Registry error - can't start system

[judester]

I just screwed up my system. I went into msconfig, startup, to delete some programs from the startup menu. I thought I knew every one of the programs and could saftely uncheck them. But when I tried to restart the computer I got a message that the system.ini file was missing.

I tried my two emergency boot disks, one a windows 98 floppy, and neither solved the problem. I got a blue screen with the message that there was a problem with the registry that could not be solved, and to run the windows setup again.

I am using my laptop to write this, hoping I can go somewhere to download something that will solve this problem. Ideas?

[Markoman01027]

Hello Judester,

Try installing Windows "over the top". That way you will get a new system.ini file.

[judester]

That would have been my next trick. But I can't find the Windows disk anywhere. I know I didn't throw it away but I may have left it at my daughter's home in Las Vegas (424 miles away). Any alternatives?

[GaryRouth]

Can you get to Safe mode with a bootdisk that matches your version of Windows from http://www.bootdisk.com . . . ?

If you can, try and undo your msconfig changes in Safe Mode & see if that gets a successful boot going. Also, while in Safe Mode, from Windows Explorer take a look at your C: drive and see if you have the Windows installation files there in a folder such as C:\Windows\Options\Cabs [if so, you can run an over-the-top install using those - if you haven't had to do this before, here's a quick guide:
_____________________________________
"over the top" reinstall: [which if successful won't destroy all your data]

To do this, boot with a bootable floppy or CD - "with CD-rom support", and from DOS rename the win.com file to win.bak. Like this

C:
cd \Windows
rename win.com win.bak

Then switch to the drive letter of your CD drive [often drive D:] -->OR switch to C:\Windows\Options\Cabs (if you're lucky enough to have the cabs copied onto your hard drive there), and start setup (by simply type the command: setup) When Windows asks if you want to use the directory C:\Windows.000, instead choose "Other" and type in C:\Windows [without the .000 following]. You'll need your CD-key handy.

If you've lost your CD-key: before you start the reinstall look for it by starting regedit from the Start/Run box, then navigate to the key (you navigate in regedit like you do in Windows Explorer) HKEY_Local_Machine/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion . . . if you click on "Current Version", you should see a list of keys and values in the box displaying on your right. One of these will read "ProductKey" and will consist of 5 sets of 5 alphanumeric characters = your CD key. Be careful when in regedit just to look at things and not make accidental changes.
____________________________________________

...and, on another track:
If you booted with a bootdisk from a different version, did you make any changes when you tried that?

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[judester]

Good suggestions. I will go to bootdisk.com and copy a file fro mthere and then see where I am, try these other things if I can. I was unable to get to safe mode before.

[Cricket]

Try this...boot your computer up and start tapping the Ctrl key to get to the Boot Menu. At the Boot Menu, choose the DOS prompt and hit Enter. At the c:\ prompt, type scanreg /restore and hit Enter. Chose a date from before the problem started and hit Enter. Then reboot the system and see if Windows will load.

Cricket

[judester]

I will try this when I get home later. But I have found that I am unable to switch from A: to C: when in DOS. My hard drives are connected to a Promise card. Could this be why? And if so, what can I do? The card is recognized and so are the drives when I boot.

[Cricket]

Try connecting the main hard drive to the primary IDE channel on the motherboard when you're trying to get this fixed.

Cricket

[judester]

Well, I can certainly do that. Don't know why I didn't think of it. thanks.

[GaryRouth]

Hi again

Good thing Cricket mentioned the keys for Safe Mode. I'm not sure what I was thinking Sunday: the bootdisks I mentioned will probably start the computer OK, and let you try the scanreg/restore command (if you try the onboard IDE) . . . .but they don't do much to get you to safe mode! ... Sorry bout that, I must have been taking a little holiday from common sense [. . . or off in refurbish land - I was working at the lab & fixing up two old puzzlers: an old Cyrix box and a PII Deskpro . . . the Deskpro came out wonderful. The Cyrix might be near it's death-rattle]

. . . by the way, if you keep a backup copy of your Registry on a CD-R or CD-RW, you can restore from that, too (as well as the saved dates on your hard drive)

. . . Gary

[ktkendall]

Are U sure that on the first page of the MSCONFIG utility U did not uncheck load sys.ini, and all U may need to do is just go in thrusafe mode and recheck it...

[judester]

Unfortunately, I have tried all of these things. I get into safe mode but all I get is an acqua screen. Nothing loads. Can't do anything. I tried restoring and it failed, no backup files. I guess because I also tried sys C:, which did me no good.

I am now on the track of figuring out which of my hard drives I copied onto this large hard drive. I have a total of five floating around. If I add that one to the cable I could copy the system.ini from there.

Oh yeah, and I created a new system.ini, following microsoft knowledgebase instructions, from something called system.db as I recall. It doesn't get me started. Says I am missing a couple of files I need to start some programs, then leads me to a white screen. This is the first time I have gotten a white screen.

[judester]

I am back!

First, I tried copying an old system.ini file from an old drive. This did not work. Then I tried booting from that old drive. That did not work.

I got into c:\windows\options\cabs and typed setup. I found the product key on the booklet that comes with the CD. I have lost some of my program files and therefore many things are not yet working but I am back back, online, alive, getting it all back, and I am SO relieved.

Thank you all for your help.

[ktkendall]

Unchecking everything out of your startup tab using MSCONFIG should not have caused such havoc, and I've even on W98 machine unchecked sys.ini, and win.ini on that first screen that came up, and the system was not good but it did boot. Next time before U tweak, go to the run box and type scanreg and when prompted to click yes to back it up, then do your tweaking, and if it gets all hosed, then just boot to dos and type scanreg /restore and load back that registry U jsut scanned and saved.....Always good to know these things after the fact isn't it????

[judester]

That's a good suggestion.

Bad news is that my computer is dead again. This morning, after getting a message that my cable connection was not working (which it was last night) I did the usual turning off of cable and computer, and when I restarted the computer I got the message that win.com can't be found, can't continue loading windows.

I recall that a few days ago, before the crash, I noticed that my DVD and CDR/RW drives were not being recognized. The drivers were found but the hardware was not. This was probably the first clue that somethign was up. I am wondering what. I am suspecting now that what I did in msconfig was just coincidental.

I have norton internet security on my system but had to disable the firewall because it kept interfering with web access (wasn't able to configure to allow it except when specifically told not to). It doesn't seem likely that a virus got in, but maybe?

[Cricket]

What anti-virus program are you using? Have you been keeping it updated?

You may want to try scanning for viruses from DOS with FProt. Here are the instructions on how to put it on floppies.

Have you tested the hard drive with the manufacturer's diagnostic utility?

How long has that installation of Win98 been on this computer without a format and clean install?

Cricket

[judester]

Originally posted by Cricket [B]What anti-virus program are you using? Have you been keeping it updated?

Norton's Internet Security. I had some trouble with it when I went to cable. The automatic updating no longer worked, so I have been going to the web site to update, last did that about a week ago, as I recall.

I also had trouble getting to the web periodically. Called the cable help people, they tracked the problem to Norton. I wasn unable to figure out a configuration that kept the firewall on and allowed me to get to the web, so I disabled the firewall. The email checking still worked, last time I was using it. And the protection program in general worked - I can't remember what that's called. Just the firewall was disabled.

You may want to try scanning for viruses from DOS with FProt. Here are the instructions on how to put it on floppies.

Thank you. I will go there, get that, bring it home.

Have you tested the hard drive with the manufacturer's diagnostic utility?

No, didn't know about that. I expect I should be able to find out about that from the maxtor web site.

How long has that installation of Win98 been on this computer without a format and clean install?

When I bought my new hard drive in Feb or March of this year, I followed the instructions and copied everything from my old drive to the new and started up from there. It worked until last Sunday.

So I did not install it "clean" on this hard drive, to begin with. Just copied everything over.

[ktkendall]

Yea, I think U have other problems it just so happened U did that thing with the MSCONFIG utility and the problems started. Sounds like virus or bad sectors developing on the HD...

[judester]

I'll be running F-PROT today, and installing win.com, sent to me by someone who has it...we'll see how it goes.

[GaryRouth]

When your machine is healthy again, you can consider running your cable connection through an easy-to-setup "firewall router". You'd look for one that has SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) as well as the usual NAT (Network Addressing T-something-or-other which I can't remember at the moment). They're on sale almost everywhere. NAT & SPI & four ports can be had for as little as $30 (with the rebate thing going on), while NAT & SPI & VPN & four ports costs a little more (about $60 . . . VPN = Virtual Private Networking. Also called "Private Tunnelling")

The roadrunner cable guys seem to have the least trouble with Zone Alarm, if you decide to run both hardware & software firewalls (not always an easy situation to keep happy).
_____________________________

. . . and, regarding your adventures with win.com - try booting with a bootdisk (floppy or CD), and look around (the old DOS command dir will list the contents of directories for you). See if you have two Windows installations, and a confused boot.ini as a result. One of the Windows installations, the one you installed with the "setup" command from C:\Windows|Options\Cabs might be in a directory called C:\Windows.000 . . . that's probably the working copy. If the machine is still set to cold boot from C:\Windows, then that is your older install, and might still be broken.

If you find you do have the two installations, see what happens if you change the directory to C:\Windows.000 and then type "win" . . . like this

cd \Windows.000
win

If you're back in a working configuration again - things might be interesting, but at least you'll have something working. --- hopefully Cricket and kt will have been through the double Windows thing a few times more than I have (which is zero times for moi)

Never a dull moment!
. . . Gary

[judester]

Someone sent me a copy of win.com and I also ran f-prot (found no virii) and my system is now working, in a limited fashion. The CD drives are not yet found, and I am suspecting something simple like a loose connection. I need to reinstall some of the software, which I am doing gradually. But so far so good.

We can, I think, call this a resolved case. I'll look into the router. I am wanting to get a wireless network router in time.

Thank you and everyone else for so much help. I would not have made it through without it. Not on my own, anyway!