About SYSTEM.INI

[gosh]

What you should do is rename system.ini to system.old, then rename system.cb to system.ini. In msconfig when you uncheck the box for system.ini, what msconfig does is rename system.cb to system.ini and moves the old system.ini. System.cb is the bare minimum you need to boot your win9x computer, so if you have the same problem with that it's not a system.ini issue.

As far as defrag, i've seen it not work, even in safe mode. Usually the problem is with the cache file. There are articles on microsoft's website that show what file to delete to clear that. But i wouldn't use microsoft's defrag, it isn't reliable.

-gosh

[ldb]

# My hard drives are C: 10MB D: 20MB. I hate these latest monster disks, I don't need them.

But to get back to the point, which was inviting informed comment on the shape of my SYSTEM.INI file!

I used you ini file to question the placement of your swapfile. As long as it is on a different disk, it may give you some performance improement depending on the speed of the file transfer of that drive.

One caveat of having one of those larger hard drives is that they are much faster at doing things like defragiing the drive. Going from a 5200 rpm 2MB cache HD to a 7200 rpm 8MB cache HD is almost like getting a new system.

Some good information here about trying to solve defrag problems if you have not already tried all of these:

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.p...ff63b2bf5d8fa42

I am not an expert on system.ini, but my guess is that the system uses a different one for Safe mode than normal mode which would point ot that file not being the cause of your problem.

[galahs]

Well here's my system.ini

[boot]

oemfonts.fon=vgaoem.fon

shell=Explorer.exe

system.drv=system.drv

drivers=mmsystem.dll

user.exe=user.exe

gdi.exe=gdi.exe

sound.drv=mmsound.drv

dibeng.drv=dibeng.dll

comm.drv=comm.drv

mouse.drv=mouse.drv

keyboard.drv=keyboard.drv

*DisplayFallback=0

fonts.fon=vgasys.fon

fixedfon.fon=vgafix.fon

386Grabber=vgafull.3gr

display.drv=pnpdrvr.drv

[keyboard]

keyboard.dll=

oemansi.bin=

subtype=

type=4

[boot.description]

system.drv=Standard PC

keyboard.typ=Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard

mouse.drv=Standard mouse

aspect=100,96,96

display.drv=3dfx Voodoo Series

[386Enh]

ebios=*ebios

woafont=dosapp.fon

mouse=*vmouse, msmouse.vxd

device=*dynapage

device=*vcd

device=*vpd

device=*int13

keyboard=*vkd

display=*vdd,*vflatd

PagingDrive=C:

MinPagingFileSize=102400

[NonWindowsApp]

TTInitialSizes=4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 20 22

[power.drv]

[drivers]

wavemapper=*.drv

MSACM.imaadpcm=*.acm

MSACM.msadpcm=*.acm

wave=mmsystem.dll

midi=mmsystem.dll

[iccvid.drv]

[mciseq.drv]

[mci]

cdaudio=mcicda.drv

sequencer=mciseq.drv

waveaudio=mciwave.drv

avivideo=mciavi.drv

videodisc=mcipionr.drv

vcr=mcivisca.drv

MPEGVideo=ctencmci.drv

MPEGVideo2=mciqtz.drv

PCDVDVideo=ctencmci.drv

DVDVideo=ctencmci.drv

[vcache]

[Password Lists]

BAB00N=C:\WINDOWS\BAB00N.PWL

[drivers32]

msacm.lhacm=lhacm.acm

VIDC.VDOM=vdowave.drv

MSACM.imaadpcm=imaadp32.acm

MSACM.msadpcm=msadp32.acm

MSACM.msgsm610=msgsm32.acm

msacm.msg711=msg711.acm

MSACM.trspch=tssoft32.acm

vidc.CVID=iccvid.dll

VIDC.IV31=ir32_32.dll

VIDC.IV32=ir32_32.dll

vidc.MSVC=msvidc32.dll

VIDC.MRLE=msrle32.dll

VIDC.IV50=ir50_32.dll

msacm.iac2=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\IAC25_32.AX

VIDC.YUY2=msyuv.dll

VIDC.UYVY=msyuv.dll

VIDC.YVYU=msyuv.dll

msacm.msg723=msg723.acm

vidc.M263=msh263.drv

vidc.M261=msh261.drv

msacm.msaudio1=msaud32.acm

msacm.sl_anet=sl_anet.acm

msacm.l3acm=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\L3CODECA.ACM

[MSNP32]

0 22=13 22

I have no problems with defraging my hard disk.

[fastlanephil]

Guys - Thanks for all your comments but note

# I have 256MB RAM

# I don't use a netork card

# The swap file is on D: drive (i.e. second hard disk) because I was advised so to do elsewhere on these forums

# Defrag is the WinME version courtesy of MDGx

# I do not use partitioning

# My hard drives are C: 10MB D: 20MB. I hate these latest monster disks, I don't need them.

But to get back to the point, which was inviting informed comment on the shape of my SYSTEM.INI file!

I used to have the same problem in an old 98FE system I was using. I used to do the so-called "three-finger-salute" solution--press Ctrl-Alt-Del like myelin suggested and then when the window pops up prompting you to "Close program", select one program, except not Explorer, and then click "End Task" in the lower left hand corner. Repeat this "Close program" sequence for all programs except for Explorer and you should be able to get through Scandisk and Defrag without very many restarts.

When you're finished with Scandisk and Defrag, reboot so your programs reload.

Edited September 17, 2007 by fastlanephil

[galahs]

I have to contribute the stability of most of my systems be in Windows 98 / 2000 or XP to the fact I have no startup items.

For example if I Ctrl-Alt-Delete my Win98SE system straight after bootup to the GUI, all that appears is "Explorer"

[eidenk]

I have to contribute the stability of most of my systems be in Windows 98 / 2000 or XP to the fact I have no startup items.

For example if I Ctrl-Alt-Delete my Win98SE system straight after bootup to the GUI, all that appears is "Explorer"

I have 16 programs running at startup, and believe it or not, I have no stability issues. And they run in the background all the time providing many enhancements to Windows.

[fastlanephil]

I have to contribute the stability of most of my systems be in Windows 98 / 2000 or XP to the fact I have no startup items.

For example if I Ctrl-Alt-Delete my Win98SE system straight after bootup to the GUI, all that appears is "Explorer"

I have 16 programs running at startup, and believe it or not, I have no stability issues. And they run in the background all the time providing many enhancements to Windows.

You can see, and edit/remove if desired, most of these program startups, in the following Win 98 SE/ME registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices

[eidenk]

I have to contribute the stability of most of my systems be in Windows 98 / 2000 or XP to the fact I have no startup items.

For example if I Ctrl-Alt-Delete my Win98SE system straight after bootup to the GUI, all that appears is "Explorer"

I have 16 programs running at startup, and believe it or not, I have no stability issues. And they run in the background all the time providing many enhancements to Windows.

You can see, and edit/remove if desired, most of these program startups, in the following Win 98 SE/ME registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices

Thanks fastlanephil but those proggies are not there against my will. I want them all to run.

BTW there are more, or rather can be, more run keys than that, Run, RunOnce, RunServices, RunServicesOnce, RunOnceEx both in HKLM and HKCU, and many other startup vectors for non .exe files.

[fastlanephil]

I have to contribute the stability of most of my systems be in Windows 98 / 2000 or XP to the fact I have no startup items.

For example if I Ctrl-Alt-Delete my Win98SE system straight after bootup to the GUI, all that appears is "Explorer"

I have 16 programs running at startup, and believe it or not, I have no stability issues. And they run in the background all the time providing many enhancements to Windows.

You can see, and edit/remove if desired, most of these program startups, in the following Win 98 SE/ME registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices

Thanks fastlanephil but those proggies are not there against my will. I want them all to run.

BTW there are more, or rather can be, more run keys than that, Run, RunOnce, RunServices, RunServicesOnce, RunOnceEx both in HKLM and HKCU, and many other startup vectors for non .exe files.

Thanks eidenk, but as you probably know, if your Windows 98 FE/SE/ME is functioning correctly, all of the RunServicesOnce registry key entries do just what their key-name identifies, they run one time then disappear, leaving these keys blank. Thus, most of the usual Win 98 FE/SE/ME startup programs' initialization strings are placed in the three keys that I mentioned earlier. I prefer to initialize a mere handful of programs in Win 98 SE2ME as I do not use this computer for extensive video editing or multi-tasking and like to keep the amount of free ram to a maximum. Then, during the course of a session, I monitor the free ram and free it up as necessary, ensuring that my lightly-loaded, optimized Win 982SE is quicker than most Win XP boxes for simple tasks like surfing the web, playing chess, Autocad, email, etc. Needless to say, each computer user has his or her own needs/tastes/requirements, and what is one person’s potion may be another's poison—what works great for one user-installation may spell disaster for another.

Edited September 22, 2007 by fastlanephil

[Fredledingue]

DO NOT INSTALL THIS UPDATE!

Q891711, Q891711F + Q891711I:

http://www.mdgx.com/web.htm#9SU

English Fix only:

Removed ",,,4" + ",,4" strings from INF CopyFiles + RenFiles sections.

Added warning to *not* install this Fix if already installed RP:

* Unofficial Windows 98 SE Animated Cursor (.ANI) + Icon Handling USER32.DLL + USER.EXE 4.10.2233 Security Vulnerability Fix:

For the second time (same problem as with the previous version 2 months ago) my computer was unable to restart and I had to reinstall windows.

It said "unable to load user.exe" then shut down.

THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS UPDATE: DO NOT USE IT

MDGx: Please remove this PoS from your list.