Windows 95 Help Won't Start Up

[Caroline-08]

Hi,

I would really appriciate if you help me. My windows 95 computer won't boot up. It's fine then when it's starting to load the screen goes black and it says:

While initializing device IOS:
Error: An I/O subsystem driver failed to load
Either a file in the .\iosubsys subderectory is corrupt,
or the system is low on memory

Is there any way I could restart the hole computer?

Thanks I really hope you can help

Caroline

[Caroline-08]

Anyone?

[MobilePCPhysician]

http://www.md4pc.com/questions/41.htm

[Moostang]

http://www.mcdermottroe.com/kb/Win9x/ie/iosubsys.php

[Caroline-08]

Thanks. I'll see if I can try some of thoses things but I can't even get into my desktop even if I run the safe mode. I hope that helps.

[Moostang]

Try booting into dos and making the changes

[Caroline-08]

I"m Sorry i'm sooo bad with computer. What's dos?

[Moostang]

You might call DOS a "Command Prompt" if you are a windows person(or as some of my users call it, the scarey black box that doesn't use the mouse). However maybe you can try something else before going to DOS
Do you know how to boot into "safe mode"?
If you turn off your machine, then when you boot up your machine, hold down the F8 key. It should come up with a menu. On that menu is an option to boot into Safe Mode, this will take you into windows, but it only loads the basics, see if you can do the fix in this, if not, working in DOS takes a little more explaining with changing directories and editing.

[Caroline-08]

Ok thanks so much. I'll try that but if it doesn't work i'll get back to you. (post something on thread)

[Caroline-08]

Ok. Sorry again but didn't work in safe mode. I would need explaining in the "dos" or "command promt" or something. Thanks

[DonJ]

You may also want to check this out from Micro$oft's website:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;225497

Same info as above but at least you know it's approved by M$.

[Caroline-08]

Thanks. I tried that but it doesn't work. I need explaining for the "Dos" thingn.

[DonJ]

This M$ article describes how to edit your system.ini file:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140441/EN-US/

You may notice at the bottom of that webpage that the default setting for vcache is left blank. The previous article says to set MAXFILECACHE=6144.

[Caroline-08]

Umm Thanks. Ha it looks so confusing but i'll give it a try. If I have any problems i'll let you know. But thanks a lot now I hope I can get my computer running again. I just hope it will it's like 12 years old.

[Caroline-08]

Ok. I got (I think) good info for you. The link that DonJ gave me, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140441/EN-US/ , I printed it out at went to my other computer. Started it up and it went to the start up menu auto. Under the menu it said:
Warning: Windows did not finish loading on the previous attempt. Choose safe mode to start windows with a minimal set of drivers.
I choosed " Command Prompt Only" Like it said on the article DonJ gave me. Once I choose that this message poped-up:

The following file is missing or corrupted: COMMAND.COM
Type the name of the Command Interpreter. (e.g., C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND.COM)
C>

So, like the article said I typed in cd\windows. Then another message came up on the screen:

The following file is missing or corrupted: cd\windows
Type the name of the Command Interpreter. (e.g., C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND.COM)
C>

So then the article said to type: ren system.ini system.xxx
So I typed that right after the C>. Then this message came up:

The following file is missing or corrupted: ren system.ini system.xx
Type the name of the Command Interpreter. (e.g., C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND.COM)
C>

Then the article said to type: copy system.cb system.ini. So I typed that in and so on. But then the article said:
Add the following lines at the top of the file:
[boot]
mouse.drv=mouse.drv
drivers=mmsystem.dll

Where do I put that? Am I doing something wrong? Oh and I think you should know that I have windows 95. Thanks again.


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