I think my friend's gonna kill me if I can't fix up his PC which I just screwed up!

:'(

Please!

Here's the situation:

I was working under Win98, with the boot.ini file. Then I think I put one "=" which I shouldn't have. So now the PC starts up but stops at the "select your OS" or something similar screen. It shows W98 line and W2000 line because I once tried to install W2K on the pc but that's not the problem.

:-[

How am I gonna install W98??? I have the CD and I know I can make the boot disk but can you tell me how am I gonna do? I'm going into depression since by tomorrow at 1pm I need to know what to do and how to fix it! I guess I can boot with the disk is it? Where can I get the boot disk???

:-X pliz

Uh? What's that? I just need to install W98 so that my friend won't use my head as a football ball.

:'(

Then put the CD-Rom in and select "boot from CD rom" in your BIOS, Restart and boot into 98 setup.

I would advise the use of advanced linux distrobutions tho (but mine would still be better with a custom kernel :))

You're starting to make me feel sick with your useless advertising of your damned Linux version, here and in the other topic too. This is no spot forum.

:-/

Okay - sensible answers now! ::)

@LuxKiller65 - if you screwed with the boot.ini then you can boot into DOS with a boot disk and do the following... ;)

1. Run DOS "Edit".
2. Load up the Boot.ini
3. Figure out what you did wrong...
4. Fix 'n' save.

Done! 8)

Oh, thanks for the "*" ;D

Wait wait wait, you mean I can just use the boot disk from win98 from bootdisk.com (the OEM one?) and then put it at the start of the PC?

Then what do I do? What menu will show up?

what line must I write?

c:\edit boot.ini

?

Any boot disk will do... :D

As long as you can run EDIT and fix the mistake you made in the "Boot.ini"... ;)

...assuming you can remember where the extra "=" is? ???

Good luck! ;D

Not sure it edit.com is on the boot disk is it?

This is easy to fix once you boot to DOS and invoke the edit command and edit the BOOT.INI file.

You may need to CD (change directory) to where the edit command is located then type "edit c:\boot.ini" without the quotes.

I just tried to simulate the situation on this PC.

:P

I put the Windows 98 boot disk
I choose "start with CD-ROM support"
The program loads the needed drivers
It leaves me to "A:\"
I type down "C:\" and then "edit"
It takes me a menu where I can choose from the drives I have (A, C, D, E)
I choose C but there is no boot.ini file to choose from (maybe because it is a system-protected file?)!

So how do I go to that bloody (that's an okay word, is it?) boot.ini file? I really just need to cancel some lines I put in the file!

:'(

Maybe, where I'm on the "A:\" prompt, that is where I type down "edit c:\boot.ini"?

???

..I have norton commander 5 on a diskette for such cases.what I do:
1)in BIOS,set boot from cd.insert win98 cd,save and exit
2)select: run the pc from cd (or something like that,I dont have an english version of win),do not launch win98 setup,only run the pc with the help of the cd
3)you should end in the dos prompt.now insert the nc5 diskette,and run nc5 (mine is b:\nc5\nc)
4)you will be in the norton commander.really easy to modify,delete or add stuff here.do the changes you want,and restart the pc (remove the cd and the diskette first)..

if you dont have such a nc5 diskette,you can get it here (just extract the archive to a diskette.its not a full nc5,just a small part you need)..

You'll end up with me having a heart attack!

:o

Can't I just do it the way I was trying to describe? I just need to know how to get to the boot.ini, since now I know how to get to the "a:\".

:-/

Can somebody running Windows 98 paste here the content of the boot.ini file?

:'(

Windows 98 doesn't use the boot.ini file.  Only NT Kernel OSes use it (WinNT, Win2K, WinXP).

But the Windows 98 of my friend stopped working after I wrongly modified the boot.ini file!

Why don't you just re-edit it then ?

Boot from a CD or a Bootdisk and edit the File, finished (?)

Yes but I don't know how to access the boot.ini file after I'm in the DOS prompt at c:\.

If you're booting from a Disk, the command would be :

A:\Edit C:\boot.ini
(assuming the edit Program is on the Disk)

If you can access the Harddrive (I assume C: with Win98 on it), the Command would be :

C:\Windows\Command\Edit C:\boot.ini
(assuming the main Windows is installed unter C:\Windows, which is the default directory)

If the "Edit" Program is not located there, at C:\ root Directory enter :

Dir edit.* /s /w
(will recursively scan the entire volume for the Edit command)
------------------
If the C:\boot.ini File is hidden, you can check for its existence with the Command
Dir C:\ /a /h
(will display hidden and system Files)

If the File can be edited but not saved, it might be flagged as a write protected, hidden system File.
Command to remove write protection, hidden and System File Status :
C:\Windows\Command\attrib -r -s -h C:\boot.ini

Restoring write-protection, hidden and System File attribute after editing :
C:\Windows\Command\attrib +r +s +h C:\boot.ini
(still assuming Windows98 Main Dir is C:\Windows, under C:\Windows\Command Win98 keeps almost all MS-DOS commands)

Thank you, I'll print your instructions.
If by tomorrow evening you still don't see any new message coming from me, it just means that my friend has killed me with his nails!

;D

Never ever let Lux touch your PC! ^^'

Oh, forgot :

This is my boot.ini, Win2000 SP4 (single OS, no Dual boot)

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

It wasn't obvious from your initial post whether you were using a utility such as System Commander or the Dual Boot capability of WinNT/Win2K.  If I understand correctly, Win2K is no longer on the machine (or you don't want it on the machine), but the Dual Boot loader is apparently still there and functioning.  Is that correct?

If so, then you may want to look at this:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/232123/EN-US/

The resolution section of this article tells you everything that you need to delete from the hard drive in order to upgrade (and I presume reinstall) Windows 95 or Windows 98.  Is that what you are trying to do?

If you want to keep Win2K or the Dual Boot loader, then you definitely do NOT want to follow the steps in the KB article.

lo m8

i think you can do: -

fdisk /mbr

from the win98 cd rom or boot disc this will wipe out the Win2k boot loader from ur drive and should get win98 workin again with no probz this is presumin that you dont want win2k right?

my brov (paul) is making a right b0ll0x solving his prob so ill be usin his account if thats ok with yous?  i think i know how to solve it and what spec he needs


cheerz laterz

ps i have an old voodoo4 and two voodoo2s i might dig em out now after seein the new drivers that are out cool stuff

Yes, Windows 98 normally doesn't have a boot.ini file, but because I once started (without finishing) the installation of Windows 2000, now I do have a boot.ini with the lines for W98 and W2K. I think the method of FF will work fine, since formatting and reinstalling everything is not what I have to do. Thanks guys for your help!

:D

Lux

Don't panic. This is not that serious, I know it looks bad but it's not. Follow FalconFly's instructions. You will probably only need to do this...


Quote:

If you can access the Harddrive (I assume C: with Win98 on it), the Command would be : C:\Windows\Command\Edit C:\boot.ini (assuming the main Windows is installed unter C:\Windows, which is the default directory)

You should be home free ;)

Falcon also included a copy of his Boot.ini for reference. Keep in mind that he is not dual boot so your's will look a little different.

If you copy the boot.ini file and post it here I'm certain that we can assist you further if needed.

Here is a copy of my Boot.ini file I have win98SE on the C: and WinXP SP2 on the D: Correct me if I'm wrong but I think you could cut and paste all but the last line of my file replacing "like for like" in your file and you will be done. Mine boots to Win98 by default after 5 seconds.

[Boot Loader]
timeout=5
Default=C:\

[Operating Systems]
C:\="Microsoft Windows 98"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

Well I got time to calm my friend down, since he said he "doesn't need his PC for the week".

:P

Yes I thought it was bad but If I can access the drive from within the boot disk then it's about nothing.

I'm only a bit worried because I tried to do the same by putting a Windows 98 boot disk in this PC and I couldn't access the hard disk. I think it's because it's a NTFS partition, please tell me I'm right! All I can access through the boot disk are the A drive (diskettes), the C drive (which is the Ramdrive created by the boot disk to store some files, it's only a temporary drive which would eventually push by one all the coming drives), the D and E (CD-ROM and DVD-ROM).

It's like he says there is no valid hard disk found on my PC. I hope I won't get the same on my friend's PC, where it's a FAT32 partition. Will I?

Hmm...

The Drive C must be FAT16/32, because Win98 would never run on NTFS (doesn't recognize).

So unless you messed up the Partition Table, you should be able to at least see the Drive.
Beware though that generic (old) BootDisks holding MS-DOS 6.2 or alike can't handle FAT32; but they would still show the Drive as present but inaccessible.

I have a consideribily more advanced kernel you may want to use

<snip>

IP banned.

Keep it up boys.

Usually I really dont get angry with people but if your going to mess with my favourite board..... >:(


Quote:

I have a consideribily more advanced kernel you may want to use

http://users.skynet.be/bk286019/no.jpg


Quote:

(at this tiem your thinking   how does this 'doctor' bloke do this?) Well that, My humble muffs, Is a secret ;)

http://www.real1ze.com/fun/you.gif


<profane image removed>

wrote on 28.02.05 at 11:09:40:

Linux is the way me friends ;) I have a consideribily more advanced kernel you may want to use (at this tiem your thinking  :o how does this 'doctor' bloke do this?) Well that, My humble muffs, Is a secret ;) I will be seeing you all later :) Bye for now!

I sense the Dark Side in You.....

Leave or show me your Light Saber tatics....

Though your mind is weak, your telling us pointless and unimportant information.

oh Yoda says:

http://nos_rox.blig.ig.com.br/imagens/noob.jpg

we Jedi and 3dfx people are defenders of peace and 3dfx  Interactive, we don't like flamers.

I love it ;D

I hope he comes back so I can ban more entire Domains.
He will soon run out of available Providers, long before I run out of IP's to ban ;)

The Jedi Order agrees with your statement Master FalconFly, but be precausious of your moves ;) Danger can still be lurking. I'm saying this because I don't want FalconFly to be cracked like x-3dfx.com, I do fear that sometimes.

Anyway, my friend just told me some friend of him fixed the problem.

:o

Guys, I didn't sleep last night and he didn't even tell me everything was back to normal!

>:(

Well, I really must say The_Doctor is a zealous disciple of the Dark Side (tm), if not even the Incredibly More Advanced Linux Kernel Side (not tm for the moment)!

But nothing compared to my DOS distribution! Yeah! Let's distribute some bans!

;D

And so @The_Doctor is castrated... ;D

...here endeth the lesson! 8)

@LuxKiller65 - dude, that "xcomix" link is MAD! WOOHAH! :o

Yes, I love magical mushrooms!

;D