# [Resolved] EMM386 error at startup (and shutdown hang)



## flyboy320 (Dec 13, 2001)

When I try and start win98, I get the following;

Windows Expanded Memory Driver Version 4.95
EMM386 not installed - unable to set page frame base address

press any key when ready

EMM386 successfully installed

Expanded memory services unavailable
total upper memory available................42kb
largest upper memory block available....42kb
upper memory starting address..............D000 H

EMM386 active

Once the puter starts up, all seems to run OK, except when I go to shut down, the computer will freeze on the screen saying "Windows is now shutting down", and I have to push the reset button to get it to restart.

I have run a virus check.

There are no other programs running in the background.

Here is a copy of my Autoexec.bat
SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 T2
SET SNDSCAPE=C:\WINDOWS

Here is a copy of my config.sys
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE

Both HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE are in c:\windows

Help.......


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## flyboy320 (Dec 13, 2001)

After some experimenting, I commented out the autoexec.bat and config.sys lines, and computer now starts ok.

I do however still have the other problem of the computer not shutting down. It still hangs on the last screen you normally see when it shuts down. I thought these two problems were related, but perhaps not

The only things running are "explorer", and "systray"


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## steamwiz (Oct 4, 2002)

Your shutdown could be a lot of things:-

disable fast shutdown
damaged exit sound file
if you're running win98 second edition - there's a shutdown patch

it could also be spyware\malware

start by Downloading and installing "SpyBot",

http://www.lurkhere.com/~nicefiles/spybotsd11r3.exe

click the online tab to search for and download the updates, then shut down and relaunch SpyBot.

Go to the Settings tab > File Sets, and uncheck 'System Internals' and 'Tracks' . 
These aren't needed for our present purpose, and you can always experiment with them later on.

Finally, after closing down Internet Explorer, click 'Check for problems', and have SpyBot remove all it finds 'Fix selected problems'

steam


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

By last screen, do you mean "It is now safe to turn off your computer" or "Windows is shutting down"

If the first, it usually means that APM is not enabled in the BIOS. If the second, there is a shutdown supplement for Win98SE that you need to install. If it hasn't, you can try the "disable fast shutdown" steamwiz suggested. If it has, that will not be available.

And if you don't have Spybot, do get it.


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## flyboy320 (Dec 13, 2001)

Thanks for the reply's

I tried all the above, to no avail.

the last screen I get is "Windows is shutting down"

I'll keep pluging away.....

At least when I press the restart button, the computer will startup normally without any errors.

I have Adaware. Is this the same as Spybot, or is Spybot better?


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## steamwiz (Oct 4, 2002)

ADaware has not been updated for 4 months and will not be untill the new version comes out in february 2003

run Spybot you'll see the difference

steam


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

I'm not sure what you mean by "all of the above". Have you installed the SE supplement?

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q239887

There is another patch which sometimes helps with shutdown problems as well:

http://www.microsoft.com/Windows98/downloads/contents/WUCritical/q273017/Default.asp

And if the system is networked, there is still another patch for mapped network drives.

If you have an antivirus running make sure it is NOT scanning on shutdown, as this is a very common cause of the problem.


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## flyboy320 (Dec 13, 2001)

What I ment by all of the above was I tried

1)disabled fast shutdown 
2) checked for a damaged exit sound file 
3) if you're running win98 second edition - there's a shutdown patch 
4) checked for spyware\malware
5) tried reinstall of win98 over the old one.

It's not win98SE, just win98.

I'll try the links you posted Rollin' Rog and let you know....


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

The SE supplement can't be applied to 98, I don't know about the "package", but 98 isn't listed on the page, so I'd ignore that.

Maybe if we have a look at what is running we can spot something. Use the StartupList application from the site below and copy/paste the results to a reply.

http://www.lurkhere.com/~nicefiles/

Also, have you tried testing in Safe Mode, or running *msconfig* and disabling the startup group for a test. You may have to test more than once.

Don't leave the startup group disabled when you run StartupList or the startups won't show.


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## flyboy320 (Dec 13, 2001)

First, thanks for all your reply's.

The problem turned out to be a bios setting that I had changed last week. It had to do with usb support. I was trying to get a cordless mouse to work on my m/b, but it was not putting out enough power (I think) to the ps/2 port to run the device (gigabyte a-55a, quite old, with amd 550mhz), so I tried turning on the usb support. My xp system didn't mind it, but when I booted my hd with win98 on it, that's when it would not shutdown completely.

So with the usb support off (I don't have any usb ports on the m/b anyway) win98 will not shut off correctly.

Yippi........


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