Windows 98 not loading 1

[kiv]

Hello Everybody

I was experimenting with win98 by deleting MSDOS.SYS, COMMAND.COM and IO.SYS.
I restarted the PC and it displayed non-system disk error.

I then booted from a win98 startup disk and typed SYS C: to transfer the system files. It transferred successfully.
I rebooted and the PC boots but stops at the C: prompt.

How do I get it to load windows again?

Thank You in advance for your help!

 

[johnodq]

Windows 98 modifies the MSDOS.SYS file so that it loads windows with the following :-



[Paths]
WinDir=C:\WINDOWS
WinBootDir=C:\WINDOWS
HostWinBootDrv=C



As long as your system is on Drive C: then just open MSDOS.SYS with an editor (like NOTEPAD) and add the text in bold at the top of it, then save it back.

Remember to unset the READ ONLY attrib on the file before modifying it, if you don't you won't be able to overwrite the file. ---------------
Johnodq
---------------
Please let me know if the advice I give is of help.
Feedback will benefit all

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[johnodq]

Just incase this is what the one on my virtual system looks like. It is 98SE


[Paths]
WinDir=C:\WINDOWS
WinBootDir=C:\WINDOWS
HostWinBootDrv=C

[Options]
BootMulti=1
BootGUI=1
DoubleBuffer=1
AutoScan=1
WinVer=4.10.2222
;
;The following lines are required for compatibility with other programs.
;Do not remove them (MSDOS.SYS needs to be >1024 bytes).
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxa
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxb
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxc
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxd
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxe
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxf
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxg
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxh
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxj
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxk
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxl
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxm
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxn
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxo
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxp
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxq
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxr
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxs

---------------
Johnodq
---------------
Please let me know if the advice I give is of help.
Feedback will benefit all

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[kiv]

Yes, My system is on drive c:
but I cannot boot into windows so how do I modify the msdos.sys file with notepad.
Do I modify it on another PC

 

[johnodq]

If you boot into dos mode you should be able to edit it with EDIT.

This is usually in C:\windows\command\

just type EDIT at the dos prompt, if that doesn't work then type:-

cd c:\windows\command

then type :-

edit

to change msdos.sys so that it not read only :-

at the C:\ prompt type :-

attrib msdos.sys -r

and to set it to read only type:-

attrib msdos.sys +r

btw: to get back to the C:\ prompt from c:\windows\command type:-

cd\ ---------------
Johnodq
---------------
Please let me know if the advice I give is of help.
Feedback will benefit all

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[Jontmke]

Just curious, but why would you delete the 3 most important files that win98 has?

JON

 

[kiv]

I wanted to see the effect on the PC
and how to restore the PC back to its present state.

 

[johnodq]

Did what I posted sort it out for you ????? ---------------
Johnodq
---------------
Please let me know if the advice I give is of help.
Feedback will benefit all

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[kiv]

I'll let you know by this evening as I have'nt had a chance to sort it out

 

[kiv]

I tries removing the read only attribute by typing the following from the c: drive
c:\>attrib msdos.sys -r

but it gives me this error message:
NOT RESETTING HIDDEN FILE C:\MSDOS.SYS

Your feedback will be highly appreciated

 

[flyboytim]

Attrib -h -r -s removes the hidden, system and readonly attributes

After editing

Attrib +h +r +s resets the attributes

 

[kiv]

I've tried the following:
C:attrib c:\msdos.sys -s-h-r

and

c:attrib *.* -r-s-h-a

but still get error message:
parameter incorrect - -s-h-r

Im booting from a Win98 bootdisk. Am I using the incorrect dos version?

 

[flyboytim]

To set or remove attributes of a file or directory:
ATTRIB [ + | - R] [ + | - A] [ + | - S] [ + | - H] [directory|filename] [/S]

+ Sets an attribute. - Clears an attribute. R Read-only file attribute.
A Archive file attribute.
S System file attribute
H Hidden file attribute.
/S Processes files in all directories in the specified path.

SO:

ATTRIB -S -H -R c:\msdos.sys

 

[kiv]

Thank you all for your help!

Instead of typing c:\>attrib -s -h -r c:\msdos.sys

I typed c:\>attrib -s-h-r c:\msdos.sys

I forget to include the spaces between -s -h -r

I feel like an idiot! sorry for wasting your time

and thanx once again for your help.

 

[flyboytim]

Nothing is wasted, entropy needs all the repeated effort you can give it!

 

[drdebit]

Just a thought for the next experiment-renaming instead of deleting might shorten the downtime.