# Shut down during boot up



## ldabbs (Sep 29, 2001)

My pc will not finish booting up. One night everything was fine, next day big problems! I have had several error messages depending on how I try to boot up. If I boot up normally it goes straight to safe mode boot up screen. When I hit enter it acts like it is going to boot up then shuts down. For some reason I am suspecting my video card. One message was that system ini couldn't find vgartd.vxd. I have contacted 3dfx and tech said it was a windows problem. Thought about reinstalling video software, but I am not a dos person and didn't want to cause bigger problems. I need big time HELP! PLEASE!


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## brianF (Dec 2, 1999)

If it's a problem with your video drivers you should be able to choose safe mode from the startup menu and boot with no problem. On safe mode boot it uses windows generic drivers.


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## Bryan (Jul 3, 1999)

And if it does boot up successfully in SafeMode, do this to reinstall the video card and drivers.

While in SafeMode, click on

Start>Settings>CP>System>DeviceManager. Click on the "+" next to DisplayAdapter. Now you should see the name of your video card appear underneath. Write down the name. Now right click on the video card and select Remove. Restart Windows, Start>Shutdown>Restart and let it boot into Normal mode. It will reinstall the video card. 

Let us know what happens. 

BTW, you may need to get the video card driver from the makers website or you should have a CD with the drivers that came with the PC but remove it first and boot into Normal mode and see what you have after that before worrying about the drivers.


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

Since you haven't been able to boot up even in safe mode, one thing I would try before going to an overinstall of Windows, is to restore a registry prior to the problem.

Press the ctrl key while starting up to access the boot menu and select "command prompt" from the list. At the prompt enter:

scanreg /restore

use the arrow keys to select a prior started registry from the 4 you see. These instructions are for Win98 and will not work in 95. 

For WinME, you will need a startup disk, and at the a:\> prompt enter:

c:
cd windows\command
scanreg /restore

If you have WinME, you can also try "system restore" (special instructions required)

If this allows you to boot at least in safe mode, you can troubleshoot from there. If not, you are probably going to have to reinstall Windows. 

Note in full any error messages or blue screens you get.


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## ldabbs (Sep 29, 2001)

Thanks to all who replied. After posting my original message, I did try to the restore the registry. Here is the message I received:

A device file that is specified in the system.ini file is damaged. You may need to run Windows setup or you may have to reistall the software that uses this file. The missing file is:

C"\windows\system\vgartd.vxd

Then the pc shutdown.

I did look on the CD for the video card and found that file listed.

I keep in mind that I am having to do everything from the prompt mode because I haven't been able to get to a desk top since Tues. I have almost no dos experience and really could use some guidence.

Thanks!


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Did you upgrade from Windows 95?


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## ldabbs (Sep 29, 2001)

No I didn't upgrade from Windows 85. Thansk


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

This is some info I found, and if correct, I'm wondering why you have this file to begin with:

What is VGARTD.VXD and where do I get it?
One of the benefits of AGP is the ability to use graphics textures directly from main memory, as opposed to a PCI card that must copy textures to local (graphics) memory before use. This new memory type is not supported directly in Windows* 95 (OSR2.X), so VGARTD.VXD was created as a patch to the dynamic memory manager in Windows 95, to allow this new memory type. 

Executing textures from main memory is a feature of Windows 95 with DirectX* 5.0. This memory type will be supported without VGARTD.VXD in Windows 98. Graphics card vendors distribute VGARTD.VXD with their drivers if the hardware supports the feature. Without it, the AGP card would behave like a PCI card with regard to how textures are handled. If your graphics card supports this function, the card vendor should supply VGARTD.VXD with the driver. Contact the vendor for an update. 


What you might try doing....at the c: prompt, type:

edit system.ini
and hit enter

find that line and put a ; in front of it, save changes and reboot.....

May or may not solve anything.....


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

Are you sure the error message specified system.ini exclusively and not the registry or system.ini?

Usually it would be called from the registry. If it is system.ini, you need to

cd windows
edit system.ini

(system.ini is in Windows)

If you do make the edit, then press Alt+F to access the editor's file save and exit menu.

But here's the thing, I don't think even if this file were missing or damaged it would prevent Windows from loading, at least in safe mode. It is not critical.

Start thinking about a reinstall. It is possible a damaged or missing vmm32.vxd file is causing the shutdown problem. This is not replaceable except by reinstalling Windows. Do you have your Windows CD?

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/ARTICLES/Q141/8/98.asp


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

> _Originally posted by Rollin' Rog _
> *cd windows
> edit system.ini
> 
> ...


Oops, that's right, thanks Rog.....


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## ldabbs (Sep 29, 2001)

Thanks to both Rollin' Rog and Aca Candy. Here is the latest. I have tried to go into edit system.ini, but my monitor was sooooo dark I couldn't read a thing. Looks like the monitor is going out. Just got home with a borrowed monitor....it is amazing what you can see when the monitor is not black! Don't seem to have vgartd.vxd in here anywhere. Even went to find. I will say that when I just booted up the first time I got a message saying that it was having trouble installing atmsys.drv. Any clues? Could the fact that my monitor seems to have big trouble caused this problem? One minute everything was fine then the next nothing. Thanks for all of your help!


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

The dark monitor is really an independent issue. It's just ageing. Although if you could boot through to Windows the influence of the video adapter gamma control would probably have brightened things up a bit. In DOS there's not much you can do for it.

The atmsys.drv issue is related to an Adobe installation. It is almost certainly a symptom rather than a cause of these problems. You could check your system.ini file for a reference to it and modify it to

system.drv=system.drv

and remove the Adobe references, if they are there (see link); or visa versa, if not. In either case I don't see this as a problem which would prevent a safe mode boot up. That failure suggests something deeper.

http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/1ebfe.htm

You might want to try a step-by-step confirmation boot up (selected from the boot menu) and see if you can identify the point at which it shuts down.

You can also select "logged boot"; after which, from a c:\>prompt you can enter:

edit bootlog.txt

and see where the boot terminates.


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## ldabbs (Sep 29, 2001)

Once again, thanks Rollin' Rog. 

The last program I was in before this problem started was Adobe Page Maker, maybe that is why I am get that message.

Last night I worked with one of the online tech here, just really needing to get this thing fixed. We went in and renamed the vgartd.vxd file to old. And rebooted. When I tried to boot in Safe Mode it went to Registry Checker and just never went any further. Tried a regular boot and received a message HIMEM testing extended memory. The received the message about the Adobe driver and it shutdown. 

The tech showed me the Microsoft help site where it said that this was probably caused by damaged memory. Just got back from Best Buy. Installed new memory booted up, received the same messages.

I am getting ready to look for a sledge hammer in a few minutes....not really.

I will try your suggestions and let you know where this thing is shutting down.

Back soon.


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

Hmmm. Windows only runs a Himem test in safe mode unless config.sys is configured to run it in normal mode. (I do it that way).

It still sounds like registry damage. When you "tried" to restore previous registry, did you get a "successful restore" confirmation?

You can also try the comand

scanreg /fix

from a command prompt

If you are getting an "unreliable xms memory" (per the MS link) message, that would still point to a ram problem.

You can try running a software ram tester and see if it detects any faults:

http://www.simmtester.com/PAGE/products/doc/docinfo.asp

Install to a clean floppy, boot with it like a startup disk and run a burn in test for a couple of loops.


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## ldabbs (Sep 29, 2001)

Just went through step by step boot up. Everything going OK until that file popped up again vgartd.vxd. Hit enter, maybe I should have said no. Anyway, got messages:

Cannot find device file that may be needed to run.....

Windows registry of System.ini refers to this device file, but the device no longer exists.

Step by step kept going and right after it got to msmouse.drv
received a windows protection error. Need to restart your computer. It is just sitting at that place right now.

In reference to your last message, I went to system editor and looked at the info you had given me about the adobe files. I haven't made any changes at this point.. a little shakey here! This is what I have:system.drv=atmsys.drv
atm.system.drv=system.drv

I can change system.drv=atmsys.drv to system.drv=system.drv, do I just delete the second message? 

I did get "successful restore" confirmation when I tried to restore previous registry. Guess I can try again.

Sorry to be such a problem!


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

You could restore the system.ini entries to their defaults as you mentioned, but I honestly doubt it would help.

Do you have a network card installed? I believe I've seen similar such bootup problems (right after msmouse) when they are causing problems. If you do, I would physically remove it.

In fact I would remove any non essential hardware attached to the system -- scanners, extra drives, printer, etc...


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## ldabbs (Sep 29, 2001)

Don't have a network card, just a modem. I have already taken printer, scanner, speakers etc. off. Haven't disconnected internal CD-rom, floppy or Zip drive though.

You are right I did the scanreg/fix, said everything was ok. Rebooted, guess what the same message.

Should I take care of those adobe files in system.ini?

Forgetting about the sledge hammer, looking for a torch!


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

It wouldn't hurt to do the system.ini edit, just to clear your mind of it. 

One way or another though, I think you are going to have to attempt a Windows overinstall. I would rename the vmm32.vxd as suggested in that MS link before doing it. It's quite possible something there is causing the problem.

Another thing you should do is run a thorough scandisk from a c:\> prompt. It is usually a good idea to have it prompt on errors rather than automatically fix, so you can at least see what is going on.


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## ldabbs (Sep 29, 2001)

Thanks again Rollin' Rog. With your help and the help of one of the online tech there, I think I am fixed! After 3 hours of trying various things I reinstalled Windows. There were some file allocation problems along with one other thing that I can't remember, but now I am back at my desktop for the first time since Monday night. I appreciate all of your help and while I hope I don't have any other problems for a long time, I will recommend this sight and your expertise to my friends! Thanks again!


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## Rollin' Rog (Dec 9, 2000)

On behalf of all of us here, you're welcome for the help. I'm glad the overinstall was the key to getting you a successful boot up.


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