I spotted this post anyway :-)

Those files need to remain re-named or else deleted...they are not for Windows'
normal use.

Look in C:\ for files named autoexec.wos and config.wos...if they exist, they are
likely her old copies of autoexec.bat and config.sys, and should be renamed to the
..bat and .sys names, after first letting us see them here to be sure.

If they don't exist, then she didn't have any autoexec.bat or config.sys file, which
is fine, as none are needed for Windows 98.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


wrote in message
...
thanks again glee.

i explained in a reply to "andrew carter" that this little
event actually happened on my mum's computer. i wrote the
post in first person so as to avoid a bunch of Qs as i had
walked her thru all i could to a point.

after renaming the autoexec.bat and config.sys files as
you suggested we could, she was finally able to boot to
windows. i then had her send me the contents of each of
the files. they are as follows --

CONTENTS OF THE AUTOEXEC.BAT FILE:

@ECHO OFF

@ECHO OFF
REM To make a DOS Boot Diskette; See the file
C:\DOSBOOT\DOSBOOT.TXT
set path=c:\windows\command
c:\windows\smartdrv/q

LH c:\mouse\cloaking
c:\mouse\mouse ps2

SET PROMPT=&p&g
SET TEMP=C:\windows\TEMP
SET TMP=C:\windows\TEMP
SET BLASTER=A220 I5D1 T2

REM Set the Audio card
C:\WINDOWS\CWDINIT.EXE/A

Rem DOS Sound Mixer Program. Preset CD Volume to ON.
C:\windows\Cwdmix/M=9,9/W=13,13/C=13,13/L=13,13/X=1/F=15,15
/I=X

REM
REM The following lines have been created by Windows. Do
not modify them.
REM
C:
CD C:\WINDOWS
CALL C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND.COM
C:\WINDOWS\WIN.COM/WX

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~

CONTENTS OF THE CONFIG.SYS FILE:

@ECHO OFF

@ECHO OFF
REM To make a DOS Boot Diskette; See the file
C:\DOSBOOT\DOSBOOT.TXT
set path=c:\windows\command
c:\windows\smartdrv/q

LH c:\mouse\cloaking
c:\mouse\mouse ps2

SET PROMPT=&p&g
SET TEMP=C:\windows\TEMP
SET TMP=C:\windows\TEMP
SET BLASTER=A220 I5D1 T2

REM Set the Audio card
C:\WINDOWS\CWDINIT.EXE/A

Rem DOS Sound Mixer Program. Preset CD Volume to ON.
C:\windows\Cwdmix/M=9,9/W=13,13/C=13,13/L=13,13/X=1/F=15,15
/I=X

REM
REM The following lines have been created by Windows. Do
not modify them.
REM
C:
CD C:\WINDOWS
CALL C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND.COM
C:\WINDOWS\WIN.COM/WX

DOS=SINGLE
REM To make a DOS Boot Diskette; See the file
C:\DOSBOOT\DOSBOOT.TXT
REM Configure the PNP devices
device=c:\icu\dwcfgmg.sys

DOS=HIGH,UMB
buffershigh=1-
fcbshigh=4
fileshigh=30
lastdrivehigh=Z
stackshigh=9,256
Device=C:\WINDOWS\Himem.Sys/testmemff

rem The following line will get you more ram, but noEMS
rem Device=C:\WINDOWS\Emm.386.exe RAM NOEMS
Device=C:\WINDOWS\Emm386.exe RAM
DEVICEHIGH=c:\cdrom\Oakcdrom.sys/D:IDECDOOO

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~

this is of course, all greek to me. however, her files
are drastically different from mine.

i have win98se on a packard-bell, and winxp on a compaq.
config.sys has nothing at all in either system.

autoexec.bat on the packard-bell/win98se has one line.
autoexec.bat on the compaq/winxp has 7 very short lines.

thanks for your help. i'll be looking forward to your
diagnosis.