"cannot load winint.exe"

I think thins file may have been damaged by a Virus. I
have tried to reinstall, but this computer is a preload
with the original files on the same partition.
What else can I do?

What exact error message are you seeing and when? BTW the file is
wininit.exe. You say you have tried to reinstall, so I have to ask reinstall
what? wininit.exe or the operating system?
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



nuthin wrote:

I think thins file may have been damaged by a Virus. I
have tried to reinstall, but this computer is a preload
with the original files on the same partition.
What else can I do?

At startup before the win me splash screen it says "unable
to load wininit.exe" I re installed the os.
-----Original Message-----
What exact error message are you seeing and when? BTW
the file is
wininit.exe. You say you have tried to reinstall, so I
have to ask reinstall
what? wininit.exe or the operating system?
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



nuthin wrote:

I think thins file may have been damaged by a Virus. I
have tried to reinstall, but this computer is a preload
with the original files on the same partition.
What else can I do?


.

This I don't understand since reinstalling Win Me will, or rather should, have
reinstalled wininit.exe which does prompt me to ask how you reinstalled the
operating system.

Can you actually get Win Me to boot? If so you can then replace the file
wininit.exe by extracting a new copy from the Win Me cab set.

Wininit.exe is contained in WIN_17.CAB of the Win Me cab set and can be
replaced using MSConfig | General | Extract File ... and following the
prompts. The "cab" files are in the Win9x folder on the Win Me CD and/or in a
sub-folder of Windows\Options. See MS KB129605 - "HOW TO: Extract Original
Compressed Windows Files" (http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=129605) for
details of how to extract files from the cab set. Wininit.exe belongs in your
windows folder.

If however Win Me won't boot then post back and I'll explain how to extract a
copy of wininit.exe from the cab files after booting to a DOS prompt using a
floppy.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP




wrote:

At startup before the win me splash screen it says "unable
to load wininit.exe" I re installed the os.

I agree, it should have reinstalled the file itself. I
replaced the file manually but still get the same message.
yes win does boot, with some difficulty, and many error
messages. I reinstalled the os by booting from a floppy
then runnig c:\windows\options\setup but, obviously,
didn't wipe the drive prior, as the cabs start at 10 so
was afraid all the install data would not be there. Do you
think I could make an image of that dir, wipe the drive
and install from the cd?
-----Original Message-----
This I don't understand since reinstalling Win Me will,
or rather should, have
reinstalled wininit.exe which does prompt me to ask how
you reinstalled the
operating system.

Can you actually get Win Me to boot? If so you can then
replace the file
wininit.exe by extracting a new copy from the Win Me cab
set.

Wininit.exe is contained in WIN_17.CAB of the Win Me cab
set and can be
replaced using MSConfig | General | Extract File ... and
following the
prompts. The "cab" files are in the Win9x folder on the
Win Me CD and/or in a
sub-folder of Windows\Options. See MS KB129605 - "HOW
TO: Extract Original
Compressed Windows Files" (http://support.microsoft.com?
kbid=129605) for
details of how to extract files from the cab set.
Wininit.exe belongs in your
windows folder.

If however Win Me won't boot then post back and I'll
explain how to extract a
copy of wininit.exe from the cab files after booting to a
DOS prompt using a
floppy.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP





wrote:

At startup before the win me splash screen it
says "unable
to load wininit.exe" I re installed the os.


.

Did you put wininit.exe in the correct location? It needs to be in the
Windows folder. If so I do not understand why you are seeing this error
message. Agh, I think know what the problem is!. You mentioned a virus. I
think that what has happened is that the virus placed and entry to launch the
infected wininit.exe to the startup axis. Use MSConfig, (Start, Run enter
MSConfig in the box and click OK), open the Startup tab and look for and
uncheck any entry that in the right hand column refers to wininit.exe since
this would have been placed there by the virus.

As for having reinstalled using setup.exe in c:\windows\options\cabs, that is
the best way to reinstall Win Me and yes, the contents of that folder should
be all you need to get going. It should include CATALOG.CAB, PRECOPY1.CAB,
BASE2.CAB, 2 NET cabs, 3 DRIVER cabs and 16 WIN cabs including WIN_OL.CAB.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



nuthin wrote:

I agree, it should have reinstalled the file itself. I
replaced the file manually but still get the same message.
yes win does boot, with some difficulty, and many error
messages. I reinstalled the os by booting from a floppy
then runnig c:\windows\options\setup but, obviously,
didn't wipe the drive prior, as the cabs start at 10 so
was afraid all the install data would not be there. Do you
think I could make an image of that dir, wipe the drive
and install from the cd?

Well its working now! Finally. It turns out that was true
about the infected version, so I ended up using "pest
patrol" to remove all the crap in the system. I'm not
even sure how many things were infecting this poor comp!
Then reinstalled wininit as per your instructions, and it
works like a charm now.
Now its time to do all of the updates
Thanks for all your help. I probably wouldn't have figured
that one out for a while.
-----Original Message-----
Did you put wininit.exe in the correct location? It
needs to be in the
Windows folder. If so I do not understand why you are
seeing this error
message. Agh, I think know what the problem is!. You
mentioned a virus. I
think that what has happened is that the virus placed and
entry to launch the
infected wininit.exe to the startup axis. Use MSConfig,
(Start, Run enter
MSConfig in the box and click OK), open the Startup tab
and look for and
uncheck any entry that in the right hand column refers to
wininit.exe since
this would have been placed there by the virus.

As for having reinstalled using setup.exe in
c:\windows\options\cabs, that is
the best way to reinstall Win Me and yes, the contents of
that folder should
be all you need to get going. It should include
CATALOG.CAB, PRECOPY1.CAB,
BASE2.CAB, 2 NET cabs, 3 DRIVER cabs and 16 WIN cabs
including WIN_OL.CAB.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



nuthin wrote:

I agree, it should have reinstalled the file itself. I
replaced the file manually but still get the same
message.
yes win does boot, with some difficulty, and many error
messages. I reinstalled the os by booting from a floppy
then runnig c:\windows\options\setup but, obviously,
didn't wipe the drive prior, as the cabs start at 10 so
was afraid all the install data would not be there. Do
you
think I could make an image of that dir, wipe the drive
and install from the cd?


.

That's good news. Thanks for the feedback.

Since you reinstalled Win Me over itself the Windows Update site won't always
show which updates need to be reinstalled although you've helped things along
by reinstalling from the windows\options folder which should reduce the number
of required updates. You might though want to download and use the Belarc
Advisor (http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html) as this is capable of
picking up updates which need to be reinstalled which the Windows Update
site's detection system can miss.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP




wrote:

Well its working now! Finally. It turns out that was true
about the infected version, so I ended up using "pest
patrol" to remove all the crap in the system. I'm not
even sure how many things were infecting this poor comp!
Then reinstalled wininit as per your instructions, and it
works like a charm now.
Now its time to do all of the updates
Thanks for all your help. I probably wouldn't have figured
that one out for a while.