EMM386 won't load on boot

That is the entire problem.
Think of your files on the hard drive as roads, and the File Allocation Table [FAT] as the map to those roads. And also confirms something for me, concerning the Invalid Long Filename message and the FAT file on FAT32 partitions and scandisk for dos, though my first observation was of a FAT16 partition and Track 0.
I would say searching for the file would be fruitless as the file is the FAT file.
Formatting the drive is the only repair I could recommend, after files that can be copied are done.

 

hi all

I keep thinking of what BB said:

and I keep on finding it very strange that blakston could get into windows at all, but he could (after a fashion)

and I keep on wondering what could be running in protected mode when there isn't any protected mode

but what if the line in CONFIG.SYS which references EMM386 had somehow become duplicated? don't ask me how it happened - but consider what might result:

the first would load up and provide protected mode -
the second would refuse? (complete guess) and give the error message

we might have been assuming that it wasn't loading when it was there all the time?

when I can later today I will back up C: to spare partition on my PC and (somewhat nervously) try to emulate:
1. missing EMM386 (to see if windows stands any chance of launching)
2. double reference to EMM386 (to see what happens)

I am trusting that I can restore the partition (using bootable floppy) to get out of this one!

would an attempt to rescue blaklog's BOOTLOG.TXT and/or BOOTLOG.PRV be useful? They are a notch bigger than the others but we might only need the first part...

best wishes, HJ zzzzzzzzzzzzz

ps markp - a tip of the hat to you, for thinking of the 16?s to spot long names, elegant and useful. - but, I still cannot repeat this from startup floppy here?? OK very tired, 2nd all nighter on this one, but: I've typed it in 3 times now and still no joy. I'd have thought just by law of averages I might get it correct once! It works as you say if I use either DOS prompt available from within the windows environment. I haven't tried restarting into MSDOS mode to do it yet. must get a few hours kip...

 

further to previous: results:

I edited CONFIG.SYS to repeat the line for EMM386 so that it would try to load twice, making no other changes (ie left HIMEM line as it was) and found the following message upon restarting:

EMM386 not installed - Protected Mode Software already running

(give or take upper/lower case)

the PC continued by itself after a short pause - and Windows lauched very normally; when I inspected (the top of) BOOTLOG.TXT I found no difference from what I normally get; there were the normal pair of lines for loading... and load success; but no further mention of EMM386

When I tried removing the line referring to EMM386 the PC booted quite normally - it must have that one sussed! BOOTLOG.TXT looked totally normal; and checking CONFIG.SYS afterwards showed the EMM386 line was still absent - no automatic repair job.

(although has some software on blakston's PC has ?tried some sort of auto-repair - or tried to replace track0 even - just a funny feeling)

gotta go, good luck all, HJ

 

Actually unless you have some older DOS software that requires it there is no need for EMM386 or HIMEM.SYS.

On my former 98SE they were only there for use by ONE DOS program.

Any version of Windows 95 and up does not need a Config.sys or Autoexec.bat unless you are running some DOS software.

And the CDROM Driver loaded from the Config.sys has been known to keep Windows in the DOS compatability Mode. ( 16bit and not 32 bit )

Although in 98SE the Autoexec.bat is usefull for a Path and SET commands.

ie: SET TMP=C:\Windows\TEMP or SET TEMP=C:\Windows\TEMP.

Also the DOS audio is set in the Autoexec.bat. But if you do not run DOS software that is not needed either.

BillyBob

 

Hello,
I have read the previous posts and somewhat understand. But I am not sure what we are doing here.
The protected mode message did and still does appear on bootup no matter what way I start up.

For the sake of me not getting confused because of tooooooo much information.....can we please keep this simple. Most of the things everyone is talking about are way over my head.

I am, as Hugh said before, a musician and composer. I have a recording studio with all analog equipment in it because I don't trust digital electronics because from what I have seen they are sooooo much trouble to work with by the time I would get them working correctly my inspiration would have disappeared a long time ago.

It sounds to me like the so called expert that set up my computer in 1999 really wasn't that astute. and ended up putting things together with a lot of potential problems. I simply trusted the wrong person. The helpful people (all of you) at Support BBS have been hekping me keep this computer alive all these years.
Maybe this computer is simply at it's limit for being able to be rerouted around all the inherent problems programed at birth.


SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Is there a way to load everything from my C Drive to my partition D Drive successfully and then strip the C Drive clean totally and reformat it?

 

One straight answer to that NO !!. Key word being EVERYTHING.

If you copy EVERYTHING you will also be copying the parts that are WRONG also.

If you wish to copy Music files and date files from various programs that would be Ok. But not everything.

And all joking aside from what I have seen in this thread about WAY outdated files you would be better off to format and start clean. I know it is a little more work but may be well worth it.

BillyBob

 

HI BillyBob,
So basically is everything on my drive is too ******* up because of that bad file allocation message?

 

That is my feeling.

From some things that I have read in this thread I have a strong feeling that there has been a version crossup somewhere.

I myself would not trust it.

BB

 

I agree it looks like I have a great big bunch of things that should not be there.
Is there no way to piece by piece delete things that are creating the problems?

 

Is Microsoft XP Home Edition, Version 2002..... straight from the CD for PCs without Windows..... a better system than my Windows 98SE CD for PCs without Windows.
I have read pros and cons about it......but the cons were mainly from people who tried to upgrade from another Windows.
My friend has an XP CD.
If I have to start fresh I would like to do everything I can to eliminate any potential problems I can and install the best system onto a totally cleaned out and renewed computer.

 

I find it no better overall. XP just takes more getting use to than SE because it is a quite different OS.

Pros & Cons. Nothing new there. It depends greatly on the condition of the system you are upgrading over.

In your case I would say NO NO NO to over top. Too much existing un-need stuff.

I put XP Pro in clean and had nuttin but headaches.

But it in over top of 98SE and Absolutely NO PROBLEMS. There are things that I had to find different ways of doing and more automatic stuff to be shutdown but no real problems whatsoever.

But I will say this. If the exixting system has problems and upgrade over top may well be no better or even worse. I myself did not upgrade to fix any problems. I had none to fix.

BillyBob

 

BillyBob,
Can I transfer selective files from my C Drive to the Partition D Then wipe out C and reload Windows 98SE clean onto Drive C. Or does the fact that they are both on the same physical Hard Drive make that impossible?

 

hi blackston,

the way I'd go at it would still be to take advantage of the fact that your W98 CD is the full works

if you can:

it looks as if it would be wisest to get a new HDD ~same size as old, at least big enough to take what you have at the moment and a bit of spare...

Make a fresh installation of Windows onto the new HDD. And then patch back the old HDD to shift your user files.

reasons: there has to be at least a possibility that the old HDD is about to fail - I still don't think it is a certainty, but it is surely a possibility.

You could guard against this... if all goes well you would end up with spare space, could use for backup?

with a fresh Windows to work with, moving the files and (pruning them!) becomes far easier and is less likely to go wrong.

the option here would be to get hold of smaller HDD, mini install new Windows onto it, and use that to do the moving... you only would need it for Windows Explorer and a virus buster.

although it is tempting to try to merely shunt them up to a higher partition, with the FAT not working OK this is risky.

In this situation, I think you would stand the best chance of salvaging your user files is you do nothing to C: for the moment - for quite a few reasons.

and isn't the chance to virus-bust all the old stuff, so that when it's in the new location, very tempting?

what do you reckon? GL, HJ

 

sorry BB I wasn't trying to jump the gun only just seen blakstons question to you

I really think its a better bet if the new W98 could go onto a separate HDD, particularly if the old one's about to fail

**edit ** I didn't suggest trying to scandisk C: last night, and still think it's not a good idea to attempt this - if there's any chance of getting clean install onto separate HDD that is

in a way this could be a timely warning? in terms of salvaging the user files - warning the old HDD's going to die soon

GL, HJ

 

You can transfer any individual software data files that you want AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT OS FILES

Stuff from MY documents is one example.

And Jpeg, midi or.wav files in another.

But any OS files NO. Even if you wnet back in with the same OS. It would be VERY RISKY to use anything from the old OS. And with your system the way it is I believe it might even be dangerous.

You DO NOT WANT ANY of the old OS files. They WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY in the new.

But in order to get a good soild system ALL software should be re-installed. Then you could transfer the data files back. But not the PROGRAM FILES.

BillyBob

 

Hi Hugh,
Since Drive C is only 15 gigabytes big if I get a 20 gigabyte Hard Drive I could transfer all the stuff?????
Yes........it would be extremely interesting to me to Virus Scan every file and directory to find where it's hiding.
What Anti Virus Program is Powerful enough to dig deep enough to find a hidden, possibly undiscovered, virus?

The big question is......... are my files too corrupted to fix?

Is, maybe, my problem as BillyBob stated just a great big mess of things that don't belong on my computer complicating my files .
Can I really trust that they are repairable at this point?

 

It is possible I suppose but I do not think this is a Virus problem.

Hugh Jarss may well have the better idea about using a completely separate HD to but the new OS on.

I kind of agree because that would absolutley prevent Windows from picking up anything from the old system.

Which it can and will do if it is present on the HD.

And if it should be be Virus related and new HD would iliimminate that also.

Personally I do not think so.

BillyBob

 

BillyBob,,,,,,Could it be this started out a Virus problem and the process let my inate problems grow into wild card problems that expanded out of control?
Almost like a Joker finding a little corruption and financing it into total chaos.
Maybe a computer with so many big problems programed from the start just needed a little shove by a sneaky Virus to get really goofy like this.

 

I supposed that is possible. Again that maybe why a new HD would be better.

I am being called to dinner. B back later

BillyBob

 

OK..........so I get a new, say, 40 gig Hard Drive.
Put it in my computer and plug the connector into my secondary drive slot, or should I plug it into my Primary slot to load my windows 98SE on?

Then what do I do next?