Missing or corrupt files in Config.sys

Recently I upgraded my Compaq Presario 5738 Pentium III desk top from a 128RAM to a 384 (max allowed), and added a second hd of 40 gig (the original being 12 gigs). The speed is 450 mhz (I think, maybe more, but not less). The computer worked great (even though on dial-up) until this past week. The computer went into sleep mode and I could not get it to boot up. So, I shut it down by pressing the off button. It started to do a scan disk (to check errors in drives) and then a quick message flickered across the screen - all I could read was "FAT1 error..." It booted me off, so I did a cold boot and tried to start it again. This time I got a black window which gave me options, of which I selected the "Safe Mode." That took me to the WINDOWS 98 screen and it froze. I had to reboot the same way (cold) to shut it down and start it up again. This time it froze after the COMPAQ window was displayed. After several attempts to shut-down and start-up, all I could get was a black screen with the cursor blinking in the upper left hand side of the screen. Eventually, after several minutes the WINDOWS 98 window came up and froze there. I tapped the F8 button until the options window came up. I clicked on Safe mode, again. No response. After several minutes, a few lines popped up with the following:
"The following file is missing or corrupt:
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\CPQIDECD.SYS
There is an error Config.sys file on line 7

I need to know how to reinstall that file or repair it, if possible. I do not want to do a complete restore (since, I have several photos of family that I cannot replace on the hard-drive), unless left with NO choice absolutely.

I went online to the Compaq site for tech assistance, and was unable to get connected. I checked with another tech forum, and to-date no one has been able to help me solve this problem.

I hope someone here can help me.

Thanks!

LeLe

 

Hi and welcome to the BBS,

If you are getting errors at all stages of startup (especially stopping before Windows starts to load...the Compaq screen), the problem will most likely be with hardware.

You have changed drives, etc. I might suspect a loose connection. Pull out and reseat the drive connectors and also the RAM modules. Don't discount that other connectors may have become loose (like the connectors on the secondary drive cable).

Check all the hardware connections first before trying to solve a software problem that may just be a "result ".

Matt

 

upgrade

after a upgrade your syestem may not be able to find the upgrade, it's been awhile since i've read about that problem. i will dig thru my books. i think you may have to go into bios or do a clean install in clean it has a section where it locates your system config. and downloads to fit. I' will get my books and be back.

 

Some Progress

Dear Matt & Dytrog,
Thank you, both for responding. Every bit of advice is welcome!

Since last night, I was fortunate enough to find a 'start-up' disk I had made some years ago. So, I used it to access the Start-up window and have been doing a scan disk (it's taking hours!). In fact, I left it doing a surface scan - which I hope will give me a clue or will have replaced/repaired the corrupted file, if that is possible. (I will try anything, at this point.) I really don't know if this will correct the problem.

Matt, I really don't think it's a loose connection. But, I will check tonight when I get home. Although, when the computer company here in town added more hd memory, it did so by adding another hd. So, if there is a switch over from drive to drive problem, that may be the cause. But, I'm not sure which drive is which, since I can't get to that part of the puter to check, unless the scan creates a clean path for me to access it. When it did the scan on drive 'c,' it gave me a message that there were still 'errors on drive c." I'm not sure what those errors are - I suspect it's still the 'missing or corrupt file' in my Config.sys (mentioned in my first post). The other drives have been scanned, and no problems arose. The surface scan was still in progress when I came to work, so, I don't have those results to share at this time.

I am hoping for the best.

Thanks, again for responding.

LeLe

 

Yer welcome

I never did find the ref. i was looking for. I got a 98 from a friend to repair. i finally got it to scan disk full scan. took hr's. LOL .After that i could net and repair and update. think you got it now. GL

 

Question

Perhaps one of you can help me with this question.

I am trying to avoid doing a total restore on my puter. I do have the restore disks that came with the puter, but am aware that a total restore will erase all my current files, which I DO not want to lose.

Is it possible to copy the missing/currupt file from my restore disk(s)?? And, if so, how can I do this? (Not having done this before, I don't want to risk having it automatically going into full 'restore,' if I put the disks in the cd drive, and thus risk losing my files. *showing my in-expertise, here*)

Any suggestions? Or, am I barking up the wrong tree, here??

*Still grasping for straws*

LeLe

 

Fixing missing or corrupted file

Dytrog, thanks, again!
What think you of my question on extracting that particular file from my 'restore disks' to replace or fix the missing/corrupted file? Is that possible, without it kicking into full restore?

LeLe

(grrr...my typo! "What think you... ")

 

If it tells you what is missing you can tell it to look in the drive where the cd is. if it asks if you want to install "exit ". then have it look. Or right click drive letter where disc is then-explore and find file or what you need. are you able to write to disc? if so you could save files to cd.

 

That's what I was thinking, but I needed a confirmation from someone that has done this before. Alas, I think I have digressed from my 'intermediate' status to 'kinder-garten.' (hehe)

I will try that here at my work puter, since I can write to disk on this one. However, not having used the restore disks before, I have been concerned that it will 'take off like a horse out of the gates' before I can check that one file, only. (*wiping sweat off brow, time*)

Thank you for your help!

LeLe

 

YW-GL