Windows Protection Error!!!

[spiderman_can]

I am having a problem with my computer which has Win98SE installed. When I start up my computer I get the following message:
"While Intializing Device VKD: Windows Protection Error. You Need to restart your Computer".
I have tried starting in safe mode and I get the same result. I went to MIcrosoft knowledge base and they say that VKD is virtual keyboard and they suggest to try a different keyboard. Well I tried another keyboard and I also tried without a keyboard plugged in, I still get the same message. Does anyone have any ideas?? Thanks In advance.

Spidey

[Force Flow]

I have the same problem. If I have my computer running every day for a succession of a few days, I get a "Windows Protection Error". As a result, it takes me about an hour of restarts to get it running again. If I leave it alone for an hour or two after I get the error, it boots up fine, though. Strange....

I done some research on the problem, but haven't found anything really conclusive.

[GaryRouth]

Sometimes it can be your RAM or your hard drive about to go south, and it was just your keyboard driver's lucky day to be the 1st one bonked. (it can be the files are already corrupt, or are corrupting loading into memory)

Various tools will test the memory for you (more thoroughly than that startup POST test that your motherboard runs at start) - a free download recommended here a lot is DocMemory http://www.simmtester.com

The maker of your hard drive will have a diagnostic program available for download at their website (DataLifeGuard for WDs, Powermax for Maxtors, SeaTools for Seagates, etc). The download is a program that creates a bootable floppy with the diagnostic tools on it. You boot with the floppy and run the diagnostics from there.

You can also use a Windows bootdisk and run a thorough ScanDisk.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[GaryRouth]

Hi again

. . . it's been a busy day, I didn't have time to add this earlier:

If the hard drive & memory test out OK, and a parade of different keyboards doesn't work (especially if they don't work in Safe Mode), see if you can boot with either your "Emergency Boot Diskette" or your Win98 CD - choose "start computer with CD support" - switch to the cd-drive's prompt (probably either D or E) - then try scanreg/restore & see if restoring to a saved Registry helps (it probably won't, but you might get lucky) -
At this point, you have the choice of 1) trying to extract that keyboard vxd and copying it to the correct location 2) renaming win.com to win.old and trying an in-place reinstall of Windows or 3) using a Ghost/Disk Image restore program to copy an earlier saved disk image.

My first guess is still that the drive has some bad blocks. . .
. . . Gary