# Solved: W98: msvcrt.dll missing, can't solve



## mc62 (Feb 12, 2014)

Hello,

I've got a very old PC with Windows 98 SE (Spanish) and, after running some maintenance programs on it yesterday (oh the irony), msvcrt.dll is missing.

I've been browsing the web for solutions (including this site and Microsoft's Knowledge Base) and so far nothing works.

-Windows doesn't start (Normal, started session or safe mode)
-Command prompt works, but it doesn't recognize SFC.
-It hasn't got C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS
-It doesn't seem to read the CDROM drive. 
-I can't download DLLs from the net on that PC, and I can't think of a way to download it elsewhere and copy it on that PC (no other PC with floppy drive, no internet, no CDROM). 
-EXT (as recommended in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299296/es) doesn't work. Nor "Extract" or any other spelling I tried. 
-I did a system restore to a couple of days ago, before the "cleaning", but the DLL is still missing.

I wonder if there's anything else I can do? (other than send it to the shop for a clean Windows install)

Thanks!

P.S.: if the only option is a clean reinstall, any ideas on how to backup MyDocs?

P.P.S.: Not sure if this is at all related, but "Ashserv" fails at startup as well. Aparently it's related to Avast!AV, which is installed there, but hasn't been in use for months. There were no Avast-related files during startup before, I coincidentally had checked startup programs yesterday before the debacle.


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## blues_harp28 (Jan 9, 2005)

Hi, I have forgotten all I knew about 98SE!!
System file checker would be the first choice.
If you had the Cab files, you could have extracted said dll file.
The other alternative is to find someone using 98SE [good luck there] and extract the file to a floppy disk.
You would then rename the current msvcrt.dll - to msvcrt.old.
Then copy the file on the floppy to the windows system folder. [c:\windows\system]
Of course Windows would have to start in dos mode to do the above.

There may be other copies of msvcrt.dll on the system.
If you can get to a Command Prompt.
Type.
dir /s msvcrt.dll

If you find one - Copy the path where you find it to - c:\windows\system


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## mc62 (Feb 12, 2014)

Indeed there are some more lying around! :up:

All of them dated back to 1999, 2000, 2001, in other program folders. I should restore the newest, I suppose?

Now, I'm afraid I've forgotten whatever little DOS6.0 I knew 20 years ago  What exactly shall I type to copy one of these to the System folder? (I get things like ARCHIV~1\AHEAD\NERO in the listed locations and don't even know what to do with the ~1)


I'm thinking, perhaps sfc does work but I've used it wrong. I typed it from the c:/>, is that right? Should it be somewhere else? I was afraid to experiment with that.


(I've got the CABs --in the CDROM which it can't see. I'm sure they're in the hard drive somewhere too, only not in OPTIONS\CABS, and I can't find them.)


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## blues_harp28 (Jan 9, 2005)

Did typing the following show any msvcrt files?
dir /s msvcrt.dll
======
SFC - usually asks for the Cd to replace the file!
=====
You say you did a system restore
Did you use Safe Mode with Command Prompt?
Type 
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\SCANREG /RESTORE
Press Enter.

I still trying to remember the process of copying the files from a floppy disk.
This may help 
http://www.uninets.net/~blaisdel/WindowsExtractCom.htm

http://www.onecomputerguy.com/win98_tips.htm


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## blues_harp28 (Jan 9, 2005)

mc62 said:


> I'm thinking, perhaps sfc does work but I've used it wrong. I typed it from the c:/>, is that right? Should it be somewhere else? I was afraid to experiment with that.


At the C:>
You would type
sfc.exe

sfc should do it but add the exe
=========
If you can extract the file from C:\WINDOWS\Options\Cabs to a floppy.

Boot from the floppy disk.
At Command Prompt
Type 
Rename C:\Windows\System\Msvcrt.dll Msvcrt.old
Press ENTER:

Still in Command prompt.
Type
Copy C:\Msvcrt.dll C:\Windows\System
Press Enter.


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## mc62 (Feb 12, 2014)

Thanks for all this, I do appreciate it!

Ok, here's what I've done.

1) In safe mode with command prompt, I typed C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\SCANREG /RESTORE and restored to a backup from 2 days ago (which should be ok), restarted in Normal, it didn't work (same messages).

2) I searched again for the CAB files in the hard drive, and I've found them at c:\WIN98

3) Typing dir /s msvcrt.dll gave me these: C:\ARCHIV~1\AHEAD\NERO
C:\ARCHIV~1\CYBERL~1\POWERDVD
C:\ARCHIV~1\HEWLET~1\HPZ\GLUE
C:\ARCHIV~1\MACROM~1\DREAMW~1\JVM\BIN
C:\ARCHIV~1\HEWLET~1\HPPRIN~1 <--------- the newest​-Shall I try Extract again with the CAB (I found somewhere in the net that it should be in Win98_55.cab), or try copying one of these other old msvcrt.dll into C:\Windows\System?

-If I use Extract, would the correct syntax be

extract c:\WIN98\win98_55.cab msvcrt.dll /l c:\windows\system ?

(I tried reading http://www.uninets.net/~blaisdel/WindowsExtractCom.htm, but it's a bit Greek to me, sorry!)

-If I want to find msvcrt.dll in the CABs, is this what I need to type: extract /a /d c:\WIN98\win98_02.cab msvcrt.dll ?


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## blues_harp28 (Jan 9, 2005)

All good questions - and I am unsure to be truthful.

The link I gave you was mentioning Win95 more than Win98.
I think the correct syntax is..
EXTRACT C:\WIN98\WIN98_22.CAB msvcrt.dll /L C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM
======
From the Cd it would be..
EXTRACT /A D:\WIN98\WIN98_22.CAB msvcrt.dll /L C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM

D here [/A D:\] would be the drive letter of the CD-ROM.

There are spaces after - EXTRACT - between A and D.
After 22.CAB
After msvcrt.dll
Between L and C.


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## blues_harp28 (Jan 9, 2005)

mc62 said:


> 3) Typing dir /s msvcrt.dll gave me these:
> C:\ARCHIV~1\AHEAD\NERO
> C:\ARCHIV~1\CYBERL~1\POWERDVD
> C:\ARCHIV~1\HEWLET~1\HPZ\GLUE
> ...


None of the above are cab files.
Your only option would be to copy them from the Cd.


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## mc62 (Feb 12, 2014)

It worked!! 

I finally managed to find msvcrt.dll in Win98_57.cab, so I typed
EXTRACT C:\WIN98\WIN98_57.CAB MSVCRT.DLL /L C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM
and it extracted finely and well  I've never been so happy to see those old icons!

(at first it couldn't find hymem.sys, gave me a bit of a scare, lol)

Thank you, thank you, patient, noble and glorious blues_harp28!

**********
As a didactic point only: do you think it would have worked if I had copied into Windows\System one of those other msvcrt.dll files I found in C:\ARCHIV~1\AHEAD\NERO, C:\ARCHIV~1\CYBERL~1\POWERDVD, C:\ARCHIV~1\HEWLET~1\HPZ\GLUE, C:\ARCHIV~1\MACROM~1\DREAMW~1\JVM\BIN or C:\ARCHIV~1\HEWLET~1\HPPRIN~1?

Are they all copies of the same original msvcrt.dll, or are they different things shipped with each of those programs?

**********
As another didactic point  (I shall have to consider this a learning experience!). 

I b***ered up the system because I wanted to make it cleaner and faster and slimmer by uninstalling old programs and cleaning up the registry and such (shame on me, I know). 

I won't run Glary or CCleaner or any of those again, they may rot for all I care after this, but, do you think it would be safe to run a defragmenter? Even if it's only the default Windows Defrag. 
I'm just terrified of touching anything else, you see


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## blues_harp28 (Jan 9, 2005)

I used to love Win98se in its day and good to see that life in 98, can go on.
Good news indeed.



mc62 said:


> As a didactic point only: do you think it would have worked if I had copied into Windows\System one of those other msvcrt.dll files I found in C:\ARCHIV~1\AHEAD\NERO, C:\ARCHIV~1\CYBERL~1\POWERDVD, C:\ARCHIV~1\HEWLET~1\HPZ\GLUE, C:\ARCHIV~1\MACROM~1\DREAMW~1\JVM\BIN or C:\ARCHIV~1\HEWLET~1\HPPRIN~1?


I did check online the above and was not convinced that they contained cab files but you will be seeing what I cannot.
======
Registry cleaners can and often do, cause more problems than they solve.
======
The inbuilt Windows Defrag program does a good enough job - I would use that but not too often.


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## blues_harp28 (Jan 9, 2005)

If you are happy with all of the above  - it can be marked Solved in Thread Tools at the top of the page.


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## mc62 (Feb 12, 2014)

Oh, those folders don't have cab files, just other msvcrt.dll files mixed among the rest of the program files; not contained in cabs or zips or anything. I supposed they copied for themselves the DLLs they needed from Windows when they installed?

I'll boldly go into a WinDefrag adventure, then, with fingers crossed!


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## blues_harp28 (Jan 9, 2005)

Good to know all is a Ok :up:


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## DaveBurnett (Nov 11, 2002)

I know Win98SE was sexy, but I do have to point out that the file is Himem.sys with an I not a Y 

I still have working 98SE on several machines here as I support several Garage systems that use it.


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