I recently reformatted my hard drive and re-installed windows using a bootdisk. I have norton and created a set of rescue disks and it says to test them. Upon doing this I get a mssg "HIMEN.sys is missing or corrupt" and that I have an error on line 1 of my config.sys. When I go to msconfig to check this there is nothing there. My autoexc.bat is empty as well. Is there supposed to be something here and if so, how to I add/create these lines. There was also a mssg about the HMA or high memory area not available. I understand the HIMEN file refers to memory management, what is the connection. Thank you.

It's probably talking about the config.sys on the rescue disk, since you must be booting from it. Post back config.sys on the rescue disk.

Thanks. About the config.sys. Are there supposed to be "lines" in there. If so, how do you put them in.

Config.sys is a regular text file.

Start windows in the normal way. When it gets to the desktop, put the rescue bootdisk in and go to 'start', 'run' and type in 'notepad' and enter. Go to 'file', 'open' and type in 'a:\config.sys'. (No quotes in any of that.) You can edit it that way or copy and paste it in your next post.

Hi, i'm having the same problem with the HIMEM.SYS file, i tried adding paths at the beginning of config.sys and Autoexec.bat such as dos16m=2 and device=c:\windows\himem.sys /m:1 but those dont work i really need help!
Thanks in advance (a lot!)

P.S. I'm using Windows 98 First Edition

hey it's me again from the previous post ^. what is happening is i'm in Dos-Mode i choose Normal mode but is says that i'm in DOS-mode and it asks me if i wann return to normal mode to use windows applications, (y or n) i type y and it restarts the computer. if i click on normal again it askes the same thing. I tried going to command prompt and typed C:\WINDOWS\WIN.COM and it says that HIMEM.SYS is missing, i need that file to continue with windows, it's in the C:\WINDOWS folder fut it cant find it, the HIMEM.SYS file i'm using is from my bootdisk. I really need help!
Thanks again in advance (a lot)

The line in config.sys normally would read:

device=c:\windows\himem.sys

But you don't need a line in config.sys for it to load as windows will load it on it's own. The benefit of having it load in config.sys is for dos applications if you exit to dos.

Sometimes you'll get that message if you've got bad ram or himem.sys is corrupted. If you've got himem.sys on your bootdisk you could copy it over the one on your HD in case the HD version is bad. Boot with the bootdisk and at the a:\> prompt type:

copy a:\himem.sys c:\windows

and enter.

You might want to post back contents of config.sys and autoexec.bat. Sometimes those files get modifed by dos programs that prevent windows from starting. I thought from your posts you may have that problem also.

i already tried copying the himem.sys from the boot disk to the computer and that didnt work eather. I try yo go to Safe mode and it says that himem is testing extended memory and after a wile it says done, so it finds himem.sys and uses it to check the memory but it can find it when it tries to start windows in normal mode. this is what config.sys says:

Device=C:\WINDOWS\Himem.Sys
DOS=Single
DOS=HIGH,UMB
DeviceHight=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.Exe

By the way is Config.sys and Autoexec.bat sapost to be in c:\? i have a feeling it needs to be in C:\WINDOWS. I also try opening Autoexec.bat from a command prompt and it also says that himem.sys is missing when it's really there. here are the contents of Autoexec.bat

SET DOS16M=2
@ECHO OFF
SET TMP=c:\windows\TEMP
SET TEMP=C:\windows\TEMP
SET PROMPT=$p$g
SET winbootdir=C:\WINDOWS
SET PATH=C:\NOVELL\CLIENT32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4
LoadHigh C:\WINDOWS\Command\DOSKey
REM
REM The following lines have been created by Windows. Do not modify them.
REM
C:
CD C:\PINBALL
CALL C:\PINBALL\START.COM
C:\WINDOWS\WIN.COM /W

umm actually those last few lines with the pinball stuff... i installed this game pinball and it opend up in dos mode, that's how this whole thing started, so it froze, i restarted the somputer and when it started up pinball opened, i shut it down and restarted it again. pinball opend again, that's all that opened so C:\Pinball\Start.COM was the star program instead of Win.COM so i went to safe mode and deleted the game. now it has no idea what to open to start windows, so i TRY to go to safemode but that wont even open cuz i replaced WIN.COM with another WIN.COM but from a computer using Windows Xp so it screwed everything up. luckly i still had the file in C:\ so i went to command promt, typed in

move C:\win.com c:\WINDOWS

restarted the computer then i got into safe mode, when i was there i know it tried to open C:\Pinball\Start.COM so i copied WIN.COM and named it START.COM and put it in C:\Pinball, i tried Normal mode, it opened "START.COM" but still said HIMEM.SYS is Missing. i think that Autoexec.bat has something i need to change with that pinball stuff, tell me what your Autoexec.bat says, i'll try that. Thanks

Config.sys and autoexec.bat are supposed to be in c:\ and not c:\windows.

Change your config.sys to exactly this:

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE
DOS=UMB
DOS=HIGH

The 'dos=single' is what was causing your maching to boot to dos instead of windows.

You should probably remove these lines from autoexec.bat since the dos=single line is removed from config.sys:

C:
CD C:\PINBALL
CALL C:\PINBALL\START.COM
C:\WINDOWS\WIN.COM /W

I don't know what the:

SET DOS16M=2

line does. You might want to type a REM in front of that line so it doesn't get processed.

I'm going to email you a copy of 98 SE win.com just in case you don't have it. Put it in the c:\windows directory. That is, put it on a floppy disk. Boot your computer. At the c:\> prompt put the disk with win.com in and type:

copy a:\win.com c:\windows

Post back when all that's done.

Hey!
I changed config.sys to match exatly what you typed, deleted those lines in autoexec.bat and added REM in front of that line SET DOS16M=2 and restarted my computer. I chose Normal mode., i loded it up like normal and it looked exactly like safe mode but without the 'safe mode' signs all over it, i restarted my computer but it still looks like safe mode, it's in normal mode but the graphics are all mesed up like they should be in safe mode but not in Normal mode, and the wierd thing.... none of the icons on the bottem right loaded up, the only thing that is there is the clock. Thanks for getting me this far but can you help with the prgrams loading up? thanks again, here is my e-mail if you need me:

wframsey@cox.net

oops, i put my real name on the last one, now you know it.

hey, it's me again.
i go to control panel in normal mode and change the resolution from 16 Bit, 640 by 480 to 256 Colors, 800 by 600 or 1024 by 768 and it says that i need to restart my computer, so i restart it and nothing changes, everything stays the same.

P.S. even if i needed that thing yu where going to send me, are you sure it would work on Windows 98 First Edition? because thats what i have.

Thanks!

Sorry to take so long getting back. Run msconfig and check 'normal startup', if it's not already checked. Sometimes if system.ini or win.ini (I forget which) isn't processed you'll get a weird screen like that.

If that doesn't do it, or I don't hear back, I'll give you a call.

Oh and don't use the win.com I sent if you're running first edition. I was going by your first post where you had entered 'win98 SE'. If it's booting into windows OK then win.com is probably OK, or I can send you win.com from first edition.

ok, now i think i have a huge problem!!!! i tried going to system.ini, i think and chose desktop or something like that, so i thought it would work, i restarted my computer and now i cant use the mouse!!!!! i move it around but it dosent show up.

hold on, i think i might of fixed it

OMG!!!!! IT'S FIXED!!!!! OMG, THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!!!! (I didnt even tell my parent that it was broken) I CAN NOT THANK YOU ENOUGH!!!!! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!!

You're welcome. I'm glad you got it going. Now be careful with it!

yep, gatta watch out :D

I had the exact same problem as Frank, I mean "computercrasher", but with a different game. I managed to fix my problem pretty easily.

Edit autoexec.bat and put REM in front of the pinball lines (so that windows will skip over them). Then (using a boot disk if you have to) boot into safe mode. click "start" then "run" and type msconfig and then press enter. In the config.sys tab uncheck the box for DOS=SINGLE and in the autoexec.bat tab uncheck C:\WINDOWS\WIN.COM /W
that way your computer will boot straight into windows while still processing the maximum number of lines from config.sys and autoexec.bat.
If that doesn't work uncheck all of the boxes in config.sys and autoexec.bat (except for the ones with the windows logo in front of them) then you'll have to restart your computer over and over again enabling each line one at a time until windows won't boot. That way you'll know which lines are f-ed up.