error on startup

[tyrantfour]

whenever i start up my computer, i get directed to a dos looking environment and an error message that says

a file the windows needs to run or to run a program cannot be found. press any key to continue

the files are:
vnetsup.vxd
vredir.vxd
dfs.vxd

any suggestions?

msi mainboard
amd athlon 2000+
seagate 40GB(new)
160MB Ram
windows 98 Second Edition(clean install)

could my windows disc be bad?

[RJ]

windows 98 Second Edition(clean install)

So you just did a clean install and you got the error message since first startup ?

Is this a completely new PC or did you already use it, and only after this particular Win98SE installatin it went bad ?

RJ

[GaryRouth]

For a quick fix, see if you can boot into Safe Mode, which should bypass anything needing those files. Tap F8 as the computer starts up & select Safe Mode from the boot menu.

Then go to Start/Settings/ControlPanel/Add-Remove Programs. . .and to the Setup tab: from the Communications tab, look at Dial-Up Networking - if there is no checkmark there, place one there [Windows will prompt for the install CD if you don't have the .cabs on your hard drive] and restart after it's in.

If there's already a checkmark in that box, remove it, restart to Safe Mode again, and replace the checkmark to reinstall those networking files again.

See if that does it.

If this is a fresh install, and you get strange file errors, you may need a patch for timing issues that can show up in Win98 as the cpu speeds get close to 2ghz and up.
. . . Gary ( & hi there RJ )

[tyrantfour]

i can use windows normally. the only thing i cant do so far is get my tom clancy's rainbow six to load. when i start it, nothing happens, if i push cntrl+alt+del, rainbow six is listed in the running applications, but i can see any of that. if i endtask it, it locks the computer pretty good. could that have anything to do with those files?

[homer15]

http://www.driverforum.com/network4/2400.html

There is a program in Windows 98 that lets you extract those files from the c:\windows\options\cabs folder or your win98 cd if that is what you are using. I'm not sure of the name of the program but you can always use winzip or winrar. Once you found those files you can extract them.

i guess this happens frequently. if you re-extract those files from the cab's, it should correct the problem. good luck.

[GaryRouth]

Hi again

Those files are the Windows Networking files. Using the Control Panel applet should do it (see my 1st reply). If Windows is working normally (with the exception of the game), you can add it in [or remove/reinstall it] in normal mode. I imagine your game (which I'm not familiar with) has a network component (for an online game, for example) = that's why those files are necessary.

Should only take a few minutes. Yes, like homer points out, you can point to either the Windows CD or the cabs on your hard drive. Besides using the Add-Remove applet in Control Panel, for other problems when needing files extracted from the installlation cabs, System File Checker makes the job easy [Start/Run "sfc" . . . or Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/System Information - and from the "Tools" menu, chose the System File Checker ---> to extract just one file you checkmark the box "extract one file from disk"]. For the Networking, though, I'd use Add-Remove, since there may well be Registry entries that need to get written.
. . . Gary

[ . . . hey, homer = have you always been here in California? . . . or did snowy winter drive another easterner to our shores? . . . [I'm a transplant from the MidWest, but I was just a sapling (about 5yrs old) when I first arrived]

[homer15]

Originally posted by GaryRouth [ . . . hey, homer = have you always been here in California? . . . or did snowy winter drive another easterner to our shores? . . . [I'm a transplant from the MidWest, but I was just a sapling (about 5yrs old) when I first arrived]

born and raised. i've lived here my whole life, and i don't think there's anyplace else i'd want to go... well, except to escape these gas prices. haha.

[glc]

Removing all networking components, rebooting, and recreating them will take care of this.