Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

I have to reboot my Windows 98 many times in order to have all the programs
started properly. Quite often, it freezes after loading the tasks bar at the
bottom of the screen. When I pressed Ctrl+Alt+Delete and looked at all the
tasks, it shows Mmkeybd (Not Responding). It seems to me that this happens
before the program for the video card is loaded.
Please help. Thanks.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Your description suggests to me that you have hardware trouble.
Software always behaves the same way. Hardware can act differently
when the computer is cold than when it is warm, and hardware can fail
randomly.

It is possible that you have a defective keyboard, so try substituting
a borrowed keyboard that you are sure is OK.

If the keyboard is not to blame, the following procedure will enable
you to determine whether the cause of trouble is hardware.

1. Start Win95/98 in Safe Mode.
If the trouble does not appear in Safe Mode, then the trouble is
caused by software conflicts or defects. Investigate each of the
functions that Safe Mode turns off.

2. If the trouble also occurs in Safe Mode, rename the current Windows
folder and reinstall Win95/98 into an empty folder.
If the trouble does not appear with a fresh installation, the trouble
is caused by something you have added to Win95/98 (but something that
is not turned off by Safe Mode).

3. If the trouble occurs even with a fresh install of Windows, the
trouble is arising in hardware.

Safe Mode does the following:
(a) bypasses config.sys and autoexec.bat
(b) prevents programs from starting automatically (from win.ini
or the startup folder)
(c) uses standard VGA video
(d) prevents a network from being started
(e) disables protected mode device drivers (those listed in
Device Manager)
(f) bypasses the [boot] and [386Enh] sections of system.ini
For more details, see document 122051 in the Microsoft KnowledgeBase.

If Safe Mode makes the problem go away, you can try tests from the
list below to pin down the cause of the problem. For more elaborate
instructions, see document 156126 in the KnowledgeBase, which explains
how to do troubleshooting in Safe Mode.

With Windows 98, you can use MSConfig to help you run the tests below.
With Windows 95, you can use Startup Control Panel. Startup Control
Panel is similar to the Msconfig utility that ships in Windows 98. It
can make troubleshooting easier by removing and restoring items from
the Windows startup. You can get Startup Control Panel as freeware
from:

http://home.ptd.net/~don5408/toolbox/startupcpl/

Startup Cop can also disable items loading at Windows startup and it
is freeware. You can download Startup Cop from:

http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/sto [...] 7594,.html

Yet another option is msconfig.exe as adapted to Win95:

http://www2.whidbey.net/djdenham/Msconfig.htm

1. Change the video driver to Microsoft's Standard Display Adapter
(VGA). Restart Windows and test.

2. Rename the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat to Config.sss and
Autoexec.bbb, or edit them so that the only things loading are
absolutely necessary for the computer to run. The latter items might
be a SCSI driver for the harddrive, or disk management software for an
EIDE drive. Deactivate EVERYTHING else by putting REM in front of
that line. Reboot the computer and test.

3. Remove EVERYTHING from the Start Menu/Startup folder by dragging
their icons onto the desktop. Also disable or uninstall all utilities
that are running TSR (such as Norton Navigator, SoftRam or Macafee
AV). Restart Windows and test.

4. Rename the Win.ini and System.ini to Win.iii and System.iii. Then
make a copy of System.cb and name it System.ini. Do not rename
System.cb itself. Edit the new System.ini as follows: Add
device=*vmd
to the [386Enh] section, and add
drivers=mmsystem.dll
mouse.drv=mouse.drv
to the [boot] section. Restart Windows. You probably will have no
mouse so you'll have to use keystrokes to do the following. Go into
Device Manager and select the mouse (which will have a yellow
exclamation point). Click "Remove." Again, restart Windows. Windows
should find the mouse and install software for it. Test.

5. With Windows 98, run the System File Checker. Go to Start/Run and
enter "sfc".

6. Rename the current Windows folder (directory). Then install
Win95/98 to a new, empty folder. Test. If problem does not occur, it
was caused by something in the old installation. I recommend that you
keep this new installation and reinstall your Windows applications.

When you reinstall applications, install Windows applications that
were written for Win95/98 or WinNT but do not install older
applications that were written for Windows 3.x. Install only one
application at a time and test the system thoroughly before installing
another application. Before you install and application, make a system
snapshot with a program such as ConfigSafe; this will allow you to
revert to the previous situation if (when) you install an application
that causes trouble. With Win98, it is also possible to run "ScanReg
/Backup" before you install an application, which allows you to
restore the Registry if (when) you install an application that causes
trouble. However, it is safer to make a complete system backup and
recovery with ConfigSafe or a similar product.

The following articles explain how to install into a new folder:

How to Reinstall Windows 95 to a New Folder [142096]
http://support.microsoft.com/suppo [...] 2/0/96.asp

How to Install Windows 98 to a New Folder [193902]
http://support.microsoft.com/suppo [...] 3/9/02.asp

Information about reinstalling is also on www.windowsreinstall.com.


Bill Starbuck (MVP)

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

(1) What does it say at "Control Panel, Keyboard. Language tab"?
I am "English (United States) United States 101" there. Perhaps
even look at "Control Panel, Regional Settings", where you may wish to
be "English (United States)".

(2) "START button, Run, SysEdit".
Is the Keyboard mentioned in "Config.sys" or "Autoexec.bat"?
Perhaps post those files, then, or just put "REM " (with blank) in
front of that
line.

(3) Finally... (though, personally, I'd hate to do it)...

(a) Boot to Safe Mode.
(Hold F5 as you boot, or hold CTRL for the Startup Menu, & select
Safe Mode from that. Or turn on the Startup Menu at "START, Run,
MSConfig, Advanced button".)
(b) "START, Settings, Control Panel, System, Device Manager tab".
(c) Open the Keyboard branch, by clicking it's plus sign.
(d) Especially if there are multiple devices in that branch... highlight
each one, & click "Remove"-- each one in the branch, because there's no
telling which is the "ghost".
(e) Close up, & boot to Normal Mode.

Hopefully Windows will find the correct drivers, & all will be well.


--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR
pcrrcp@netzero.net
"Ann Wong" <AnnWong@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1F80E140-B1BD-4741-AC36-689012E7C35D@microsoft.com...
| I have to reboot my Windows 98 many times in order to have all the
programs
| started properly. Quite often, it freezes after loading the tasks bar
at the
| bottom of the screen. When I pressed Ctrl+Alt+Delete and looked at all
the
| tasks, it shows Mmkeybd (Not Responding). It seems to me that this
happens
| before the program for the video card is loaded.
| Please help. Thanks.
|

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

http://support.microsoft.com/defau [...] US;q287914
Articles about Scandisk
http://support.microsoft.com/defau [...] us;Q286263
Articles about Defrag

I must warn that Scandisk may not do a great job when there is a
great one to do...
http://cquirke.mvps.org/9x/scandisk.htm
Therefore, perhaps UNcheck "Automatically fix errors" on it's front
screen. It will then ask whether you want each error fixed. If it sounds
truly horrible, say "No!", and post the log. The log will be
"C:\Scandisk.log". Do not let it constantly restart, either. (When
running Scandisk in DOS, there won't be such a box to uncheck. You must
"Scandisk /Checkonly", instead. It will write to the same .log. The
Auto-Scandisk that runs from DOS after a crash must be set to "Prompt"
the bad ones in C:\Windows\Command\Scandisk.ini.) REALLY, in light of
all THAT, the BEST thing to do is to have a full system backup to run
to! Would you like my list of backup apps?

1. Turn off screen saver (R-Clk Desktop, Properties, Screen Saver--
None)
2. Turn off power management (Control Panel, Power Management-- Always
On,Never,Never,Never)
3. Disable any permanent internet cable connection, perhaps.
4. Suspend Task Scheduler
5. Turn off interfering programs. Use "StartupCop" or "EndItAll2" from
PCMag (below). Or "START, Run, MSConfig, Startup tab". Note what is
unchecked. Then, go to the General tab & disable the entire Startup
Group, by clicking "Selective.." & unchecking "Load Startup...". Reboot.
Don't forget to re-enable before the next boot.
6. Use "HDValet" from PCMag, or
(a) "Control Panel, Internet Options, Delete Files button, bolt Delete
all offline content, OK, OK"
(b) "START, Run, %TEMP%", & delete all files that will let you. This
will likely be "C:\Windows\Temp". This is best done after a fresh boot,
unless you have not seen the message "Reboot to complete this install".
7. Run Scandisk (Thorough, usually w/o write testing. Check all three
items under "Scandisk, Advanced button, 'Check files for' box". If you
want to be informed as it does a fix, UNcheck "Automatically fix errors"
on the front screen, or look inside "C:\Scandisk.log" afterwards.)
8. "START, Run, Defrag /p /details". Apparently, "/p" Defrags the
unmovables.

The purpose of steps 1-5 is only to prevent constant restarts of
Scandisk & Defrag, if you get them; but DEFINITELY turn off the Virus
Scanner. Scandisk should be done perhaps once a month, and certainly
after every serious crash. Do a Defrag after a sluggish boot or when
this says so:
http://www.pcmag.com/ 's CrackUp, by Gregory A. Wolking & Bob Flanders.
Also, take DiskAction, to determine what is constantly writing to the
HDD, which causes the restarts. Take BHOCop & StartupCop too.

"DiskAction" reports the last 12 processes that access any partition. It
discovered the Microsoft Windows Critical Update Notification tool was
accessing my HDD every five minutes. It can be uninstalled in "Control
Panel, Add/Remove Programs". Then, occasionally, "START, Windows Update"
on your own.

"BHOCop" found a Browser Helper Object called Wavehelper Class, created
by "Wavetop", that was building a monstrosity of an error log called
"Logit.txt" in here. "START, Find, F/F, Logit.txt"-- see one?

Now, my hard drive is quieter than my mouse. (Of course, I now also have
384 MB RAM, up from an initial 64, eliminating Swap File activity.)


--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR
pcrrcp@netzero.net
"Ann Wong" <AnnWong@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1F80E140-B1BD-4741-AC36-689012E7C35D@microsoft.com...
| I have to reboot my Windows 98 many times in order to have all the
programs
| started properly. Quite often, it freezes after loading the tasks bar
at the
| bottom of the screen. When I pressed Ctrl+Alt+Delete and looked at all
the
| tasks, it shows Mmkeybd (Not Responding). It seems to me that this
happens
| before the program for the video card is loaded.
| Please help. Thanks.
|