entries is says:
CANNOT FIND WIN.COM;UNABLE TO CONTINUE LOADING WINDOWS
wHAT DOES THAT MEAN??
and the cursor continues to flash still

 

well paddy it just cleared and at the bottom of the screen the last two lines read as follows:
39 files 1,703,612 bytes
57 dir 261,259,264 bytes free
i won't do anything further til i hear from you, but if its 330am there go to bed already and write me tom

 

Ok if you want to do this in the meantime

cd \win98
setup

You should have cleared enough space, I'm going to bed but I'll be back in a few hours.

 

well paddy here's the latest: you told me i should have enough space and to try the cd \win98 setup which i did and it actually worked and went through the setup screen asking me for the installation folder and i typed WINDOWS replacing the WINDOWS.000 that was there as you directed me to do. It went throught the copying files area,but it never asked me to enter any product key information. i even made a windows startup disc on floppy drive as it directed me to do. then it said windows was going to restart which it did and it went to the windows 98 screen saying "starting windows for the first time ". it was continuing to load and i thought eureka and then it came to a message:
cannot find a device file that may be needed to run windows or a windows application.
the windows registry or SYSTEM.INI file refers to this device file,but the device file no longer exists.
if you deleted this file on purpose, try uninstalling the associated application
using it's uninstall or setup program.
if you still want to use the application associated with this device file try re-installingthat application to replace the missing file.
LMOUSE.VXD

then a flashing cursor came on as if it was going to try and fix things but it just flashed and flashed until the computer shut down.
any suggestions for when i try and restart this thing tomorrow?hope you slept well

 

Awesome work guys!

See if it will start in safe mode.

 

If safe mode boot is successful, let us know if your mouse works. Do you know how to navigate with the keyboard only?

 

when i did turn the computer back on it did go the windows startup screen with the 6 choices listed and safe mode was one of them. is safe mode the desired path to follow or should i try to start it in normal mode or one of the other choices? i have no idea how to navigate without the mouse. i did nothing so far as i was waiting for input from wildfire.

 

Choose safe mode. If your mouse does not work in safe mode, let me know when you post back and I can give you specifics for navigation with the keyboard.

 

so all i do is choose choice #3 for safe mode and it will load from there?

 

is it possible that my mouse might work or that i will be able to retrieve it to work?

 

Yes, option 3. You should be able to tell right away if the mouse works. Once safe mode loads you will get a message that states you are in safe mode and a box to click OK. If you cannot move your mouse to the button, just hit Enter.

We will be going after the source of the error message, which is mouse related, and once repaired, the mouse will work again (after reboot) and a normal boot should be possible.

 

thanks i'm going to try this tomorrow;please check back for the results;appreciate your valued input.

 

That's fine. I'm sure wildfire will be back online by then and will walk you through the rest.

 

And I thought you were taking over just as it was getting easy

Bill, we're almost there, things are looking good. As noahdfear suggested, try booting in safe mode, let me know if that works and if your mouse works?

 

Hello paddy'its 740am here in NY. anyway making progress it appears;did you read my past postings? I got to the windows startup menu and the mouse wasn't working but i was able to start safe mode by entering choice#3 with the keyboard enter key. the screen then went solid blue with safe mode written in 4 corners and then this message appeared:
windows cannot detect and install devices while it is running in safe mode.to detect and install your devices restart windows and don't choose safe mode.

the mouse then seemed to be working again with hour glass. another message then appeared telling me that safe mode fixes problems that keep you from running windows normally. problems could be caused by yout network or hardwareservices. make sure they are correct in control panel and then try starting windows again.

the screen then went to solid blue with safe mode written in the corners and it seems most of my desktop icons reappeared and the mouse seems operational. now what do i do? **** things are looking up paddy;hope you slept well my friend.
do i restart everything and if so how? getting excited that it may be restored.

 

Yep, read your posts, and had a reasonble few hours sleep. BTW Do you ever sleep?

OK, first thing I'd try is a simple restart, your OS may have repaired itself, but don't worry if the same error happens...

If the normal restart fails then restart in comand prompt only this time and we'll remove that error.

Let me know when you either have 98 in it's full glory or when you are facing that dire C:\> prompt