Can't start upthe PC: URGENT!

[Robert Kral]

HELP!!

I don\'t know if this is hardware or software but here goes...

I can\'t startup one of my PC\'s. It keeps just saying that \"cannot find a device file that may be needed to run Windows or a Windows App

C:\\WINDOWS\\system\\VMM32\\ifsmgr.VXD\"

if I \"press a key to continue\" several times it then eventually tells me there isn\'t enough memory to open windows (98 SE).

Sometimes I can get to the options screen and I got it to go through the step by step option, which reported: HIMEM.SYS is missing

Anybody have some suggestions?

I tried booting from a floppy start up disk, but it does the same: IE won\'t start up and gives me the above messages etc.

The windows 98 manual was useless, as was the microsoft support website.

All this did begin with an illegal operation (??!!) that crashed the computer whilst running Gigastudio.

PIII/850 mhz (or thereabouts!)
500 megs
Windows 98SE

Any suggestions appreciated.

PS Can I start from the CD rom (Windows 98) and how? Restarting whilst pressing control leads me to the same messages..

Thanks.

[seclusion]

During the boot process you hopefully can get to the point where you are able to hit Del... Try F8 and you should be able to start your machine in Safe Mode.
Disable whatever you had just loaded.
You nay be in for a format are reinstall
Brian

[PatS]

You could try loading an earlier version of the Registry by running \"scanreg restore\" at the command prompt (after hitting F8). However, it sounds like the ifsmgr.vxd file is hosed or has been deleted. No need to reinstall the OS, though. Just copy the file from a stable Win98 system (an oxymoron, I know) or \"extract\" it from the appropriate .cab file on your Win98 CD (or under C:\\Windows\\Options\\Cabs\\). Read the following on how to use the extract command: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q129605 (\"http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q129605\").

Good luck!

Pat

[Bill]

> You nay be in for a format are reinstall

A less extreme measure would be to do an in place reinstall on Windows.

[This message has been edited by Bill (edited 02-17-2002).]

[Cool7s_Dad]

This also sounds suspiciously like some of the viruses that have been running around lately. As soon as you can get back to the web, you might want to consider downloading a copy of McAfee or at least ZoneAlarm.

Peace,
TM

[KingIdiot]

Try turning off all your gear then turning it all on. This includes Audio Interfaces. Drives...etc.

I find that doing this after some crashes seems to help. It has to do with drivers not being able to be initialized or something

Also, as seclusion suggested, try getting into Safe Mode, then restarting. This sometimes was needed on my older giga machine because the graphics drivers needed ot be reset or something.

------------------
Really...I am an Idiot

[Robert Kral]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I got a PC expert (not cheap!) to come by and he was here for four hours. The machine still isn\'t running. We eventually got to a point where we needd to uninstall Gigastudio, but could only start in safe mode.

Guess what: you CANNOT uninstall GS in safe mode.

Not a good day.

[PatS]

Robert:

The \"PC expert\" should have been able to remove all traces of GigaStudio by using regedit and sysedit, in addition to manually deleting the various and sundry program files. I\'ve done this countless times for programs that, for one reason or another, refused to uninstall.

If you\'re still having a problem or you run into the problem again, give me a holler at pshove@ghs.com, or ask Gary Garritan for my phone number, if you\'d rather not give away your e-mail address.

Pat (formerly a low-paid music professor; currently a well-paid systems and network adminstrator supporting many flavors of UNIX, Linux, and Windows)

[This message has been edited by PatS (edited 02-19-2002).]

[Haydn]

Now I know who to bug when I have those Linux problems!!

[PatS]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=\"1\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Haydn:
Now I know who to bug when I have those Linux problems!!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Red Hat . . . for $20K per year, right? http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/wink.gif

Pat

[gigapcguy]

If you need another techie in the LA area please feel free to email ejisjc@hotmail.com.
Reasonable rates and very thorough!

Thanks, Elliot