I tried to install Windows explorer. Then I could not reboot. Acording to my Bootlog, I am missing a file or driver called MRCI.VXD, which goes in c:\windows\system. Also I am missing dlchlp.exe, drvspace.bin, and drvspace.sys. I can only run Windows in safe mode now. Does anyone have these files I can download?

i had the same pb than you and i've just resolve it : i have open the computer box and diconnected my cd writer from the mainboard .i don't know if it is your case but i think its a pb with the hardware...for me its happened after the installation of virtual cd ... bye, chr

I found that this file is refered to in c:\windows\command\drvspace.sys. I rem'd the line in the config.sys file and found I can boot up ok. I do not know exactly why this occurred and do not imply this is the correct solution but it seemed to work.

Hi, I had the same problem but none of the soutions mentioned above worked. but i deleted the smartdrv.exe from my windows directory and then my pc could start in normal mode. This solution is not the permanent one as the system still tries to search for the file ( Check c:\bootlog.txt ) but only thing is it doesn't generate any error to prevent windows from starting in normal mode

If you follow the sequence of events when booting up starting with the BIOS bootstrap, then you get the following picture: BIOS bootstrap does some low-level stuff (see it counting memory) and then hands contol over to io.sys (if you aren't booting from diskette) which is "the DOS part of Windows" and if you have DoubleSpace or DriveSpace compressed hard drives, either dblspace.bin or drvspace.bin or both, as needed, are "pre-loaded" from the root folder of the boot directory. They're the real mode (i. e., old-fashioned DOS mode) drivers, but will ultimately be replaced by analagous VxDs, when Windows 9x is ready to run in protected mode (remember this because it's part of the "problem"). io.sys then reads a file of settings called msdos.sys (which is nwo a plain ol' text file). Let's assume you installed Win95 to a clean, new directory. io.sys next puts the phrase "Starting Windows 95 . . ." up on your screen and after 2 seconds (during which you may press F8 to pick a "non- standard" way to start Windows) grabs the startup splash screen (either a file named logo.sys [from the Plus! pack] or the built-in "Flying Windows" bitmap) and puts it on your monitor. Then, io.sys sets up the Registry from the user.dat and system.dat files and checks the WinBootDir= folder (specifed in msdos.sys) for the following drivers: himem.sys, ifshlp.sys, and setver.sys and loads them (if found; if not "failed" message in bootlog.txt). Next, io.sys scans any config.sys in the root directory of the boot drive and establishes and modifies any config.sys settings. Then, if you're not on a network, io.sys takes on the character of any autoexec.bat file in the root directory of the boot drive. If there is one, then io.sys loads the DOS command interpreter (command. com) which runs through autoexec.bat (if anything from autoexec.bat writes to the screen, then the splash screen is pulled in favor of the autoexec.bat output until autoexec.bat finishes, then io.sys puts the splash screen back up on your monitor). Now's when the real action begins! io.sys goes into its "cocoon" phase, loading win.com which besides being a real-mode program assembles the components that are Windows 9x. One of the programs that win.com sets in motion is vmm32.vxd which is charged with loading virtual device drivers or VxDs. Where does vmm32.vxd find the VxDs it thinks it needs to load? In the Registry! And, more specifically, in the following Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD. Besides this key it also scans the Registry for and StaticVxd= entries and also loads those drivers, opens up system.ini and loads and device= VxDs, and, fianlly, looks in the windows\system\vmm32 folder and loads any .vxd files it finds there. OK, we're about halfway through the bootup process but we've got enough to begin to isolate the problem. I'd start by browsing the registry key mentioned above for the mrci.vxd file. If found, then (make a back-up of the registry files [user.dat and system.dat]) and just delete the MRCI.vxd item from the registry (if there is a copy of mrci2.vxd in the vmm32 folder, then it's going to load in outomatically anyway)! Hope, this helps!

I got a bootup problem too.. and in my bootlogs say im missing this file too... I can boot normal when i Disable my drivers for my Hard Disk secoundary IDE Drives... I notice i got this problem after I installed "Easy CD Creator" how many of you guys have CD-R? I also have VxD errors when I enable the drivers after im loaded in normal mode... the problem I have tho is without the drivers I have no CD drive showing up so i cant even use my cd's.. any solutions??

Perhaps a prettier solution: add to the [OPTIONS]-section of MSDOS.SYS the following lines: DrvSpace=0 DblSpace=0 Both will not be loaded. It seems to be something with only one or two specific releases of Windows95. More on MSDOS.SYS: http://www.eagnet.com/kbcc/msdossys.htm