VFAT Device Initialization Failed

There is an article in the MS knowledgebase that addresses my problem,
only none of the solutions suggested there seem to apply to my
situation. And restoring a previous registry makes the problem go away,
although I cannot say this really solves the problem, because any
changes I made to my system are also gone. Specifically, Microsoft names
these possible causes for my problem:
-1- ifshlp.sys is missing from my windows folder. It is not.
-2- config.sys line points to a previous ifshlp.sys version. My
config.sys file is 0 bytes. It points nowhere.
-3- device=c:\windows\ifshlp.sys is deleted from config.sys. See above.
-4- [paths] section in msdos.sys is incorrect. No errors there.
-5- winboot.ini from previous installation in the root of the startup
disk. That would be C. I do not have this file anywhere.
-6- maxfilecache=4096 in system.ini. My maxfilecache is 16384.
I have tried making a config.sys file (with the call to ifshlp.sys the
only line). This did not help. I've made a bootlog. This shows that the
boot process ends with the device init of vfat. When I restore the
registry the system boots normally.
I hope someone can help me figure this out, I no longer know what to try
next.

Thanks in advance.
Margo Guda.

Please supply the MSKB article number you are referring to.

Remove *any* maxfilecache setting in the [vcache] section of System.ini

Examine the system.ini file you have in place when the error occurs, and compare it
to the System.ini file you are restoring when you restore the Registry. When you
use "scanreg /restore" from a DOS boot, you are also replacing the system.ini and
win.ini files, in addition to the Registry.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Margo Guda" wrote in message
...
There is an article in the MS knowledgebase that addresses my problem,
only none of the solutions suggested there seem to apply to my
situation. And restoring a previous registry makes the problem go away,
although I cannot say this really solves the problem, because any
changes I made to my system are also gone. Specifically, Microsoft names
these possible causes for my problem:
-1- ifshlp.sys is missing from my windows folder. It is not.
-2- config.sys line points to a previous ifshlp.sys version. My
config.sys file is 0 bytes. It points nowhere.
-3- device=c:\windows\ifshlp.sys is deleted from config.sys. See above.
-4- [paths] section in msdos.sys is incorrect. No errors there.
-5- winboot.ini from previous installation in the root of the startup
disk. That would be C. I do not have this file anywhere.
-6- maxfilecache=4096 in system.ini. My maxfilecache is 16384.
I have tried making a config.sys file (with the call to ifshlp.sys the
only line). This did not help. I've made a bootlog. This shows that the
boot process ends with the device init of vfat. When I restore the
registry the system boots normally.
I hope someone can help me figure this out, I no longer know what to try
next.

Thanks in advance.
Margo Guda.

139063.

I compared both win.ini and system.ini as you suggested, and find no
differences. It must be in the registry. When I restore the registry I
can boot.


glee wrote:

Please supply the MSKB article number you are referring to.

Remove *any* maxfilecache setting in the [vcache] section of System.ini

Examine the system.ini file you have in place when the error occurs, and compare it
to the System.ini file you are restoring when you restore the Registry. When you
use "scanreg /restore" from a DOS boot, you are also replacing the system.ini and
win.ini files, in addition to the Registry.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Margo Guda" wrote in message
...

There is an article in the MS knowledgebase that addresses my problem,
only none of the solutions suggested there seem to apply to my
situation. And restoring a previous registry makes the problem go away,
although I cannot say this really solves the problem, because any
changes I made to my system are also gone. Specifically, Microsoft names
these possible causes for my problem:
-1- ifshlp.sys is missing from my windows folder. It is not.
-2- config.sys line points to a previous ifshlp.sys version. My
config.sys file is 0 bytes. It points nowhere.
-3- device=c:\windows\ifshlp.sys is deleted from config.sys. See above.
-4- [paths] section in msdos.sys is incorrect. No errors there.
-5- winboot.ini from previous installation in the root of the startup
disk. That would be C. I do not have this file anywhere.
-6- maxfilecache=4096 in system.ini. My maxfilecache is 16384.
I have tried making a config.sys file (with the call to ifshlp.sys the
only line). This did not help. I've made a bootlog. This shows that the
boot process ends with the device init of vfat. When I restore the
registry the system boots normally.
I hope someone can help me figure this out, I no longer know what to try
next.

Thanks in advance.
Margo Guda.

....and it's not a laptop with SystemSoft drivers installed, I presume.
I would export the registry to a text file, and when the error next occurs, reboot
to DOS mode and export the Registry to a text file again in real-mode. Restore the
registry so that you can boot to Windows, and do a file comparison between the two
exports, using an app such as WinDiff (available on the Win98 CD).

Have you had your physical memory (RAM) checked, to make sure it is not the problem,
corrupting the Registry in memory?
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Margo Guda" wrote in message
...
139063.

I compared both win.ini and system.ini as you suggested, and find no
differences. It must be in the registry. When I restore the registry I
can boot.


glee wrote:

Please supply the MSKB article number you are referring to.

Remove *any* maxfilecache setting in the [vcache] section of System.ini

Examine the system.ini file you have in place when the error occurs, and compare
it
to the System.ini file you are restoring when you restore the Registry. When
you
use "scanreg /restore" from a DOS boot, you are also replacing the system.ini
and
win.ini files, in addition to the Registry.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Margo Guda" wrote in message
...

There is an article in the MS knowledgebase that addresses my problem,
only none of the solutions suggested there seem to apply to my
situation. And restoring a previous registry makes the problem go away,
although I cannot say this really solves the problem, because any
changes I made to my system are also gone. Specifically, Microsoft names
these possible causes for my problem:
-1- ifshlp.sys is missing from my windows folder. It is not.
-2- config.sys line points to a previous ifshlp.sys version. My
config.sys file is 0 bytes. It points nowhere.
-3- device=c:\windows\ifshlp.sys is deleted from config.sys. See above.
-4- [paths] section in msdos.sys is incorrect. No errors there.
-5- winboot.ini from previous installation in the root of the startup
disk. That would be C. I do not have this file anywhere.
-6- maxfilecache=4096 in system.ini. My maxfilecache is 16384.
I have tried making a config.sys file (with the call to ifshlp.sys the
only line). This did not help. I've made a bootlog. This shows that the
boot process ends with the device init of vfat. When I restore the
registry the system boots normally.
I hope someone can help me figure this out, I no longer know what to try
next.

Thanks in advance.
Margo Guda.

No it is not a laptop.
I have not had memory checked especially; the check at powerup says
memory is OK. And it's not every registry edit that gets corrupted, just
after some installs. I have done as you suggested, and exported a
restored registry to a text file. Then I installed the software that
causes the trouble. I booted into safe mode and exported its registry. I
tried to do it from a DOS prompt but after two hours of waiting for
regedit I thought it wouldn't finish the job.
I did the comparison; this is an html file of about 50kb. I don't know
what to look for in this file in terms of errors however. Would you be
so kind to take a look at it for me? Can I mail it to you?

With thanks for your help.

glee wrote:
...and it's not a laptop with SystemSoft drivers installed, I presume.
I would export the registry to a text file, and when the error next occurs, reboot
to DOS mode and export the Registry to a text file again in real-mode. Restore the
registry so that you can boot to Windows, and do a file comparison between the two
exports, using an app such as WinDiff (available on the Win98 CD).

Have you had your physical memory (RAM) checked, to make sure it is not the problem,
corrupting the Registry in memory?
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Margo Guda" wrote in message
...

139063.

I compared both win.ini and system.ini as you suggested, and find no
differences. It must be in the registry. When I restore the registry I
can boot.


glee wrote:


Please supply the MSKB article number you are referring to.

Remove *any* maxfilecache setting in the [vcache] section of System.ini

Examine the system.ini file you have in place when the error occurs, and compare

it

to the System.ini file you are restoring when you restore the Registry. When

you

use "scanreg /restore" from a DOS boot, you are also replacing the system.ini

and

win.ini files, in addition to the Registry.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Margo Guda" wrote in message
...


There is an article in the MS knowledgebase that addresses my problem,
only none of the solutions suggested there seem to apply to my
situation. And restoring a previous registry makes the problem go away,
although I cannot say this really solves the problem, because any
changes I made to my system are also gone. Specifically, Microsoft names
these possible causes for my problem:
-1- ifshlp.sys is missing from my windows folder. It is not.
-2- config.sys line points to a previous ifshlp.sys version. My
config.sys file is 0 bytes. It points nowhere.
-3- device=c:\windows\ifshlp.sys is deleted from config.sys. See above.
-4- [paths] section in msdos.sys is incorrect. No errors there.
-5- winboot.ini from previous installation in the root of the startup
disk. That would be C. I do not have this file anywhere.
-6- maxfilecache=4096 in system.ini. My maxfilecache is 16384.
I have tried making a config.sys file (with the call to ifshlp.sys the
only line). This did not help. I've made a bootlog. This shows that the
boot process ends with the device init of vfat. When I restore the
registry the system boots normally.
I hope someone can help me figure this out, I no longer know what to try
next.

Thanks in advance.
Margo Guda.

Yes, you can email it to me at this address:
glenv @ mvps . org
(remove the spaces)
I can't say that I will find anything that points to registry corruption, though.

FWIW, the memory test at powerup just counts the memory....it does not do any
extensive testing. In Safe Mode, only slightly more testing is done at startup.
This is the first you have mentioned that a particular software install is what is
causing the problem....that sheds a different light on the problem. What program
installation is causing the error?

FYI, when exporting the registry from DOS mode, you should first run the command
SMARTDRV, or it will take nearly forever:
smartdrv
regedit.exe /e drivepathfilename.txt
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Margo Guda" wrote in message
...
No it is not a laptop.
I have not had memory checked especially; the check at powerup says
memory is OK. And it's not every registry edit that gets corrupted, just
after some installs. I have done as you suggested, and exported a
restored registry to a text file. Then I installed the software that
causes the trouble. I booted into safe mode and exported its registry. I
tried to do it from a DOS prompt but after two hours of waiting for
regedit I thought it wouldn't finish the job.
I did the comparison; this is an html file of about 50kb. I don't know
what to look for in this file in terms of errors however. Would you be
so kind to take a look at it for me? Can I mail it to you?

With thanks for your help.

glee wrote:
...and it's not a laptop with SystemSoft drivers installed, I presume.
I would export the registry to a text file, and when the error next occurs,
reboot
to DOS mode and export the Registry to a text file again in real-mode. Restore
the
registry so that you can boot to Windows, and do a file comparison between the
two
exports, using an app such as WinDiff (available on the Win98 CD).

Have you had your physical memory (RAM) checked, to make sure it is not the
problem,
corrupting the Registry in memory?
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Margo Guda" wrote in message
...

139063.

I compared both win.ini and system.ini as you suggested, and find no
differences. It must be in the registry. When I restore the registry I
can boot.


glee wrote:


Please supply the MSKB article number you are referring to.

Remove *any* maxfilecache setting in the [vcache] section of System.ini

Examine the system.ini file you have in place when the error occurs, and
compare

it

to the System.ini file you are restoring when you restore the Registry. When

you

use "scanreg /restore" from a DOS boot, you are also replacing the system.ini

and

win.ini files, in addition to the Registry.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Margo Guda" wrote in message
...


There is an article in the MS knowledgebase that addresses my problem,
only none of the solutions suggested there seem to apply to my
situation. And restoring a previous registry makes the problem go away,
although I cannot say this really solves the problem, because any
changes I made to my system are also gone. Specifically, Microsoft names
these possible causes for my problem:
-1- ifshlp.sys is missing from my windows folder. It is not.
-2- config.sys line points to a previous ifshlp.sys version. My
config.sys file is 0 bytes. It points nowhere.
-3- device=c:\windows\ifshlp.sys is deleted from config.sys. See above.
-4- [paths] section in msdos.sys is incorrect. No errors there.
-5- winboot.ini from previous installation in the root of the startup
disk. That would be C. I do not have this file anywhere.
-6- maxfilecache=4096 in system.ini. My maxfilecache is 16384.
I have tried making a config.sys file (with the call to ifshlp.sys the
only line). This did not help. I've made a bootlog. This shows that the
boot process ends with the device init of vfat. When I restore the
registry the system boots normally.
I hope someone can help me figure this out, I no longer know what to try
next.

Thanks in advance.
Margo Guda.

Thanks. I will mail the difference file tomorrow.
When I think back, every time I had this problem (and this is not the
first time) it was after an install.
The first time it happened was with the upgrade of corel wordperfect
(from 10 to 11). I've gone back to 10.
This time though the program is the palm desktop, version 4.14. Most of
the registry entries I see are related to that software, but there are
some changes that are puzzling.
Thanks for the tip on smartdrv. I'd forgotten all about that!

glee wrote:

Yes, you can email it to me at this address:
glenv @ mvps . org
(remove the spaces)
I can't say that I will find anything that points to registry corruption, though.

FWIW, the memory test at powerup just counts the memory....it does not do any
extensive testing. In Safe Mode, only slightly more testing is done at startup.
This is the first you have mentioned that a particular software install is what is
causing the problem....that sheds a different light on the problem. What program
installation is causing the error?

FYI, when exporting the registry from DOS mode, you should first run the command
SMARTDRV, or it will take nearly forever:
smartdrv
regedit.exe /e drivepathfilename.txt