Strange! Windows/system directory keeps being damaged.

[Hotpepperz]

What is going On?!! I have installed windows 98 3 times (from a fresh re-format) because my computer will not start up. It says "VMM32.VXD is required to run windows. If this file is not in your PATH you may need to reinstall windows." I checked my C:\windows\system folders and vmm32 doesnt even exist!I know it existed when I installed win98 and now I can't find it when I look for it from my DOS prompt. I had a flawless OS (Well no problems anyway) before I shutdown and now I cant restart? Running scandisk all three times after this occured showed a damaged C:\windows\system directory. What is damaging the said directory? The first two times this happened I had loaded several different programs and restarted. The last time this happened I had both programs loaded working fine for several weeks and then I went to start up my Puter and WHAM.......it happened again. The only good thing about this is that I now can reload windows 98 and support for all hardware in under 2.5 hours(including network configurations). I was thinking something is writing to the system directory in fat16 and I am running a fat32 or does win98 handle writing to the HD. I have autoexec.bat and config.sys in my root directory from dos 6.22 (I think). I was told to format my HD with the /s switch. I was thinking this may be the cause. Any Ideas?
Signed-Hotpepperz (sitting at dos prompt)

 

[Shuxclams]

HDD going bad? Is possible.


SHUX

 

[Hadrien]

That sounds like you have some severe damage to your hard drive or you may have a virus of some kind that resides in your boot sector possibly? What you should do is boot to DOS witha boot disk/bootable CD and recover as much data as you can onto floppies or another HDD. Low level format you HDD with a utility from the manufactures web site (this will also usually tell you if you have physical damage to your HDD). Format the drive and reinstall Win98. That I would say would be your best bet. If that doesnt work, it is also possible you could ahve bad memory OR even ( and I have seen it a few times) bad processor, but the last option is VERY RARE! Hope that helps.

 

[bigjon]

whoops double post

 

[bigjon]

I have the exact same problem! :|

Originally I kept getting fatal errors when I rebooted Win98SE like "Win.com not found". I could successfully reboot if I copied the missing files back into the windows directory (I make a backup of c:\Windows, c:\program files, and the root directory the last time I installed windows).

I ran Scandisk from DOS yesterday (hadn't for a couple weeks), and it found a ton of problems, but fixed them (and it seems fine now, so I doubt the hard disk is at fault - besides it's less than 3 months old). Scandisk renamed the /windows/system folder to Dir00001 or some such crap, so I just deleted the windows folder and recopied the original windows folder (that I had saved right after my last windows install).

Anyway, now I can't get into Windows at all! It just stops with the "Cannot find VMM32.VXD which is required, etc etc". I've tried copying the needed files several times and restoring the registry, but no luck. I hate to just start over cuz I had a lot of software and hardware stuff set just right...

I don't use anti-virus software, so I guess it could be that, but I've never heard of a virus that just removed certain Windows files like that...

:|

 

[Hotpepperz]

To expand on the problem I am having, scandisk says I have "Crosslinks" on drive C:. It says, "crosslink occurs when two or more files use the same cluster (area of the drive) at the same time. Except in unusual circumstances, the data in that cluster is correct for only one of the files". Then it goes on to list all the crosslinked files?.most of them reside in the C:\windows directory. As far as recovering any files I need, I don't have to. I just built this system and networked my old 200MHz (the one I am using now) to it via a crossover ethernet cable. All of my IMPORTANT files are on my old computer and on a ZIP disk. Everytime I encounter this problem I just reformat C: and reload Windows98. Not a problem, but damn THIS IS GETTING OLD QUICK! As far as bad components??I bought top of the line stuff. Let me go down the line. AMD 750, ASUS K7V with the KX133 chipset, Mushkin 2X128 mem sticks, 300Watt power supply, Quantum Fireball KX-A 13.6 ATA66 7200rpm, Leadtek Winfast GeForce256 DDR 32Mb, Sound Blaster Live! Platinum w/ Cambridge 5.1 speaker system, USR 56.6 modem, Toshiba 48X CDROM, Hewlett-Packard CD-R, LG Electronics Studioworks 995E 19in Monitor, Dlink 10/100 NIC, and other odds and ends(marble mouse, 3 fans, Yadda Yadda). I am going to try to format C: without adding the /s to it. I Just ran Scandisk again and I have not found any bad clusters. I will Update when I have further info. It may be a week or so before this happens again so check back. Later, Hotpepperz.

 

[Hotpepperz]

And one other Question for all you FAT16/32 and Networking buffs. When I write to a HD using FAT32 from an older computer using FAT16...will this cause any problems? I dont think so since my older computer can see my New computer's HD and everything in it. I am trying to think of anything that will corrupt my windows\system folder. Something keeps screwing up the files. When I run Scandisk the files are named smiley faces, dots, squares and all kinds of odd looking characters. Got me! Later, Hotpepperz.

 

[DJ_Donut]

Hey know the answer! I was just reading an article about it



Windows 98 Drivers Bug


The MS Windows '98 installation does not install some vxd files in your system directory ( what did you expect ? ). To resolve 20 to 50% of the system errors in any Win98 build, extract these vxd files manually from cab 47 and 48 into c:\windows\system and c:\windows\system\vmm32 The following files should be extracted:
vcomm.vxd, vdmad.vxd, configmg.vxd, vdd.vxd, vmouse.vxd, ntkern.vxd, vflatd.vxd.
Extract these files to both directories and reboot. Your system will love you for it. Note: In Windows 98SE, the files are located in CABs 53 and 54.

Sourse
http://www.speedguide.net/Windows/win_bugs.htm

 

[Hadrien]

Run a surface scan on your HDD with scandisk. If you have bad sectors and they are not blocked out you will never be able to format and reinstall properly.

 

[Hotpepperz]

Before you go extracting those cabnet files ".cab", you may want to check this out, http://www.windows-help.net/windows98/vmm32.shtml . Been there, done that, wished I didn't. I went downt the same road and had no luck. I then found the above site and wished I found that one first. I have seen this article linked many times on my searches. Again, I have done many surface scans and all passed.

 

[Roger1234]

Exactly the same thing happened to me two weeks ago.

I was running Win98se and after a reboot several VXDs were missing. Typed DIR on dos and my system folder had disappeared along with many others. I don't know exactly what happened - It could even be a virus (I heard a variation of Mellisa virus was back) - Be aware!

Reformatted my HD and reinstalled Win98se. Now everything seems ok - no HDD surface problems either. I was lucky that My Documents folder was on drive D, otherwise the damage would be much bigger.

 

[Hotpepperz]

I called the Microsoft help line and described the problem. The tech suggested I install windows 98 (or any large Microsoft product for that matter) with all virus protection turned off. This would include any Bios protection I may have enabled. I'll give anything a try at this point. I just wish the problem would show itsself sooner than later. I am tired of configuring my system just to have it crap out a week later and have to do it all over again. Here goes.....

 

[mariner]

Hey Hot, I was under the impression that antivirus stuff shoud always be turned off when installing software. Maybe there's something to that And maybe I'm damn glad I never loaded 98

 

[Hotpepperz]

Mariner, The only anti-virus protection I had was in the bios. I haven't even loaded any A-V software yet...havent had a chance. I have been using Inoculate IT on my other machine. Ever heard of it? I love it and for the price (free for personal use)you can't beat it.

 

[H8tank]

<< To expand on the problem I am having, scandisk says I have &quot;Crosslinks&quot; on drive C: >>



I had the same thing happen on a customers machine two weeks ago. Every damn file on the whole machine came up crosslinked in the DOS scandisk, windows wouldn't even boot. I think it was a viri of some kind.

I fdisked and re-installed and everything is fine.

 

[mariner]

I have heard of Inoculate IT but never used it. How does it compare with Norton? Does it use as many virus definitions? Anyway, i'm getting OT. I have seen the 'cross linked files' message but can't help you with your problem. It doesn't sound like hardware to me. Maybe virus but doesn't sound like one. Sounds like an undocumented Win98 feature If only Be had a few more apps

 

[Hotpepperz]

Mariner- A friend of mine is a Network Admin, MSCE type, and he has been running Inoculate at work (The Pro Version you buy). His team compaired several A-V programs on their test network and Inoculate caught several viruses others missed. He sold me. If you want more info check out http://www.cai.com/.

<< Does it use as many virus definitions? >>

I have no idea what virus definitions are. Sorry.

 

[Hotpepperz]

Im not sure if it's too early to tell, but I've been running problem free since I installed win98se without my bios protection turned on. Knock on wood. I've been loading software slowly and making changes cautiously (documenting them in a notebook) to see if I can catch the problem if it happens again. Hope not. I'll bring this post to the front a few more times to keep all that are interested....interested.

 

[Oda]

I have been advised to always leave virus protection in the bios off. Guess this is good advise .

 

[mariner]

Interesting. Something to take note of.