I have a pc that is running Windows 98SE and has some data on it that I do not want to lose. Today it is giving me the following: The following file is missing or corrupt; C:\windows\himem.sys. Now it is telling me that windows has detected a registry/configuration err, choose command prompt and run scanreg.

I have tried scandisk, no problems found.
Sys c:
Fdisk /mbr

As far as I can tell the main problem is that I cannot find the windows directory. I can access the C drive but windows is not listed. So far I have found nothing here or on Google to help. Is there any way to find out what happened to the windows folder and get it back?

Check to see if the HD is correctly ID'd in BIOS.

Reseat all cables.

Disconnect unessary drives/peripherals.

=====================================
If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

M2

Tap F8 at startup and choose Command prompt. Type scanreg/ restore. Choose a good registry backup file that predates the problem.

OtheHill - I believe the command is: scanreg /restore (space after scanreg!).

sky43

While yo are ccorrect, when in command prompt via F8 the space is irrelevent.

Your Windows directory may have accidentally got moved (a unnoticed stutter click perhaps). If you can get to a C: prompt you could look around or better yet, if you have the old DOS program whereis.exe.

Perhaps go back a little here: boot up with a '98 floppy and at the a: prompt change to the c: drive/prompt.

Then type:

dir /w/p (not the space afer dir)

and press enter.

All things being equal you will see a two/three column display of what's on the c: drive; and logically it "ought" to include the windows directory.

If it is there fine; if it's not... mmm?

Then via the boot-floppy run a full chkdsk routine; this as per:

http://www.computerhope.com/chkdskh...

Posssibly - and it is possibly at this stage... - you have drive problem; this as in bad sectors etc...

Once the routine has completed... see if it will allow a boot as normal?

If it will still not boot... post back...

One then two errors like that can be a pointer to a failing drive; less likely RAM going down... But let's first see what the chkdsk produces?

I ran CHKDSK and no problems were found. I then ran SCANDISK with a surface scan. No problems were found. When I try to run SCANREG it says bad command or file name. I have copied the scanreg.exe file from another Windows 98SE pc to a floppy and will try running that tomorrow. DIR /w/p shows what looks to be all of the folders except the Windows folder.

If there is no windows folder... there is no windows on the drive...

Boot to the a: prompt; change to c: prompt; then type:

cd windows

and press enter...

If windows folder exists... you "ought" to go to immediately...

When you run the dir /w/p routine you may have/get an instruction/prompt to press any key - to continue the display (to a fresh screen) - if the list of drive contents is large enough to occupy more than one screen.

Key thing as this stage... do NOT write anything to the drive; do NOT change any files/folders on the drive... If possible slave this drive to another working compatible (OS) system and view the entire drive contents via that OS's Explorer...? And whilst you at it - copy off any critical data/files etc... to removable/optical media; after-which verify those copies are truly readable/accessible - before going any further with the drive in question.

I've not yet come across an instance where an entire windows folder simply moved on its own...; become damaged etc. - yes... But "simply" move on its own...?

Possibly it can be renamed - but that's not an easy thing to do at a dos level. I seem to recall one can rename a file - but not a folder at dos level? And one has to be very careless to do it (via Explorer - where one can rename folders as well as files) whilst logged into the OS itself to do it (if it's at all possible even then to rename the parent folder of the OS itself)?

If the windows folder has been renamed... then I would be very inclined to slave the drive; scan it fully with a good malware and anti-virus suite... But somehow I doubt this is the issue here?

Have another good look at the drive contents to see what is actually on it? And as above also see if you can change to to it as detailed above?

Also if you run the command:

dir /o/p

at the c: prompt... you will list all the directories in the drive (c: ) in alphabetical order - a screen full at a time; and thus find windows at the end if it's there?

And for a more comprehensive list of dos commands:

http://www.bobjude.co.uk/bobjude/tu...

dos still has it uses...; even in W2K/XP...

The Windows folder doesn't move on its own, it is accidentally dragged and dropped into a different folder. This can happen pretty easily if confirmation of mouse actions is turned off. Do a dir /s /p c:\windows*.* at the C: prompt to find where it is and then use the move command to move it back and then reboot.

mmm - that's an interesting thort...)...watch this spayce...

The "move" command will work with files... will it work with a folder/directory?

Nonetheless possibly one or more of the critical files (those mentioned initialy?) may have "moved"; and if so then the suggested "move" may work for it/them?

Keep in mind, the errors are - The following file is missing or corrupt; C:\windows\himem.sys, and also a registry/configuration error. Himem.sys and the registry (system.dat) are both in the Windows folder. That is why I am thinking a move (a whole directory tree can be moved with a drag and drop) happened or worse yet - deletion. Which gives me another thought, I think the Recycle Bin folder is a hidden system directory that resides in the root directory. You could look in there using attrib to make things visible first.

Problem is that unless he can actually boot into windows... it may not be possible to drag 'n drop, or access the recycle-bin etc.?

Also remembering a very recent experience with the an ME system. It coughed a range of messages that this and that file was missing/corrupt etc... - whilst acutally booted up etc. To cut the story short... the drive was dying a death... and did in fact go down very shortly thereafter; as in more or less immediately. My friends (whose PC it was) remarked that it had a recent history of hi-pitched/rapid clicking sounds etc...

With that saga in mind... I'm still somewhat inclined to suspect the drive is dying on this occasion; though one hopes that is not the case. And if it is one hopes that at least the user can get data off it (slave it to another working system and copy it off as suggested earlier).

Going back to the move option... As one would be moving "only" files - as opposed to folders/directories - that approach might work. Certainly worth a serious consideration nonetheless...

You wouldn't need Windows. The DOS move command can move whole directory trees just like dragging and dropping does in Explorer (move can also rename a directory). This is how you could move the allegedly lost directory back. Windows doesn't need to be booted, just a C: prompt is required. You could also access the Recycle Bin from the C: prompt, see http://www.chami.com/tips/windows/0... I think it unlikey the hard drive is failing since everything so far points single thing - a missing Windows directory.

mmm... one learns something new each day - even about elderly dos.

As I understand it the move command allows one to move individual files - but not folders/directories; with the latter it merely allows one to rename the folder/directory?

This peculiar aspect of the move command does rather oddly resolve an apparent restriction of the rename (ren) command? The rename command being the command that allows one to rename a file - but according to M$ and others - not a folder/directory. Thus one has a slightly devious/odd way to rename a directory... However note the restriction that applies to the command; this in regard to path/destinations options...

If the windows folder has inadvertently been moved to a new location... then the move command will not work - for the reason above... But one might be able to (re)create a windows folder on the c: root and then use the xcopy command to copy the entire contents of the misplaced windows folder (sub-folders and all) to that newly (re)created windows folder? Once this has been done... possibly windows will boot OK - and if so then the misplaced version of windows folder/directory can be deleted?

re' the move command and what it allows:

http://www.computerhope.com/movehlp...

http://www.easydos.com/move.html

re' the rename command and what it allows:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/ar...

http://www.easydos.com/rename.html

http://www.computerhope.com/renameh...

Strangely the last link (computerhope) for rename seems to suggest one "can" use ren/rename for directories? My memory is that it won't work that way (but haven't tried it lately either...). Possibley computerhope is correct and M$ et alii are wrong??? Note too the restriction that applies to the ren command in terms of path/location of the renamed file etc.

So if I'm correct in the above... then one cannot (under dos) "move" the windows folder (and its contents) to its preferred location.

But one might be able to (re)create the windows folder on c: root (where presumably it was); then use xcopy command (including all sub-folder/directories) to transfer/"xcopy" the contents of the misplaced version back to the newly (re)created folder?

If by chance "worky" you have managed to effect folder/diretory "move" using that "move command"...I'd be much obliged if you would detail exactly how you "dun it" (please)??

I can see it being possible to move (as in copy) a complete folder/directory (sub-folders/directories and all) within a windows OS - via Explorer; but under dos???

Incidentally the link in your post-13 seems not work?

Meanwhile whilst we enjoy a discussion about dos commands... we await feedback from "bigeli" as to whether or not the windows folder/directory really has gone awol...? My money is still on a possible drive going down the pan (bad sectors); or a genuinely corrupt installation - due to malware of one sort or another?

I had a extra period at the end, try again - http://www.chami.com/tips/windows/0...

move c:\windows c:\temp

This would move the whole windows directory tree into c:\temp if c:\temp exists. If c:\temp does not exit it would rename windows directory to temp and leave it at root

move c:\temp\windows c:\

puts windows directory back into root

I think this is the way move has always worked but I do not have a Windows 98 machine to try it on.

Thanks for all of the great help so far. Here is the status.

Tried dir /s/p c:\windows*.* and received path not found
Switched to Recycled and checked there for the awindows folder. Not there. Tried running scanreg from floppy and got a Not enough memory due to no HIMEM.SYS.

Will get the proper hard drive diagnostic program and run it.

Just to confirm...

When you changed to the c: drive and ran the:

dir /w/p

routine/command - you found no windows directory?

Incidentally - what did you find; what was shown on the screen as a result of that command?

Perhaps post the screen contents here?

Thus far it does look very much as though "somehow" you've managed to lose the windows directory... Or somehow it's been renamed...?

Posting contents of the drive here might allow folks to help discover what's what?

Retried the command Dir /s/p c:\windows*.* because the last time I tried I put in a \ after windows. IT found 3 Windows directories, but they are all part of a Laser program installation. 0 bytes in size with 2 zero length files.

And a plain and simple:

dir /w/p

doesn't show a windows directory either?

What exactly is displayed when run the basic command?

I'm mostly curious at this stage; as I think somehow you've managed to lose the actual windows folder - but not entirely convinced,
.

Also when (at the c: prompt) you type the command:

path

what is displayed?

The PATH command shows the following PATH=C:\Windows;C:\Windows\Command

A dir /w/p shows maybe 15 directories and about the same amount of files.

mmm... The reason I asked for the path information was to confirm that the windows folder was indeed called windows (and not something slightly different). I have a habit of renaming "default/windows" directories to reflect the actual windows OS installed; e.g win-95; win-98; win-me; winnt (as is obviously); win-2k; winXPPro; winXPhom... This particularly in dual/multi-boot environments. There was always the slight possibility that this was the situation here originally...?

That you do not see the windows directory regardless of how you go search for it... (as initially/earlier observed) does pretty well indicate "it ain't there no more"...? But as to what what happened to it - remains a mystery?

Any chance to slave the drive to another working system and then slowly browse/search the drive via Explorer on that other system?

The drive inspection tools may at least tell if the drive is OK - or not... Personally I'd be inclined to dump it; this especially if there is even the slightest hint of problems with it. But first see what you find on it slaved to another working system; and also copy off any files etc. you want to retain... Make those copies to optical-media; and verify they are truly readable/accessible - before you do anything drastic to the problem drive...

By the way; does this drive have a c: and a d: drive/partition by chance?

Overall I'm inclined to put the drive failing low on the list at this stage (echoing "worky" to some degree). A whole OS (directories various) does not just vanish - without either some user (mis)intervention - or very nasty "nasty"... Nonetheless again I'd be inclined to dump the drive if "anything" crops up with thee diagnostics tools...

Incidentally, if/when you slave it to another system - run a "full" anti-virus scan, and a couple of malware utils just to be sure there isn't "sumat nasty" residing on the drive at this time regardless?

Another idea, do a

dir /s /p c:\win.ini

If win.ini is nowhere on the drive I would say your windows directory is probably gone.

When you looked in the recycled directory, did you follow the directions at http://www.chami.com/tips/windows/0... because all files in there would be hidden.

If nothing there then it looks like you will have run the Windows 98 setup disk to get it back. Save any important data from your drive first, you shouldn't lose any data reinstalling but do not take any chances. You will probably lose all your shortcuts and you will probably have to reload apps. If this doesn't sound good to you, trvlr had a good idea about hooking the drive to a good PC so you have the luxury of using Windows Explorer to look around.

I had that happen with Windows 95, took a week to undo. That's because my hard drive was having trouble finding the data, though, because the hard drive was scratched all to hell because the reader broke.

Did you hear high-pitched scratching noises coming from your computer? sounds like a shrill - but quiet "eee eee"? Before this happened, I mean.

This computer is f---ed...

Thanks for all of the help and suggestions. This one has me puzzled. All of the tests that I have ran on the system have passed. I have looked around the drive and have not found Windows, if it was moved it is hidden pretty good.

It looks like I am going to have to reinstall Win98. I am currently trying to get a full backup using an old Iomega Ditto drive but this is also giving me grief, not enough memory to perform a backup. Will probably slave the drive in my pc and back it up that way.

Once again thanks for all of the help.

Lee