# reinstalling windows 95 from a boot-disk?



## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

I can't even get into safe mode, it keeps shutting me down. I tried to change my bood order, cd-rom is first, floppy disk is 2nd, hard drive is 3rd and compaq ethernet is 4th. I tried several things but all I get is this message - run windows setup again, with a software package that has the system.ini file which is damaged, press a key to continueA device file that is specified in the system.ini file is damaged, it may be need to run windows. I have talked to a few people and they are not sure of what I should do. One person adviced me that I had to reinstall everything, I do not know how to do that? Another told me I might need a boot-disk to install windows 95 again. But I do not have one. Please help, I am using my computer at work and feel lost without the one at home. What should I do? Is something wrong with the hard drive?


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

Do you have your Win95 CD-rom and have the registration ID (ProductKey)?

If so, you can download a setup program to create a boot disk for Win95.

http://www.answersthatwork.com/Downright_pages/downrights_bootdisks.htm

But you should also have been able to boot the CD-rom directly by resetting the BIOS options, what happened when you did that?

If you use the boot disk, allow it to install CD-ROM support and watch the screen to see what driver letter gets assigned the CD-Rom. Usually it will be 'e'.

When you get to the a:\> prompt, put the Microsoft CD in and enter:

e:\setup

then just follow the prompts. You will need that ProductKey!

By the way, does it tell you what device was "specified" in system.ini (or the registry). If it really is in System.ini, you could manually edit it.

And there may be another option to restore the last booted registry if the problem is there.

Try following the instructions to restore *system.da0* as given here:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q131431

... welcome to TSG...


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

Unfortunately I do not have a reg. ID#, this computer was given to me by my job and they can't find it. so I guess I am out of luck, huh?

I wasn't able to resett the BIOS options - nothing happened, I went into (f1) for help and it told me to select by using my arrows, nothing happened....I couldn't change a thing. 

This is just so frustrating, I just don't know what to do. 

How do I get a boot disk? and how do I get a product key!

it does not tell me what the device is, it just said "A DEVICE"

What else can I do? 

Thanks for trying!


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

First you can get a program to create a boot disk from the link I gave in the first post.

Did you try the Microsoft directions to restore system.da0 ?

It may be possible to recover the ProductKey in DOS. Follow these directions:

1 -- boot to a command prompt. Do this by tapping the f8 key repeatedly as soon as the computer begins to boot. You should get a startup menu. Choose the command prompt option

2 -- at the c:\> prompt enter this line exactly, noteing carefully the location of spaces:

*regedit /e regkey.txt HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion*

Here is the command line again with ^ inserted where spaces should be:

regedit^/e^regkey.txt^HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

3 -- back at the c:\> prompt, enter *edit regkey.txt*

4 -- now you should see the DOS editor open with a display of registry data. Use your arrow key to scroll downward and look for two lines and copy both if present, exactly:

ProductKey

ProductID

you may need one or the other depending on the type of installation. If you see a long "digitalproductid" there, ignore that.

5 -- press Alt+F and then X to close the editor.


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

Thanks for getting back to me so soon.

I have not tried anything, I am at work now, the computer that is in distress is at my house, but when I get home tonight I will try with the information that you provided me and get back to you tomorrow with my results. 

Wish me luck!


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

Good luck -- if you can get that ProductKey or ID, we can reinstall. If not then your only hope is probably to return to a previous registry. Actually I would try that first, since a reinstall may still leave problems unless it is a full format and reinstall.


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

Thanks, let's hope it works. Talk with you tomorrow.


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

good morning. 

well i was able to get the product id#, but that is all  . 

I tried to restore the last boot registry, but was unable to do it. I always got a error message like unable to open registry c:\windows\system.dat then I would continue as explained if the previous did not work, always received the same error message. Unable to open registry (1,016) ath1, then unable to backup registry ath2 system.txt. The farther along I got the more error messages appeared like attrib -s -h -r system.dat - this one said file not found and the last one ren c:\windows\profiles c:\windows\oldprofiles - invalid parameter (I do not even know what a parameter is) 

What should I do now?


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

I have a question for you, re- answers that work.com - it says to run it to unzip it (which I did), but I don't know what to do after that - winzip it or close. can I get the boot disk from my pc at work and can i do it on a floppy disk or does it have to be on a cd?
now you can tell I am a greenhorn when it comes to the ways the insides of the computer work.


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

With respect to the registry errors, I'm not sure, but it sounds like you began at the beginning of the article. That was not actually what I wanted you to do. If you didn't start at *Using System.da0*, then I would try again, following exactly my instructions here:

1 -- boot to a command prompt by tapping f8 on startup, then selecting "command prompt" from the startup menu.

2 -- at the c:\> prompt enter: *cd: c:\windows* (now you should be at c:\windows\>

3 -- enter *attrib -h -r -s system.dat*

4 -- enter *ren system.dat system.bad*

(note the position of spaces designated by ^ here: attrib^-h^-r^-s^system.dat; ren^system.dat^system.bad)

>> Do you get an error message entering either of the above two commands?

5 -- *ctrl-alt-del* to reboot

=======

When you unzip the zipped boot disk setup file, you must remove it from the original zipped folder, this is either done automatically by the zip program or you can simply manually copy the enclosed file to another folder. Once you have it out, put a clean floppy in the floppy drive and just double click the setup program and follow the prompts.

=============

You might also want to double check on finding the ProductKey again, I'm rather concerned that if you try to reinstall, you will receive a Microsoft prompt for that (the number of characters is different) and it will not accept the ProductID, which was placed there by the orginal vendor, not Microsoft.

===============

If only the ProductID is there, I would recommend trying to reinstall from the cab files on the hard drive first, if they are present. To determine that, from a command prompt enter:

*cd c:\windows\options\cabs*

If you get the DOS prompt c:\windows\options\cabs\> after that, then you have them. From that directory, it might be possible simply to enter:

*setup* and follow the prompts.


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

I did you #1 - f8 and all,
I did the c:\ prompt end .....I was then at c:\windows\, i then entered attrib -h -r - system.dat - got an error message - file not found; then i entered ren system.dat system.bad - got the same error message - file not found (yes I put all the spaces in where they belonged) I tried it again and still got the same messages. 

I did double check, I went up and down a few times looking for a ProductKey - but there was none. There was a ProductType - which was 9, but no Key and of course the Product ID which I got 14797-OEM-0022523-52330.

I will try it all again, and get back to you on Monday, have a nice weekend. Here in New York it will be a cold one...............
Bye for now and thanx for all your help.
Wish me luck............


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

Hard to believe it could disappear like that, it means not only that system.dat would have to be damaged or missing but system.da0 as well. And if system.ini has gone with it, there must be an awful lot of file corruption on the disk. Do make sure you are entering: attrib -h - r -s system.dat (anything else will produce an error message.)

Anyway see if you can enter: cd c:\windows\options\cabs

It's looking like you will probably have to use the Microsoft CD to try to reinstall; if it is the original OEM CD, that is, supplied by a manufacturer, it might work with the ProductID; otherwise you need a valid ProductKey

And you will definitely need the luck


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

Here is one more suggestion that might be instructive, if not helpful.

At the c:\windows\> prompt, enter:

*dir /a system**

Make a note of all files beginning with "system" (that's all you should really see).

Note the extension and listed file size that is associated with them.


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

Thanks, I will try it all. 

But if nothing works, would it be worth my while to send it to a computer store that fixes computers or what?


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

You might confer with them on possibilities first, but unless they have CD from which they are prepared to make an installation, there is likely not much that can be done. They may have something that they will give or sell you with a productkey. The age of the system and quality of the hardware (processor speed, hard disk size) would be a factor in determining whether it would be more worthwhile to just get a new one, or a new/used one.


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

Thanks for all your help, I will heed your advice, but hopefully I won't have to go that path. But then again, maybe a new computer would be good - do you recommend any of them......Is Dell as good as they commercials say it is.?

No need to respond to this, just putting my thoughts down. Have a wonderful weekend, it is almost time to go home.


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## kilowatt1 (Oct 27, 2001)

Unless you typed it wrong in your reply, you left out the *-s* in the command Rog gave you.


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

You know looking at it again, I wonder now if I did input incorrectly. The paper I was looking at (How to Troubleshoot Registry Errors in Windows 95) says 
attrib -s -h -r system.dat, now as I look at it, was I supposed to enter -h -r -s - maybe that could part of my problem


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

The order doesn't matter, but if you left out the s in -s, that would.

When you do a dir /a system* that will tell soon enough whether the file is there. It may also turn up system.ini or a backup copy. You should also have system.da0, that one is the key to doing a restore. system.1st can also be tried, but it will revert to the original registry and most subsequent installed programs will not run

As for computer systems, I have a new Dell, and I'm not having any problems with it. I think their much vaunted technical support is not as well respected as it used to. But their purchase procedure is very well polished and their web support site is still the best.


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

Okay, now I know that I definitely did not leave out the -s, I remember putting in three dashes and three letters. Well, I am out of here for the weekend, it is 5:30pm and I need to pick up my daughter. Again, I will let you know on Monday, how I faired. You know deep down inside, I want a new computer......
Have a good weekend.
Bye


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

Well, I am giving up, it does not work......It seems that my registry and da0 and dat are also not there. I am now looking at purchasing a dell 4550. Thanks again for all your help.


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

It's very odd and I'm still wondering if you are entering the commands correctly and at the right place.

System.dat must be there or you wouldn't have been able to retrieve the ProductID following the instructions I gave you.

Remember you must be at the c:\windows\> prompt when you enter:

dir /a system*

Are you getting no hits for "system" at all when you do that?


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

okay, here goes these are the things that I have encountered:

1. at the c:\windows\ I entered dir/ a system*

it said the following - directory of c:\
system SA 2/3/00
system 1st 12/27/02 5,243,696

1 file(s) - 5,243,696
1 dir(s) - 4,754,54 MB free

2. I also did something else, I can't remember now what I did but I got this message:
registry file not found
registry services maybe inoperative for this session
XMS cache problem
registry services mabe inoperative for this session, a device file that is specified in the system.ini file is damaged.
it may be needed to run winodws.
c:\c:\windows\net initialize
error 7750: cannot locate registry

3. at the c:\ prompt I entered cd: c:\windows, which gave me c:\windows\ I entered attrib -s -h -r system.dat it came back with bad command or file name - file not found - system.dat

4. I also tried cd c:\windows\options\cabs - that was okay I got the DOS prompt but then I entered setup and it said bad command or file


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

If you were at c:\windows\> when you entered the command, the response should have been:

Directory of C:\windows rather than directory of c:\

The fact that you encountered the file *system.1st* means that you were definitely in C:\ which is where that file is located.

System.1st can be copied to c:\windows and renamed system.dat in a pinch, but system.dat would have to be renamed first; and doing this would mean that even if Windows booted, the install information for all programs not a part of the original install would be lost.

remember, when you start out at the c:\> prompt you must enter:

cd c:\windows (or cd windows) and hit "enter"

to get to c:\windows\>


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

I am not sure of what you are trying to tell me.


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

You are not in the c:\windows\> directory when you are issuing the command dir /a system*

You are in c:\

That is what the response is telling you.

When you first get to the c:\> prompt, enter each line:

*cd c:\windows
dir /a system**

after you enter cd c:\windows, you should see the prompt:

c:\windows> (the right angle caret must be there)


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

okay, i'll do that tonight..........i'll let you know what happens


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

Okedoke, I guarantee you system.dat is there, you just have to get into the Windows directory to see it. System.da0 should be there as well.

Even from the c:> prompt you could find it using the command:

dir /a /s system*

which will search all sub directories


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

okay, here is what I did:

I entered c:\cd c:\windows
directory of C:\windows

system 
system OLD 5,243,696
system INI 2,130
system --- 2,168
system CB 116
systemto GRP 7,468
system BAK 5,243,696
system 32 
6 file)S) 10m497,274 bytes
2 DIR(s) 4,754.54 mb free

dir /a /s system*
c:\windows\startm~1\programs/access~1
system~1 DIR 0 files 0 bytes + system~1
system~1 LNK 1 file 273 bytes

I do not see system.dat or system.da0

now what?

I also repeated other steps, but it is lengthy, let me see what you get out of this first. okay?


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

Two things. It is possible you are not seeing system.dat or system.da0 in the directory because when you were at the prompt:

*c:\windows*> you did not enter the command as:

*dir /a system** including the /a switch (without which hidden files will not be shown).

The second possibility is that the two files, system.old and system.bak are system.dat and system.da0 if you renamed them thusly in a previous attempt. The sizes are about right for a Win95 registry file.

Are you getting handier at reaching the c:\windows> prompt 

You could experiment with renaming one or the other system.dat. To do it, at the c:\windows> prompt, enter:

*ren system.bak system.dat*

If you are prevented from renaming the file due to it already being present, then you know it is still there, hidden.

Then do a ctrl-alt-del to reboot and cross your fingers.

I see also that System.1st in the c:\directory is exactly the same size!! This really suggests that those other files are copies of that. Very strange since someone would need to know what they were doing to make copies like that.

System.1st is the original registry, it may allow you to reboot, but programs will need to be reinstalled.


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

I entered dir /a /s system*, was I only supposed to enter dir /a system*? And on your 2nd possibility, I know I didn't rename them, I wasn't even aware at that time that you could rename files. I have only renamed files when I am in microsoft word. Although I feel that I am gettier as you put it handier (I am actually understanding a little bit better than I did before - amazing, I am learning), tonight I will try and experiment with renaming one or the other system.dat. 

I will write to you tomorrow with my results.


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

It could be done either way. If you were in the windows directory then the /s switch could be left out for simplicity. /s searches all subfolders, so you would get hits for anything beginning with "system".

I'm still scratching my head as to how you could have recovered the ProductID if system.dat did not exist, but trying to rename something else to system.dat in the windows directory will tell you for sure whether there is another file with that name there.


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

ok, thanks - wish me luck

(if you think you are scratching your head, you can't imagine me)


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

this is really strange - I am actually beginning to understand what I did last night - scary. 

Well I was able to rename the .bak and .old, so now I have .da0 and .dat back again, I did a ctrl-alt-del to reboot but it did not work . I got the same messages as before where it told me that the system.ini is damaged and may be needed to run windows and that I should run a program that has that file.

I feel like I am getting closer, but it is so frustrating.

what do I do now?


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Will it let you continue on to load windows, or does it just stop after the error message....what happens if you press the enter key?


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

it doesn't let me do anything, it tells me to press enter to where eventually if just "SHUTS DOWN" on its own.


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

Here's a few things to try. First, try renaming system.dat to system.bad and system.da0 to system.dat

Also, in your previous list you showed both system.ini and this file:

system --- 2,168

the three dashes are actually an extension, ie, *system.---*

and this is an older, backup of system.ini; you can try renaming system.ini to system.bak and then system.--- to system.ini

Get the idea?

ren system.ini system.bak

ren system.--- system.ini


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

okay, I'll try it over the weekend and let you know what happens.
I actually understood it. 

Have a good weekend.


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

OK, but it's occured to me that you may not be getting the full flavor of that message. Many people report seeing similar messages and think that their System.ini file is missing or damaged, when this is not the case. You do in fact have system.ini there.

What the message may be saying is that a file "referenced" in system.ini (or the registry) is missing or damaged, as for example in this MS whassup:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q126574

If that is the case, then we need to know the name of the file.

The shutdown problem would most likely be caused if the vmm32.vxd is damaged (this is a vxd which is "compressed" and actually contains other vxd's)

In that case we may faced with the inevitable reinstall because that is the only way to recreate the vxd in most cases. However, depending on the exact file, there may be an alternative.


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

okay, I made copies of all references that you gave. I will try it over the weekend. You sure did give me alot of homework. 

Have a good one.
Talk to you on Monday.


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## dgmoneill (Jan 8, 2003)

I got confused, couldn't do it. I am definitely not sure if all this is worth it. My computer is old and if I have to reinstall, which seems that I will have to I do not have anything to reinstall with as this was my computer at work and there are no disks hanging around.

Thanks for all your help.


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

I understand, it's not easy keeping this stuff straight from day to day when you can't get immediate feedback. In all likelyhood the operating system was going to need to be reinstalled, as the shutdown after the error message was pointing to a damaged vmm32.vxd -- and 9 out of 10 times there is no alternative.

You're welcome for the efforts.


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