start up issues

Windows 98 will load and then the start menu bar will flash and go away. Then if I push the windows button to bring up the menu bar it gives me a kernel32 error message. Also, I think there is a problem with my CD rom drive because before loading windows it says that there is an error in line 9 of config.sys which is where it talks about the drive. Help- I can't even reinstall windows 98 because it won't read from that drive.

 

Can you start up in safemode?

*Reboot
*Tap F8 keyboard key once your past the bios load stuff
(This is a matter of timing and can take more than a restart or two to catch just right.)
*This will get you to the bootmenu and a bootup option of "safemode ". Select safemode.

Also
Please quote the whole error and any details, if this error allows you to click on the "Details Button ".

====Alternative=====
Do you have a win98 emergency bootdisk (that allows access to your CD)?
http://bootdisk.com/

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What is the 9th line in your config.sys?
Not really important at this point. We'll get to that. First mission is getting into windows so you can tackle this the easier way.

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Sheesh...I almost forgot....
What did you do prior to this problem? In other words, any nfo you can supply to anything you may have done such as an update, an install/uninstall, using a particular program or application.....etc Background nfo can help to figure out what happened or at least help to pare down the possible causes.

 

here's whats happening- when loading it says that line 9 of the config.sys is missing or corrupted (Device = \dev\taisatap.sys ...)
When it goes to the windows splash screen I can see the start menu bar flash and then nothing comes up. When I hit the windows button on the keyboard, the following error message comes up- kernel 32 this progrram has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down. Then, it goes to the blue screen and says the following: fatal exception 06 has occurred at 0028:00000103. The computer will not reboot in safe mode and it will not using the emergency boot disk. All of this started happening when I was loading my daughters game and it needed to reboot for the settings to take affect. I manually deleted the program via the command prompt but this has not solved the problem. Help....

 

You may need a new boot floppy, go to Bootdisks and download a file that when double clicked with a floppy in the drive, it will create one for you.
Open your config.sys file using this command;
edit c:\config.sys
For every line beginning with 'device=' insert REM and space at the beginning of each line, except for this one 'device=c:\windows\himem.sys'. It needs to be there. Example;
REM Device= \dev\taisatap.sys
I am thinking you have a 16 bit driver loading up and is causing problems with windows. That one looks like a CD driver for dos.
Next, open the c:\autoexec.bat, look for anything loading that is not a bootup AV scanner, Norton and AVG sometimes has one, and use the REM to disable them. You could rename Autoexec.bat so that is not used at all, Win98 doesn't need it.
ren autoexec.bat autoexec.old

P.S. When using Edit, and to access the File Menu, hold the ALT and press F. Once you get the menu to open, release ALT and use arrow keys to move the cursor to highlight Save.

 

startup issues

Did all the stuff you said. It is still doing the same thing. This time I did get that kernel32 caused a general protection fault in module user.exe at 0003:000035f6. Also, I have noticed the hard disk light is staying on as well. Not sure what that means.

Here is my config.sys file:
rem lastdrive=z
device=C:\windows\himem.sys
dos=high,umb
rem device=c:\windows\emm386.exe
shell c:\command.com c:\ /e:1280 /p
files=40
rem device=\dev\taisatap.sys /d:mscd000 /n:1

thanks for your help.

 

I notice a shell command in your config.sys file that really shouldn't be there for running 98. Your Config.Sys file should just be this.
Device=C:\Windows\Himem.Sys
Dos=High,Umb
Files=40
When you deleted this program from the command prompt, this may not have been the thing to do. This may have left some shared file loading at startup, and is causing the Kernel32 error.
Or this game could have overwritten a system file with an older version, a 'restart for setting to take affect' is when this would happen.
What game was this?
You may need to run the System File Checker in Safe Mode by press F8 when you see 'Starting Windows 98'. Start\Run, type in SFC and press Enter will get you there. If you do get into Safe Mode, go to Start\Run, type in Msconfig and press Enter and disable everything but Systray and both PowerProf entries to eliminate anything in the startup giving you problems in Normal Mode.
The following link has things to check for Kernel32 errors.
http://aumha.org/win4/a/kernel32.htm
Or, you just may need to do an overlay install of windows. I cannot guarantee this would work.
The boot floppy should get the CD drive working, by choosing With CD rom Support, watch the screen for the letter for the CD, it will not be the normal letter. It could be E or may be R, it will be the last thing you see before the A:> appears.

 

Rename config.sys to config.bak and autoexec.bat to autoexec.bak and reboot.
These files are not required to run Win98.

Best

 

Hello again Frenchicon,

It's been a few days and you have not checked into your post to report on your progress or to report on the results from the suggestions added since you last checked in.

How are you coming along on this?

What was the game that caused this headache?

Sure sounds like this game has made a few changes that has upset your hardware devices or has over written files it had no business messing with.

I'd sure be interested in what this game is so I can have a peek at what it does. It may help to shed some light on what ever major malfunction is now going on.

Will wait to hear from you.....

========
By the way....
That device line for your cd would be wrong anyway since it does not have the full path to your driver. It should be something like:
device=c:\dev\taisatap.sys /d:mscd000 /n:1

Notice the c:\ included in the path statement. In other words this line should reflect the full path to the folder you have the taisatap.sys driver in.

Also it would need the companion "mscdex line" in autoexec.bat. file