Windows 98 startup hangs due to large Word files

Windows 98 2nd edition hangs during normal start up. There are several huge
Word files containing graphics that have caused the freezing problem. I was
looking at one in safe mode in preparation to delete it when the computer
froze again. Now start up does not complete in safe mode either. How can I
gain access to windows explorer so these documents can be deleted and normal
startup restored?

Thanks.

wes wrote:
Windows 98 2nd edition hangs during normal start up. There are several huge
Word files containing graphics that have caused the freezing problem. I was
looking at one in safe mode in preparation to delete it when the computer
froze again. Now start up does not complete in safe mode either. How can I
gain access to windows explorer so these documents can be deleted and normal
startup restored?

A standard boot floppy will start DOS
and allow two possible cures.
1. You can locate these files with
command DIR = Directory and then use
command DEL = DEL. Each is documented
by /? as in DIR /?
2. Your startup files ought not to load
any Word documents. If you can guess which
startup file calls them, it can be edited
in DOS EDIT or something similar to remove
the file call.

The mere existence of these files is not sufficient to stop Windows from
starting. Perhaps you have saved them in the startup folder and Windows is
trying to open them on startup. However, it is more likely that the machine
froze for some other reason, and it was simply accidental that you were
accessing WORD files at the time. Boot to safe mode and use Scandisk to
confirm that the file system is OK. Then Run some diagnostics to confirm
there are no hardware problems.

If these files are too large for this machine to handle then your only
option is to take them to another machine that has more RAM. Remove the
images. Then reformat the images to a reduced resolution so that they
require less memory, and re-insert them into the document.

"wes" wrote:

Windows 98 2nd edition hangs during normal start up. There are several huge
Word files containing graphics that have caused the freezing problem. I was
looking at one in safe mode in preparation to delete it when the computer
froze again. Now start up does not complete in safe mode either. How can I
gain access to windows explorer so these documents can be deleted and normal
startup restored?

Thanks.

Have you tried restoring the registry to a prior day? Startup with a
bootdisk, type at the prompt: scanreg /restore and press Enter.

--

Brian A.

Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"wes" wrote in message
...
Windows 98 2nd edition hangs during normal start up. There are several
huge
Word files containing graphics that have caused the freezing problem. I
was
looking at one in safe mode in preparation to delete it when the computer
froze again. Now start up does not complete in safe mode either. How can
I
gain access to windows explorer so these documents can be deleted and
normal
startup restored?

Thanks.

"Don Phillipson" wrote in message
...
A standard boot floppy will start DOS
and allow two possible cures.
1. You can locate these files with
command DIR = Directory and then use
command DEL = DEL.

I'll bet you mean del = delete.
Each is documented
by /? as in DIR /?
2. Your startup files ought not to load
any Word documents. If you can guess which
startup file calls them, it can be edited
in DOS EDIT or something similar to remove
the file call.

"anonymous" wrote in message
...

Boot to safe mode and use Scandisk to
confirm that the file system is OK. Then Run some diagnostics to confirm
there are no hardware problems.

Won't happen as the OP stated:
quote
Now start up does not complete in safe mode either.
/quote


--

Brian A.

Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

Let me see if I can re-phrase your problem.

1. You have several Word files that include large images. Working with
these files causes system to crash.

2. After crashing the first time, you could only boot in Safe Mode. You
tried working with the DOCs in Safe mode and encountered the same
problem, and now not even Safe Mode will load. Thus, you now have no way
to use Explorer.

3. To delete the files you'll have to use DOS Mode. You do that most
easily by booting to the Startup Menu (the same one you use to launch
Safe Mode) and choosing Command Prompt Only. At the C:\ prompt, before
doing anything else, run SMARTDRV (just type that in and press Enter.)
That's in case you end up having to delete large chunks of data.

3. Question is, where are the files that are causing you problems? More
importantly, *why* are they causing problems. Word DOC files aren't
normally part of the startup axis. Could be giant chunks of lost
fragments--pieces of the Word files that weren't saved properly and are
now, basically, worthless. So, the thing to do is run SCANDISK in DOS.

But I still don't see how that could cause problems with startup. I can
think of several possibilities, but they're not the kinds of things I
think I can get across to you without risking misunderstandings that
lead to bigger problems. So, run Scandisk in DOS, restart, and see if
either Normal or Safe modes will launch. Then report back with the
results. And explain why it is you think the big Word files are your
startup problem. Maybe it's actually coincidental. Maybe you have other
problems of the Hardware type that caused both your Word problems *and*
your startup problems. Like a bad hard drive, or RAM.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"wes" wrote in message
...
Windows 98 2nd edition hangs during normal start up. There are
several huge
Word files containing graphics that have caused the freezing problem.
I was
looking at one in safe mode in preparation to delete it when the
computer
froze again. Now start up does not complete in safe mode either. How
can I
gain access to windows explorer so these documents can be deleted and
normal
startup restored?

Thanks.

Thanks for all the suggestions. By using DIR and DEL I have been able to
start up in safe mode once again but no further. (The huge files were not
part of the startup, but I had endeavored to delete one of them while in safe
mode and could not start up even in safe mode after that.)


"Don Phillipson" wrote:

wes wrote:
Windows 98 2nd edition hangs during normal start up. There are several huge
Word files containing graphics that have caused the freezing problem. I was
looking at one in safe mode in preparation to delete it when the computer
froze again. Now start up does not complete in safe mode either. How can I
gain access to windows explorer so these documents can be deleted and normal
startup restored?

A standard boot floppy will start DOS
and allow two possible cures.
1. You can locate these files with
command DIR = Directory and then use
command DEL = DEL. Each is documented
by /? as in DIR /?
2. Your startup files ought not to load
any Word documents. If you can guess which
startup file calls them, it can be edited
in DOS EDIT or something similar to remove
the file call.

I deleted the file that prevented starting up in safe mode. The scan disk
completes ok and allows start up in safe mode but not normal mode. I am
trying to check hardware now and seem to be in a loop for the display
settings. Thanks for the recommendation about reformatting the images in the
large files.

"anonymous" wrote:

The mere existence of these files is not sufficient to stop Windows from
starting. Perhaps you have saved them in the startup folder and Windows is
trying to open them on startup. However, it is more likely that the machine
froze for some other reason, and it was simply accidental that you were
accessing WORD files at the time. Boot to safe mode and use Scandisk to
confirm that the file system is OK. Then Run some diagnostics to confirm
there are no hardware problems.

If these files are too large for this machine to handle then your only
option is to take them to another machine that has more RAM. Remove the
images. Then reformat the images to a reduced resolution so that they
require less memory, and re-insert them into the document.

"wes" wrote:

Windows 98 2nd edition hangs during normal start up. There are several huge
Word files containing graphics that have caused the freezing problem. I was
looking at one in safe mode in preparation to delete it when the computer
froze again. Now start up does not complete in safe mode either. How can I
gain access to windows explorer so these documents can be deleted and normal
startup restored?

Thanks.

Thanks for your thoughts on this. I am not proficient with DOS, but finally
managed to delete the file I opened that froze the safe mode earlier. When
attempting normal start up, Windows doesn't finish starting up--most often it
hangs late in the process as the desktop icons are being displayed. The
scandisk operation goes through okay after most of the failed attempts at
normal startup. It will now start in safe mode. (I had been having freezing
problems on start up recently but multiple resets usually allowed startup in
normal mode eventually.) I am working on the hardware angle now. I have
been working with control panel display and control panel system device
manager. In safe mode the display settings (VGA??) can't be adjusted on
control panel display settings. Device manager indicates the proper
driver for the monitor is already installed. One time I was allowed to
choose settings for the adapter, but the settings were lost when the
immediate attempt at normal startup failed. That one time the correct
monitor and graphics controller were identified on display properties
settings, but not on attempts since.

I think the large files are a problem because the freezing has appeared as I
have been creating more and more of these large files. (This computer has a
small hard drive and I will create future versions on a different computer
with larger hard disk and more memory.) It is possible that it is
coincidental, but I have not had trouble until creating these files. The
immediate problem I had of not being able to start up in safe mode has been
solved with the DOS delete, so the presence of the other files is secondary
now. Now it is the hardware/settings problem that I need to solve. I have
smaller files and programs on the small drive that I plan to continue to use
under Windows 98.

I appreciate all the input very much. It's a great help.

"Gary S. Terhune" wrote:

Let me see if I can re-phrase your problem.

1. You have several Word files that include large images. Working with
these files causes system to crash.

2. After crashing the first time, you could only boot in Safe Mode. You
tried working with the DOCs in Safe mode and encountered the same
problem, and now not even Safe Mode will load. Thus, you now have no way
to use Explorer.

3. To delete the files you'll have to use DOS Mode. You do that most
easily by booting to the Startup Menu (the same one you use to launch
Safe Mode) and choosing Command Prompt Only. At the C:\ prompt, before
doing anything else, run SMARTDRV (just type that in and press Enter.)
That's in case you end up having to delete large chunks of data.

3. Question is, where are the files that are causing you problems? More
importantly, *why* are they causing problems. Word DOC files aren't
normally part of the startup axis. Could be giant chunks of lost
fragments--pieces of the Word files that weren't saved properly and are
now, basically, worthless. So, the thing to do is run SCANDISK in DOS.

But I still don't see how that could cause problems with startup. I can
think of several possibilities, but they're not the kinds of things I
think I can get across to you without risking misunderstandings that
lead to bigger problems. So, run Scandisk in DOS, restart, and see if
either Normal or Safe modes will launch. Then report back with the
results. And explain why it is you think the big Word files are your
startup problem. Maybe it's actually coincidental. Maybe you have other
problems of the Hardware type that caused both your Word problems *and*
your startup problems. Like a bad hard drive, or RAM.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"wes" wrote in message
...
Windows 98 2nd edition hangs during normal start up. There are
several huge
Word files containing graphics that have caused the freezing problem.
I was
looking at one in safe mode in preparation to delete it when the
computer
froze again. Now start up does not complete in safe mode either. How
can I
gain access to windows explorer so these documents can be deleted and
normal
startup restored?

Thanks.