# DOS Reconfig/Missing HIMEM.SYS/Win3.1-DOS6.2



## NotATechie (Sep 15, 2002)

Hello,

I am not very computer savvy, but I have bought a new computer and am trying to give my old (very old) one away to a relative, basically to learn keyboarding.

It's a Compaq Presario 520. Win 3.1/DOS 6.2. I was trying to delete some extra files, for more space and I think I deleted some of the configuration files by mistake. When I turn the computer on I get a message that says: 
Missing HIMEM.SYS
and I am unable to enter windows/win at the prompt.

I read my instruction manual and have a vague understanding that I need to reenter HIMEM.SYS into the configuration.... but I don't know where to find the config.sys file. I believe I have MS-DOS Editor (a text editor?) but am having problems using it. I tried to restart the PC and press F8 to see the configuration, and it goes straight to Autoexec.bat, which makes me believe that everything else might be ok.

Please help me find the config.sys file, and re-add the himem.sys file. Also, this is really basic, but is there anyway to get to to Windows w/out it? (It meaning, bypassing DOS). I tried F5 at restart to bypass all config.sys files, but it still didn't bring up windows.

**Finally, once I get this fixed, can a system this old support Office 2000 (Excel, P.Point, Word, Access)? It currently has works.

Thanks!


----------



## MacFromOK (Mar 19, 2001)

____________________________________________
Well, first I'd look to make sure the file is
completely gone. It's usually in both the
DOS and Windows directories (folders).

At the DOS prompt, type:

*cd\*

and press ENTER (this puts you at the root of
the C drive). Then type:

*dir/s himem.sys*

and press ENTER. If it's found in C:\WINDOWS,
type:

*copy c:\windows\himem.sys c:\dos*

and press ENTER. If it's found in C:\DOS, type:

*copy c:\dos\himem.sys c:\windows*

and press ENTER.

Otherwise, if the file isn't found....

You might be able to recover it using the DOS
*undelete* command. I'd try it for both the
DOS and Windows copy.

At the DOS prompt type:

*undelete c:\dos\himem.sys*

and press ENTER. You should then be prompted
for the *first* letter of the deleted file. If so,
type:

*h*

and press ENTER. Then type:

*undelete c:\windows\himem.sys*

Again, you should then be prompted for the
*first* letter of the deleted file. If so,
type:

*h*

and press ENTER.

This should work if you haven't written or saved
files since it was deleted. Hopefully you didn't
remove the *undelete* utility as well... 

If these attempts fail to find or retrieve the file,
you'll need either the original DOS or Windows
3.1 install diskettes.

Let us know what happens.

Cheers, Mac


----------

