[UltimateSilence]

I ran System File Checker (Windows would not shut down properly), and now..."The Shell32.dll file cannot start. Check the file to determine the problem." In my previous thread, I mentioned how I could not boot from a floppy diskette. I do have the Windows 98 Second Edition CD-ROM, however.

I am hoping I can use the extract command to replace the file, but I have never done this before. This site gave instructions, but I am having a little trouble with the commands. I don't want to mess anything else up.

This post has been edited by UltimateSilence: 12 January 2012 - 10:30 PM

[submix8c]

It's in "WIN98_41.CAB" and may have been replaced/updated by any number of fixes. You'll probably need that floppy boot to do it.

edit - I note that you MAY have used AutoPatcher (that MAY have replaced it with an "updated" version).

This post has been edited by submix8c: 12 January 2012 - 12:44 AM

[UltimateSilence]

submix8c, on 12 January 2012 - 12:42 AM, said:

It's in "WIN98_41.CAB" and may have been replaced/updated by any number of fixes. You'll probably need that floppy boot to do it.

edit - I note that you MAY have used AutoPatcher (that MAY have replaced it with an "updated" version).

You are quite correct! I did use AutoPatcher...

How do I extract without booting from a floppy though?

[submix8c]

Go back to your other topic. The BootDisk I suggested is indeed a Win98SE Emergency Boot "Startup" disk (I just checked it).

edit - and here is the topic for the file used in AutoPatcher -
http://www.msfn.org/...shell32dll-fix/

This post has been edited by submix8c: 12 January 2012 - 12:53 AM

[UltimateSilence]

submix8c, on 12 January 2012 - 12:48 AM, said:

Go back to your other topic. The BootDisk I suggested is indeed a Win98SE Emergency Boot "Startup" disk (I just checked it).

edit - and here is the topic for the file used in AutoPatcher -
http://www.msfn.org/...shell32dll-fix/

Does that BootDisk do anything that the normal one doesn't? If I may inquire.
The red floppy that I was attempting to use was corrupt, so that explains why I couldn't boot from it...

EDIT: What if I ran W98SE setup from the CD (in DOS mode), would it "reformat"? Is there a way to run setup without it deleting everything?

This post has been edited by UltimateSilence: 12 January 2012 - 03:58 AM

[submix8c]

You called it a "Startup Disk". This is commonly called an "Emergency Startup Disk" or "Emergency Boot Disk", usually created after Windows is installed (a tab found in Add/Remove Programs). "Red Floppy"? Is this supplied by the OEM or did someone else (you maybe) make it? Does it have a "printed label" or something?

The disk I directed you to is an exact duplicate of one that you can make with the stated method.

Yes, it MIGHT reload, but AFAICR, it does allow to exit Setup. However, it will not expand the EBD.CAB file into a RamDrive so you won't have access to the "utilities" inside it. That's why everyone should have the standard EBD (or a custom-made one if you know what you're doing).

edit - BTW, mark your other topic "Solved" in the Title and update the first post in it to say "bad floppy disk", ok?

This post has been edited by submix8c: 12 January 2012 - 09:13 AM

[UltimateSilence]

submix8c, on 12 January 2012 - 09:11 AM, said:

You called it a "Startup Disk". This is commonly called an "Emergency Startup Disk" or "Emergency Boot Disk", usually created after Windows is installed (a tab found in Add/Remove Programs). "Red Floppy"? Is this supplied by the OEM or did someone else (you maybe) make it? Does it have a "printed label" or something?

The disk I directed you to is an exact duplicate of one that you can make with the stated method.

Yes, it MIGHT reload, but AFAICR, it does allow to exit Setup. However, it will not expand the EBD.CAB file into a RamDrive so you won't have access to the "utilities" inside it. That's why everyone should have the standard EBD (or a custom-made one if you know what you're doing).

edit - BTW, mark your other topic "Solved" in the Title and update the first post in it to say "bad floppy disk", ok?

I apologize for not stating this before. It's just a generic, transparent red floppy. No label.
I do have the standard EBD (it will "boot" from it), but then it says "General Failure reading drive A".

I extracted shell32.dll from the win98_41.cab on the Windows 98 Second Edition CD, and now when I try to boot, I get an error stating that it might be corrupt. The command was:

Quote

C:\EXTRACT E:\WIN98\WIN98_41.CAB SHELL32 C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM

I was hoping to rectify the issue by reinstalling the operating system (without losing everything), but I can only boot in Command Prompt or the CD, so I do not know if this is possible.

This post has been edited by UltimateSilence: 12 January 2012 - 02:07 PM

[submix8c]

General Failure
General Failure
Just an example of what might be going wrong. This is usually an indication of a faulty Drive or Disk. Was ther more to the message or was that it? Usually there's more message text. Was there?

Just "booting" from it isn't good enough. It has to actually work without failure. Are you sure that floppy disk is good? Are you sure that the floppy drive is fully functional? Is the BIOS set to an incorrectly defined size? Did you get one from BootdiskDOTcom and try it (on a known good floppy disk)?

BTW, if you can get the aforementioned "unofficial fix" and put just the module onto a separate floppy providing you can boot from a known good floppy then you should copy it (after "swapping" the Disks) into Windows\System. Your first mistake was running "sfc" without having first "updated" Default.sfc (more info here and how-to here). When running it under Windows, you have the opportunity to check the versions of the Original Install versus what's on the HDD (i.e. "Fixes"). Did you indiscriminately let it "replace" files with originals?

One thing at a time - confirm that the Drive is good and the Disk is good, otherwise we're spinning our wheels.

As far as "reinstalling", it may or may not work - renaming "win.com" in the Window folder and then running "WIN98\SETUP" from the CD... YMMV - sometimes it works, sometimes you just get hosed.

This post has been edited by submix8c: 12 January 2012 - 02:54 PM

[UltimateSilence]

submix8c, on 12 January 2012 - 02:34 PM, said:

General Failure
General Failure
Just an example of what might be going wrong. This is usually an indication of a faulty Drive or Disk. Was ther more to the message or was that it? Usually there's more message text. Was there?

Just "booting" from it isn't good enough. It has to actually work without failure. Are you sure that floppy disk is good? Are you sure that the floppy drive is fully functional? Is the BIOS set to an incorrectly defined size? Did you get one from BootdiskDOTcom and try it (on a known good floppy disk)?

BTW, if you can get the aforementioned "unofficial fix" and put just the module onto a separate floppy providing you can boot from a known good floppy then you should copy it (after "swapping" the Disks) into Windows\System. Your first mistake was running "sfc" without having the associated "patched" file (Default.sfc - more info here). When running it under Windows, you have the opportunity to check the versions of the Original Install versus what's on the HDD (i.e. "Fixes"). Did you indiscriminately let it "replace" files with originals?

One thing at a time - confirm that the Drive is good and the Disk is good, otherwise we're spinning our wheels.

As far as "reinstalling", it may or may not work - renaming "win.com" in the Window folder and then running "WIN98\SETUP" from the CD... YMMV - sometimes it works, sometimes you just get hosed.

I think it's the diskette to be honest. It belonged to my grandfather. The error is:

Quote

General Failure reading drive A:\. Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail?

I am 99% sure that the floppy drive is fully functional; it was just put in less than two weeks ago. BIOS is set to 1.44MB (the correct size). Removable devices are the first boot priority.
I have the BootdiskDOTcom program, but I apparently do not have a working floppy diskette.

Yes, SFC replaced with originals.
Drive is good, diskette is not. I do not have a working diskette available.
Thank you.

This post has been edited by UltimateSilence: 29 April 2012 - 10:52 PM

[submix8c]

Try some local PC Repair shops or maybe Best Buy, Radio Shack, etc. You might get lucky and find a 10-pack of new, or at least some good used ones.

As I said, you can try the "reinstall" trick... It "thinks" its an "upgrade" so overlays all files from the CD-Rom. Again, Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV).

[UltimateSilence]

submix8c, on 12 January 2012 - 03:22 PM, said:

Try some local PC Repair shops or maybe Best Buy, Radio Shack, etc. You might get lucky and find a 10-pack of new, or at least some good used ones.

As I said, you can try the "reinstall" trick... It "thinks" its an "upgrade" so overlays all files from the CD-Rom. Again, Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV).

The "reinstall" trick worked (mostly). Anytime I try to install, it always says "Getting ready to run Windows for the first time." and then runs SCANREG (never verifies that Setup is finished).

Anyway, I am able to boot again! I am doing a thorough inspection with ScanDisk, and I'm hoping for the best. I'll look into getting floppy diskettes (would never want to worry about formatting C:\).

Thank you, submix8c.

This post has been edited by UltimateSilence: 12 January 2012 - 10:22 PM

[rilef]

You don't need a floppy or a floppy drive to create an "Emergency Startup Disk" or "Emergency Boot Disk" for Windows 9x/ME. Instead, you can create your start disk on a bootable CD, using "WinImage", available from http://www.winimage.com/download.htm or http://america.winim...d/winima80.zip.

Instructions on how to create your bootable CD can be found here: http://nightowl.radi...d/Programs.html

Booting from this CD shows up as the "A" drive. You can also add backup and other files to this bootable CD, which files will show up under a separate drive letter.

[submix8c]

Quote

you can create your start disk on a bootable CD...

Quote

2. You will need a CD/DVD burning program. The most common and popular ones are from Nero, and Roxio. Other CD/DVD burning programs will probably work if they have the option to create a bootable CD/DVD, but I have no experience with those.

How true. And a savvy person can "remake" their Win98 Install CD with it, adding the additional "install" selections as other Options in Config.sys/Autoexec.bat, even so far as replacing IO.SYS, FDISK, etc, and rebuilding the EBD.CAB, even creating a large floppy using WinImage for even more utilities.

OP has fixed the problem using basic methods. OP doesn't have that much experience. OP was still facing the SFC problem so potentially just "replacing" the file would not have "cured" the problem. (Ref. post#7 about 3/4 of the way down.) Point#1 (buy some floppies" and Point#2 (try reinstall) were given. Point#2 was used. This Topic was marked "Solved"...

Good effort, though...

[submix8c]

UltimateSilence, on 12 January 2012 - 10:21 PM, said:

The "reinstall" trick worked (mostly). Anytime I try to install, it always says "Getting ready to run Windows for the first time." and then runs SCANREG (never verifies that Setup is finished).

Download attached for response. I'll try to help as well as I can.

Please start another topic with a link back to this one and we'll go from there. Notify by PM when you get it so I can remove it to prevent confusion for other members. (see edit2 - will copy/paste as necessary in new topic)

edit - Attachment temporarily removed.
Forum Rules

Quote

7.d Posting the contents of a private message (PM) in the public forum, for any reason, is expressly prohibited. Posting the contents of a PM in any public thread will result in an immediate ban.

Will edit and reattach shortly.
edit2 - Reattached with only pertinent response (some of response left in context of the PM will only be understood by poster). Attachment is more to prevent cluttering of the Original Topic.

Moderators/Supervisors - I hope I'm still within bounds. I didn't want to fill up my quota of PM/Attachment space.

Attached File(s)

•  UltimateSilence02.txt (3.17K)
  Number of downloads: 8

This post has been edited by submix8c: 14 January 2012 - 11:12 AM