Help... Win 98 Boot error messages

[sbrown02]

I'm running Windows 98 on a Gateway Pentium II-350. When I boot I receive the following error message before getting to the win98 graphic splash screen:

"Cannot find a device file that may be needed to run windors or a windows application. The windows registry or system.ini file refers to this device file, but the device file no longer exists. If you deleted this file on purpose try uninstalling the associated application using its uninstall or setup program. If you still want to use try reinstalling or replace the missing file."

It then lists the following file names:

"vredir.vxd" and "dfs.vxd"

After waiting 10 seconds it boots into 98 and then pops one more message box that says:

"Windows Networking
msnp32.dll
The system cannont find the file specified.
Some or all of the following features is not available.
Microsoft Network"

Any ideas on how to clean up this mess so it boots without errors? So far everything seems to work ok like my scanner, printer, DSL connection, 2 CD drives, and 2 hard drives, sound card, and video card.

Thanks

[TwoRails]

Did you move any programs or delete some files lately? Trouble-shooting something like that is very difficult, but is often traced back to something recently done to the system...

[GaryRouth]

Hi sbrown02, Hi Rails

Those three files are all involved in Windows networking. To resolve the missing redir.vxd or dfs.vxd, you can extract them to C:\Windows\System using Windows 98's System File Checker. From the Start/Run box, type in sfc to start the program. Select "Extract one file . . ." and have it point to your installation files [on your Windows CD, or on your hard drive at C:\Windows\Options\Cabs if Gateway placed them there].

To resolve the msnp32.dll error, from Start/Settings/Control Panel/Network, remove "Client for Microsoft Networks", then add it back in again.

[. . . and did this Gateway originally come with Win95 and then you upgraded it to Win98?. . . ]
_______________________________

One other tactic: try a run of RegClean 4.1 (it was updated for Win98) http://download.com.com/3000-2094-881470.html?tag=list

[. . . RegClean will usually help if you don't really need those files = if they are leftovers from an incomplete uninstall . . . ]

Hope one or the other fixes things up OK
. . . Gary