# Solved: ndis.vxd, ntkern.vxd loader[s] fail



## rainforest123 (Dec 29, 2004)

Current problem: Under device manager there is a yellow (!) on my Linksys 
[ WPC54GS with speedboost. ] PCMCIA card. 
When I go to properties I get the message "The ndis.vxd, ntkern.vxd device loader(s) could not load the device driver (code 2)"

Windows 98 2nd Edition 
I do NOT have Internet Connection Sharing installed or enabled.

The PCMCIA card, which is about 6 months old, worked until about a week ago. I can't relate the onset to a change in hardware or software. Scanning for viruses & spyware have found only cookies.

Initially, at boot, I had errors "ODHost CoCreateInstance Failed status is 0x80040154" and error "Visual C++ Runtime Error Program Wireless-C Notebook Adapter with Speedboster Wpc54cfg.exe Abnormal program termination"

I chatted with LinkSys tech support / chat which instructed me to uninstall the software for the WPC54GS, download the latest driver, which I did, run setup, which I did.

Error subsequently appeared.

Linksys told me to uninstall their program & driver, try to install driver without their configuration program. That failed, too.

I uninstalled the Linksys software [ start > programs > Linksys something or other > uninstall ]. 
I turned off the computer. 
I remove the card. 
I turned on the computer, booted to normal mode. 
I turned off the computer. I placed the card into the PCMCIA slot. 
I turned on the computer. 
Windows automatically recognized the card & installed the drivers. 
The lights on the card are illuminated. 
In Device Manager, the same error is present.

In safe mode, I deleted the driver. At reboot, Windows installed the driver from C:\windows\inf\other\. .. . In safe mode, I renamed that driver, removed the driver again from Device Manager, booted to normal mode. This time, I again pointed the driver wizard to the latest driver which I had downloaded, from Linksys. Same problem.

Linksys has suggested I contact Microsoft.

I tried this: 
http://www.donath.org/Rants/MSTechHorror/

Turns out that NTKERN.VXD is not normally installed in Windows 98. Wasn't on this machine, and wasn't on a couple others I checked (thanks for looking, Dad!). Somehow, during my fiddling, apparently this critical-to-some-device-drivers file was installed, some pointers to it set, and then it was removed (probably during my subsequent uninstalls)...but the pointers remained, crippling both the sound card driver and the USB root hub driver. It's supposed to be in c:\windows\system and c:\windows\system\vmm32, but often isn't - invoking much confused dismay in the user.

Solution? Run sfc to extract NTKERN.VXD from the Windows 98 Second Edition disc into c:\windows\system and c:\windows\system\vmm32, and reboot. That's it.

AND this 
To resolve this behavior, remove the following two lines of code in the C:\Autoexec.bat file by using a text editor, such as, Microsoft Windows Notepad. If your mouse does not work, you may want to use Notepad from one of the Windows installations that works properly.
SET windir=C:\WINDOWS
SET winbootdir=C:\WINDOWS 
****lines are not present

suggested by http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/Win98/Q_20451902.html?qid=20451902#7704960 
and http://www.donath.org/Rants/MSTechHorror/ 
and http://www.computing.net/drivers/wwwboard/forum/463.html 
and http://support.microsoft.com/kb/294292/en-us

RF123


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## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

This site may be of help to you.

Hopefully, you have a Windows 98SE CD. If not, see if your computer has either a *C:\WIN98* or a *C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS* folder with the .CAB files. It's then just a matter of extracting those 7 files, placing them in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM and C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\VMM32, then rebooting.

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## rainforest123 (Dec 29, 2004)

F: 
Thanks. 

Yes, I have the Win 98 SE CD. 

I had put ntkern.vxd into those folders. I will do so with the other files & report my results. 

RF123


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## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

Put a copy of those SEVEN files in the TWO specified locations, then reboot.

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## rainforest123 (Dec 29, 2004)

Yes, I will do so. 

Thanks for re-emphasizing your suggestion. 

RF123


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## rainforest123 (Dec 29, 2004)

Rats. 

No success. 

Interesting page you mentioned, F. 

RF123


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## flavallee (May 12, 2002)

I don't know what else to tell you, especially since I have no experience with wireless network cards or wireless connections.

I use *Linksys LNE100TX* wired network cards and have had good success with them.

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You might have better success with getting a resolution to the problem by posting it in the "Network" section of the forum.

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## bassetman (Jun 7, 2001)

I have moved this thread per request.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Have you tried scanreg /restore back to a day when it was working?


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## rainforest123 (Dec 29, 2004)

The problem has been present for weeks. Win 98 only keeps, by default, 5 scanregw files. If the computer is re-booted once during a midnight to midnight cycle, a new scanregw file is created. 

No. 

RF123


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

I kept my default setting at 10....and didn't reboot everyday....guess that can help.

You have to jump through hoops to get to the older 5...but sometimes, it's a life saver.


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## rainforest123 (Dec 29, 2004)

Yes, I am aware that one must sometimes jump through hoops. 

Good for you about setting the # to 10. The users of this computer know less than you & I know. 

Thanks for your replies. 

Such is life. 

RF123


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

rainforest123 said:


> The users of this computer know less than you & I know.





rainforest123 said:


> Current problem: Under device manager there is a yellow (!) *on my Linksys *
> [ WPC54GS with speedboost. ] PCMCIA card.


I guess, from the contents of your first post, I ASSUMED that it was your computer since you used the word "MY."

Forgive me.


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## rainforest123 (Dec 29, 2004)

AcaCandy: 
I apologize. 

I am unable to edit the post to read "the Linksys". 

Please accept my sincere apology for my error. 

Sincerely, 
RF123


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## rainforest123 (Dec 29, 2004)

As a test, I uninstalled the Linksys driver & software. 

I installed drivers & software for a DLink DWL G650 PCMCIA wireless adapter card. The DLink card works. 

I think the problem is not with Windows, but with the Linksys card and / or the Linksys driver. Before post #1 of this thread, I had tried installing drivers and software, then just drivers, from the CD and from Linksys' download site. 

RF123


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## wyocowboy (Jun 13, 2006)

Well, I have some news for you folks...

A customer brought a WinMe notebook in today because he couldn't get the Linksys WPC54GS card w/speedboost to work. Neither could his son or daughter, who are reportedly computer whiz/whiz-ette To make a long story short, Linksys techsup told me (via chat) that this product is not supported on WinMe. I presume this extends to Win98, but didn't ask. When I informed him that the software installs without complaint (no OS check error), he danced around it, saying that the s/w installs, but the drivers will not load.

When informed of this, the customer said that the installation instructions have a section for Win98/ME and the box claims support as well. He didn't have either with him, so I can't confirm that. I did have a look at the pdf datasheet for the product on Linksys's website and lo and behold, it only lists XP and Win2kProf under the system requirements section, although this could have been edited post-release.

If I had to guess, Linksys originally intended this product to work with win9x, but ran into difficulties that changed their minds. I advised the customer to pursue a refund, directly from Linksys if necessary.


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## rainforest123 (Dec 29, 2004)

Wyo: 
I am unable to address your issue. 

As I noted in post #1 of this thread, the card had installed previously, without problems. 

RF123


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## wyocowboy (Jun 13, 2006)

There is no addressing 'my' issue - Linksys's answer is that this card is not supported in WinME, and this card never worked in this computer.

Like I said, their original intent appears to have been to have it work in Win98/ME and based on my experience doing pre-release QA for such companies, they most certainly tested it on Win98/ME. However, this OS family was never stable, and while QA testing is always predictive, much depends on the integrity of the test bed. Test platforms must be stable in order to evaluate the product under test, so they tend to be vanilla installations. In the real world, new programs, drivers, etc are added over time, so straws accumulate on the camel's back.

The data sheet on their website no longer refers to support on Win98/ME (and the current packaging probably doesn't etiher) - ergo, based on that and what their tech told me, they have withdrawn support for that OS family, most likely because they deemed it not feasible to address issues such as yours. Good luck getting it fixed. You might try uninstalling any programs, drivers, hardware that you had installed in the interim.


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