Reboot.....reboot.....reboot

[JimHeavey]

My machine always boot ans shows me the menu asking me if I want to boot
normal or in safe mode.

Today I installed drivers for a modem and my thumb drive. Does not
recognize my thumb drive after the install of the drivers.

Also installed the AOL software and after that install it will never
successfully boot. Displays the windows logo and then repeats the boot
process.

I tried to boot in safe mode and go to my CD rom in the hopes that I could
either do some sort of repair or maybe re-install win98. My CD drive does
not show.

I boot to command mode and again, no cd rom drive.

I have a dos boot disk with CD Rom drivers. When I boot to this, I can see
the cd rom and when I invoke the setup.exe to reinstall win98 it tells me
that it is unable to write to the disk file. Dos can not see my c or d
drives (both fat32).

Where do I go from here?

[Brian A.]

"JimHeavey" > wrote in message
...
> My machine always boot ans shows me the menu asking me if I want to boot
> normal or in safe mode.
>
> Today I installed drivers for a modem and my thumb drive. Does not
> recognize my thumb drive after the install of the drivers.
>
> Also installed the AOL software and after that install it will never
> successfully boot. Displays the windows logo and then repeats the boot
> process.
>
> I tried to boot in safe mode and go to my CD rom in the hopes that I could
> either do some sort of repair or maybe re-install win98. My CD drive does
> not show.
>
> I boot to command mode and again, no cd rom drive.
>
> I have a dos boot disk with CD Rom drivers. When I boot to this, I can see
> the cd rom and when I invoke the setup.exe to reinstall win98 it tells me
> that it is unable to write to the disk file. Dos can not see my c or d
> drives (both fat32).
>
> Where do I go from here?

Are you sure you can't see the drives or their content in DOS? To see the
contents of the C: drive, at the DOS prompt type the below and press Enter:
dir c:\

If you already tried the command above and you still can not see the contents
of the C: drive, at the DOS prompt type the below and press Enter:
fdisk /status

Post back with the results.

--

Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://dts-l.com/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

[FromTheRafters]

"JimHeavey" > wrote in message
...
> My machine always boot ans shows me the menu asking me if I want to boot
> normal or in safe mode.

Improper shutdown?

> Today I installed drivers for a modem and my thumb drive. Does not
> recognize my thumb drive after the install of the drivers.

Make sure they are the correct drivers and try again.

> Also installed the AOL software and after that install it will never
> successfully boot. Displays the windows logo and then repeats the boot
> process.

Call AOL support.

> I tried to boot in safe mode and go to my CD rom in the hopes that I could
> either do some sort of repair or maybe re-install win98. My CD drive does
> not show.

It may be pushed up by one drive letter (RAM disk?)
If it was drive E: it may now be drive F:

> I boot to command mode and again, no cd rom drive.

Command mode?

> I have a dos boot disk with CD Rom drivers. When I boot to this, I can
> see
> the cd rom and when I invoke the setup.exe to reinstall win98 it tells me
> that it is unable to write to the disk file. Dos can not see my c or d
> drives (both fat32).
>
> Where do I go from here?

To the computer shop?

[MEB[_2_]]

"JimHeavey" > wrote in message
...
| My machine always boot ans shows me the menu asking me if I want to boot
| normal or in safe mode.

So you opted to have the boot menu, okay.

|
| Today I installed drivers for a modem and my thumb drive. Does not
| recognize my thumb drive after the install of the drivers.

Might need the Universal drivers [Maximus Decim] for the thumb drive.

|
| Also installed the AOL software and after that install it will never
| successfully boot. Displays the windows logo and then repeats the boot
| process.

Go into Safe Mode and start the uninstall process for AOL, it may not allow
that.
IF not it may take some manual removal, post back and we will walk you
through the procedure.

|
| I tried to boot in safe mode and go to my CD rom in the hopes that I could
| either do some sort of repair or maybe re-install win98. My CD drive does
| not show.

You do NOT want to re/over-install Windows [DLL hell] if it was an
established system and updated.
Safe Mode will not accommodate re-installation of Windows

Your CD may have lost its generic drivers or you have some registry
corruption.

|
| I boot to command mode and again, no cd rom drive.

Boot to Command Prompt would not have CD unless the drivers had been loaded.

|
| I have a dos boot disk with CD Rom drivers. When I boot to this, I can
see
| the cd rom and when I invoke the setup.exe to reinstall win98 it tells me
| that it is unable to write to the disk file. Dos can not see my c or d
| drives (both fat32).

As stated elsewhere, in DOS the CDROM is likely NOT the same drive letter
as when Windows was running. However, you state that you attempted to run
setup from the CD so obviously the CD drive works.
Also as indicated, try the FDISK /status and post results. You can also try
DIR /w/p on the drive letters IF found.
The primary partition should show as bootable.

IS/was this a multi-boot system?

What version of AOL?

IS this a clean system (no virus, malware, etc.)?

|
| Where do I go from here?

Don't panic, a few tests and we may either fix it or be able to pull your
essential files off.

~~
MEB
a Peoples' counsel
--

[Don Phillipson[_5_]]

"JimHeavey" > wrote in message
...

> I have a dos boot disk with CD Rom drivers. When I boot to this, I can
see
> the cd rom and when I invoke the setup.exe to reinstall win98 it tells me
> that it is unable to write to the disk file. Dos can not see my c or d
> drives (both fat32).

The obvious contradiction is
1 "I can see the cd rom . . .
2 "when I invoke the setup.exe to reinstall win98 . . .
Dos can not see my c or d drives (both fat32)"

This suggests either:
A: incorrect software (booting floppy)
or
B: hardware damage (motherboard or RAM.)

www.bootdisk.com may JH try a variety of Win98
instal floppies.
MEM86 and similar routines can test the RAM chips.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

[PCR]

JimHeavey wrote:
| My machine always boot ans shows me the menu asking me if I want to
| boot normal or in safe mode.
|
| Today I installed drivers for a modem and my thumb drive. Does not
| recognize my thumb drive after the install of the drivers.
|
| Also installed the AOL software and after that install it will never
| successfully boot. Displays the windows logo and then repeats the
| boot process.
|
| I tried to boot in safe mode and go to my CD rom in the hopes that I
| could either do some sort of repair or maybe re-install win98. My CD
| drive does not show.

This article will say how to have Safe Mode recognize the CD-ROM...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/198687/en-us
How to install real mode CD-ROM drive drivers in Windows 98

| I boot to command mode and again, no cd rom drive.

In order to have a CD-ROM show up at the Command Prompt, you need to
have a fit/proper Config.sys & Autoexec.bat. Did you turn those off?
Boot to Safe Mode & turn them back on, then...

"START button, Run, MSConfig", & check them both at the General tab.

| I have a dos boot disk with CD Rom drivers. When I boot to this, I
| can see the cd rom and when I invoke the setup.exe to reinstall win98
| it tells me that it is unable to write to the disk file. Dos can not
| see my c or d drives (both fat32).
|
| Where do I go from here?

I think you have tried too many installs all at once. You even went
ahead to install AOL while the thumb drive was in limbo. The fact that
you can boot to Safe Mode proves you do have a C:drive for sure. The
fact that a Startup Diskette can access the CD-ROM proves that is fine.

(1) Maybe post the info Brian A. has asked for & wait.
(2) Maybe try the uninstall of AOL (& maybe the thumb
drive too) in Safe Mode as MEB posted & report back.
(3) Well, here is how to recover an older Registry...

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;183887&Product=w98
Description of the Windows Registry Checker Tool (Scanreg.exe)

I'm not a big proponent of a "/Restore", but sometimes it can do amazing
things. Before trying it, copy your current Registry backup files to a
new folder.

(a) Boot to DOS (hold CTRL as you boot for the Startup Menu, &
select "Command Prompt Only")

(b) DIR C:\Windows\Sysbckup\RB???.cab /od
Shows you the current backups sorted by date.

(c) MD C:\RegBckup
This makes a new folder named RegBckup.

(d) COPY C:\Windows\Sysbckup\RB???.cab C:\RegBckup
This copies your Registry backups to the new folder, because the
originals will change as you do the following...

(e) SCANREG /Restore

It will offer five, one for each of the last five separate days you
first booted successfully. Start with the one of the day the problem
began, as these backups of the entire Registry (& System.ini & Win.ini)
are done at boot, not at shut down.

CAVEAT: A /Restore restores settings only. If there was a file change
(other than to System.ini & Win.ini), those cannot be undone this way.
That could be a problem, especially if there was a hardware change or
large un/in-stall since the backup was made. Also, a large settings
change, such as adding/removing a User Profile, is likely best undone a
different way. Finally, some apps may keep a small database in the
Registry. I do believe Explorer itself may keep its list of blocked
sites there.


--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
Should things get worse after this,
PCR

[PCR]

Don Phillipson wrote:
| "JimHeavey" > wrote in message
| ...
|
|> I have a dos boot disk with CD Rom drivers. When I boot to this, I
|> can see the cd rom and when I invoke the setup.exe to reinstall
|> win98 it tells me that it is unable to write to the disk file. Dos
|> can not see my c or d drives (both fat32).
|
| The obvious contradiction is
| 1 "I can see the cd rom . . .
| 2 "when I invoke the setup.exe to reinstall win98 . . .
| Dos can not see my c or d drives (both fat32)"
|
| This suggests either:
| A: incorrect software (booting floppy)
| or
| B: hardware damage (motherboard or RAM.)
|
| www.bootdisk.com may JH try a variety of Win98
| instal floppies.
| MEM86 and similar routines can test the RAM chips.

Phillipson! For a hundred years you've been saying Config.sys &
Autoexec.bat were unnecessary! NOW-- JimHeavy can't see his CD-ROM in
DOS!

What have you got to say now besides 10 Hail Mary's & 12 Our Father's
for penance!?

| --
| Don Phillipson
| Carlsbad Springs
| (Ottawa, Canada)

--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
Should things get worse after this,
PCR