Need a Win 98 Boot Up Disc!

Help! I'm getting the notorious "Type in the name of the Command Interpretor"
error message and it appears that my HD is missing the Comman.com (and maybe
other files) so that my laptop won't boot up. Can anyone send me a Windows 98
boot up disk?

I would hate to junk this laptop. It's not the greatest but it does have a
lot of PM type software on it. Email me at . Thanks!

"Jim.Flack" wrote in message
...

Help! I'm getting the notorious "Type in the name of the Command
Interpretor"
error message and it appears that my HD is missing the Comman.com (and
maybe
other files) so that my laptop won't boot up. Can anyone send me a Windows
98
boot up disk?

Go to www.bootdisk.com and download the right
startup disk --- a single EXE file which you execute
with a floppy in place, to write the floppy.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

This is probably the simplest:
http://www.bootdisk.com/

Note the instructions - you will need to execute the download file in order
to create the bootable floppy.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"Jim.Flack" wrote in message
...
Help! I'm getting the notorious "Type in the name of the Command
Interpretor"
error message and it appears that my HD is missing the Comman.com (and
maybe
other files) so that my laptop won't boot up. Can anyone send me a Windows
98
boot up disk?

I would hate to junk this laptop. It's not the greatest but it does have a
lot of PM type software on it. Email me at . Thanks!

"Jim.Flack" wrote in message
...
| Help! I'm getting the notorious "Type in the name of the Command
Interpretor"
| error message and it appears that my HD is missing the Comman.com (and
maybe
| other files) so that my laptop won't boot up. Can anyone send me a
Windows 98
| boot up disk?

Get a Startup Diskette from...
http://www.bootdisk.com/ , if you don't already have one from "Control
Panel, Add/Remove Programs, Startup Disk tab". Take either one that
applies to your system. Test the Startup Diskette. Put the diskette in &
turn on the computer. Put in a CD and "DIR" the CD. That is, "DIR X:",
where "X:" is the CD-ROM letter. The Startup Diskette will say which
letter is the CD during boot. (Note: It may be necessary to enter BIOS
Setup & set it to boot the floppy drive above the hard drive.)

Are you sure Command.com is missing...?...

(1) Boot the Startup Diskette, with or w/o Cd-ROM support.
(2) At the A:\ Prompt, enter... DIR C:\Command.com /a /s

Here is what I get...

C:\DIR C:\Command.com /a /s

Directory of C:\
COMMAND COM 93,890 04-23-99 10:22p COMMAND.COM
1 file(s) 93,890 bytes

Directory of C:\WINDOWS
COMMAND COM 93,890 04-23-99 10:22p COMMAND.COM
1 file(s) 93,890 bytes

Total files listed:
2 file(s) 187,780 bytes
0 dir(s) 6,696.70 MB free


There should be TWO of them! If you do have both, then the problem may
be something else, as explained in the following article...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/187641/en-us
• Err Msg: The Following File Is Missing or Corrupt...

It says to type... SYS C: ...at the A:\ Prompt...

"SYS C:" will copy certain system files (IO.sys, Command.com & perhaps
MSDOS.sys) from the Startup Diskette to C:\. It also sets the PBR
(Partition Boot Record) drive number to x'80', so that it is now in the
bootstrap.

| I would hate to junk this laptop. It's not the greatest but it does
have a
| lot of PM type software on it. Email me at .
Thanks!

"Jim.Flack" wrote in message
...
Help! I'm getting the notorious "Type in the name of the Command
Interpretor"
error message and it appears that my HD is missing the Comman.com (and
maybe
other files) so that my laptop won't boot up. Can anyone send me a Windows
98
boot up disk?

I would hate to junk this laptop. It's not the greatest but it does have a
lot of PM type software on it. Email me at . Thanks!

Just some add-ons to the comments already made.

You may get a message that command.com is missing, but may find later its
there and may be identical to the command com on your boot diskette.

When doing sys c: when booted from the boot floppy diskette (sys.com), the
msdos.sys is incorrect for booting windows automatically. It may only take
you to the command prompt after the sys.com procedure. If sys.com is not
present and the boot diskette, simply copy it from your C: drive to the
floppy.

Let the group know any subsequent problems.
Dave

Email is usually only followed on a case by case basis. First try and see if
the group can solve your problem here. If you need a new Windows 98 cd then
there is always Ebay.

"Jim.Flack" wrote:

Help! I'm getting the notorious "Type in the name of the Command Interpretor"
error message and it appears that my HD is missing the Comman.com (and maybe
other files) so that my laptop won't boot up. Can anyone send me a Windows 98
boot up disk?

I would hate to junk this laptop. It's not the greatest but it does have a
lot of PM type software on it. Email me at . Thanks!

Hey everyone,

Thanks for the advice. I did download the Win98 boot disk and rebooted off
of that. Then I copied all the boot files onto the C drive, in Windows and
Dos folders. However, now when the PC tries to boot up, it's telling me that
the HIMSEM (I can't remember exactly how it is spelled).EXE file is missing.
So I copied it from the boot disk to the C drive, in Windows and DOS---and it
even prompts me to ask if I want to overwrite it and I say yes, and it says
one filed copied....but upon rebooting, it says the file is mising again.

I don't think this is a file issue anymore---I think it's a hardware failure
somewhere. ANd I think this laptop is headed for the trash. I've done all I
can for it. :-(

"Don Phillipson" wrote:

"Jim.Flack" wrote in message
...

Help! I'm getting the notorious "Type in the name of the Command
Interpretor"
error message and it appears that my HD is missing the Comman.com (and
maybe
other files) so that my laptop won't boot up. Can anyone send me a Windows
98
boot up disk?

Go to www.bootdisk.com and download the right
startup disk --- a single EXE file which you execute
with a floppy in place, to write the floppy.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Jim.Flack wrote:
| Hey everyone,
|
| Thanks for the advice. I did download the Win98 boot disk and
| rebooted off of that. Then I copied all the boot files onto the C
| drive, in Windows and Dos folders.

Specifically, what files did you copy, & where did you copy them to?

Config.sys & Autoexec.bat should NOT be copied from the Startup
Diskette. You might well get the error you report, if you did that!

(1) Boot the Startup Diskette.
(2) Rename those two at the A:\ Prompt...

REN C:\Config.sys Config.flp
REN C:\Autoexec.bat Autoexec.flp

Remove the floppy, & try to boot to Windows. If it works, try to find
what the files originally were. Do you have a Config.syd or Config.pss &
an Autoexec.syd or Autoexec.pss? Then, post those for examination.

Here are generic samples...

Config.sys

DEVICE=C:\Windows\HIMEM.sys
DEVICE=C:\Windows\EMM386.exe NOEMS
DOS=HIGH,UMB,AUTO
FILESHIGH=80
BUFFERSHIGH=40,4
SHELL=C:\Command.com /P /E:2048
SET PATH=C:\Windows;C:\Windows\Command

Autoexec.bat

SET PROMPT=$p$g
SET WINPMT=$e[0;40;37;1m$P$G

| However, now when the PC tries to
| boot up, it's telling me that the HIMSEM (I can't remember exactly
| how it is spelled).EXE file is missing. So I copied it from the boot
| disk to the C drive, in Windows and DOS---and it even prompts me to
| ask if I want to overwrite it and I say yes, and it says one filed
| copied....but upon rebooting, it says the file is mising again.

This probably explains what went wrong...
http://support.microsoft.com/default...53&Product=w98
Err Msg: Missing Himem.sys. Make sure that the file is in your Windows
directory and that its location is correctly specified in your
CONFIG.SYS file.

| I don't think this is a file issue anymore---I think it's a hardware
| failure somewhere. ANd I think this laptop is headed for the trash.
| I've done all I can for it. :-(
|
| "Don Phillipson" wrote:
|
| "Jim.Flack" wrote in message
| ...
|
| Help! I'm getting the notorious "Type in the name of the Command
| Interpretor" error message and it appears that my HD is missing
| the Comman.com (and maybe other files) so that my laptop won't
| boot up. Can anyone send me a Windows 98 boot up disk?
|
| Go to www.bootdisk.com and download the right
| startup disk --- a single EXE file which you execute
| with a floppy in place, to write the floppy.
|
| --
| Don Phillipson
| Carlsbad Springs
| (Ottawa, Canada)

--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
Should things get worse after this,
PCR

Lil' Dave wrote:
| "Jim.Flack" wrote in message
| ...
| Help! I'm getting the notorious "Type in the name of the Command
| Interpretor"
| error message and it appears that my HD is missing the Comman.com
| (and maybe
| other files) so that my laptop won't boot up. Can anyone send me a
| Windows 98
| boot up disk?
|
| I would hate to junk this laptop. It's not the greatest but it does
| have a lot of PM type software on it. Email me at
| . Thanks!
|
| Just some add-ons to the comments already made.
|
| You may get a message that command.com is missing, but may find later
| its there and may be identical to the command com on your boot
| diskette.
|
| When doing sys c: when booted from the boot floppy diskette
| (sys.com), the msdos.sys is incorrect for booting windows
| automatically. It may only take you to the command prompt after the
| sys.com procedure. If sys.com is not present and the boot diskette,
| simply copy it from your C: drive to the floppy.

It is true the MSDOS.sys on the Startup Diskette is inadequate to boot
to Windows. However, SYS won't copy it to C:\-- if one already exists on
C:\. It will do whatever else it needs to do, though.

Here is mine, in case Flack has lost his, as it appears on C:\...

;..........START........... You may remove this line.
[Paths]
WinDir=c:\windows
WinBootDir=c:\windows
HostWinBootDrv=c

[Options]
AutoScan=1
BootMenu=1 ;Per Win98 Secrets
BootMenuDelay=10
Dblspace=0 ;Per Win98
Drvspace=0 ; Secrets
DoubleBuffer=1
Logo=0
Network=0
WinVer=4.10.2222

;
;The following lines are required for compatibility with other programs.
;Do not remove them (MSDOS.SYS needs to be 1024 bytes).
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxa
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxb
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxc
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxd
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxe
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxf
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxg
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxh
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxj
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxk
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxl
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxm
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxn
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxo
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxp
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxq
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxr
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxs
;..............END........ You may remove this line.

NOTES:
(1) If you use CVFs (Compressed Volume Files), do not include Dblspace=0
& Drvspace=0.
(2) Do not include Network=0, if you connect to a Network.
(3) Logo=0 suppresses the Windows logo at boot.
(4) Finally, is you are First Edition, then use... WinVer=4.10.1998.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q118579/
Contents of the Windows Msdos.sys File

| Let the group know any subsequent problems.
| Dave

--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
Should things get worse after this,
PCR

"PCR" wrote in message
...
Lil' Dave wrote:
| "Jim.Flack" wrote in message
| ...
| Help! I'm getting the notorious "Type in the name of the Command
| Interpretor"
| error message and it appears that my HD is missing the Comman.com
| (and maybe
| other files) so that my laptop won't boot up. Can anyone send me a
| Windows 98
| boot up disk?
|
| I would hate to junk this laptop. It's not the greatest but it does
| have a lot of PM type software on it. Email me at
| . Thanks!
|
| Just some add-ons to the comments already made.
|
| You may get a message that command.com is missing, but may find later
| its there and may be identical to the command com on your boot
| diskette.
|
| When doing sys c: when booted from the boot floppy diskette
| (sys.com), the msdos.sys is incorrect for booting windows
| automatically. It may only take you to the command prompt after the
| sys.com procedure. If sys.com is not present and the boot diskette,
| simply copy it from your C: drive to the floppy.

It is true the MSDOS.sys on the Startup Diskette is inadequate to boot
to Windows. However, SYS won't copy it to C:\-- if one already exists on
C:\. It will do whatever else it needs to do, though.

You are mistaken. Sys.com is unconditional.
Sys.com copies from the original boot media the following:
msdos.sys
command.com
io.sys
The 4th file, I won't talk about regarding drive compression. Not a factor
in this thread.
Sys.com also updates the partition table as to the location of the initial
boot file. Msdos.sys is not the initial boot file. Copying an undamaged,
unaltered msdos.sys on the C: root drive to another folder, then copying
back to the root drive after effecting sys.com will put you back to a
version that will boot to windows.
Dave