Q177604: Multimedia: Troubleshooting Using Clean Boot of Windows 95
Article: Q177604
Product(s): Microsoft Home Multimedia Titles
Version(s): 1.0,2.0,95
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): kbenv kbtshoot kbimu
Last Modified: 11-JUN-2002
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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Bookshelf 2000
- Microsoft Bookshelf 99
- Microsoft Bookshelf 98 for Windows
- Microsoft Bookshelf 1996-97 for Windows
- Microsoft Bookshelf '95 for Windows 95
- Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator: WWII Europe Series, version 1.0
- Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 2: WWII Pacific Theater, version 1.0
- Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2001 for Windows
- Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Standard 2001 for Windows
- Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2000
- Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99
- Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia for Windows
- Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 97 Deluxe for Windows
- Microsoft Encarta 97 Encyclopedia for Windows
- Microsoft Encarta 96 Encyclopedia for Windows
- Microsoft Encarta Reference Suite 2001
- Microsoft Encarta Reference Suite 2000
- Microsoft Encarta Reference Suite 99
- Microsoft Encarta Interactive World Atlas 2001
- Microsoft Encarta Interactive World Atlas 2000
- Microsoft Encarta Virtual Globe 99, version 1.0
- Microsoft Encarta World English Dictionary 2001
- Microsoft Encarta World English Dictionary
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 98
- Microsoft Flight Simulator for Windows 95, version 1.0
- Microsoft Midtown Madness 2, version 2.0
- Microsoft Motocross Madness 2, version 2.0
- Microsoft Windows 95
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IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
SUMMARY
=======
This article describes how to start Windows 95 without loading any unnecessary
terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) programs or device drivers (this is called a
"clean boot"). You can clean boot Windows to troubleshoot problems you may
experience with programs that cannot run in Safe mode because Safe mode does not
meet the program's minimum system requirements. A program cannot run in Safe
mode if the program requires 256 colors, a CD-ROM drive, or any other feature
that Safe mode does not support.
NOTE: When you experience a problem with a program that can run in Safe mode, use
Safe mode to troubleshoot the issue.
MORE INFORMATION
================
To use a clean boot of Windows 95 to troubleshoot an issue, use the following
methods, starting with the "Clean Boot the Computer" method.
Clean Boot the Computer
-----------------------
To clean boot the computer:
1. Empty the StartUp folder. To do this, follow these steps:
a. Right-click Start, and then click Open.
b. Double-click the Programs folder.
c. Double-click the StartUp folder.
d. On the Edit menu, click Select All.
e. On the Edit menu, click Cut.
f. Close all open windows.
g. Right-click an empty area on the desktop, point to New, and then click
Folder.
h. Type "StartUp Items" (without the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
i. Double-click the StartUp Items folder.
j. On the Edit menu, click Paste.
k. Close the StartUp Items window.
2. Empty the Run Keys in the Registry
WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious
problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft
cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry
Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
Use Registry Editor to save a registry backup file for each of the Run keys in
the Windows registry, and then delete all value settings except the (Default)
value setting in each of the Run keys.
The following table shows the Run keys in the Windows registry that you need
to empty, along with suggested file names for the registry backup files:
File Name Registry Key
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HKLM-Run.reg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKLM-RunOnce.reg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKLM-RunOnceEx.reg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx
HKLM-RunServices.reg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
HKLM-RunServicesOnce.reg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce
HKCU-Run.reg HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKCU-RunOnce.reg HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKCU-RunOnceEx.reg HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx
HKCU-RunServices.reg HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
HKCU-RunServicesOnce.reg HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce
3. Rename the Winstart.bat file if it exists. This file loads
terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) programs that are required by some
Windows-based programs. This file is not required by Windows 95, and may not
exist on the computer. To rename the Winstart.bat file, follow these steps:
a. Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files Or Folders.
b. In the Named box, type "winstart.bat" (without the quotation marks), and
then click Find Now.
c. In the list of found files, right-click the Winstart.bat file, click
Rename, type "winstart.pss" (without the quotation marks), and then press
ENTER.
d. Close the Find: Files Named Winstart.bat window.
For additional information about the Winstart.bat file, please see the following
article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q134402 Some TSRs Moved from Autoexec.bat to Winstart.bat During Setup
4. Modify the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files.
The Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files are present for compatibility with
MS-DOS programs, and load when Windows 95 starts. These files can load TSR
programs and device drivers that may adversely affect the performance of
other programs.
NOTE: If the Autoexec.bat file or Config.sys file is extremely large or
complex, you can skip this step and then repeat Step 3 to rename the
Autoexec.bat file to Autoexec.pss and rename the Config.sys file to
Config.pss.
a. Click Start, and then click Run.
b. In the Open box, type "sysedit" (without the quotation marks), and then
click OK.
c. In the Autoexec.bat window, type "rem" (without the quotation marks), and
then press the SPACEBAR at the beginning of each line in the file. You may
need to scroll down to see all of the lines in the file.
d. When you finish modifying the Autoexec.bat file, on the File menu, click
Save.
e. In the Config.sys window, type "rem" (without the quotation marks), and
then press the SPACEBAR at the beginning of each line in the file. You may
need to scroll down to see all of the lines in the file.
f. When you finish modifying the Config.sys file, on the File menu, click
Save.
5. Disable the Load= and Run= lines in the Win.ini file. To do this, follow
these steps:
a. In the Win.ini window in System Configuration Editor, locate the [Windows]
section.
b. Under [Windows], type a SEMICOLON (;) at the beginning of each of the
Load= and Run= lines.
c. On the File menu, click Save.
6. Disable any non-standard entries in the [boot] section of the System.ini
file. To do this:
a. In the System.ini window in System Configuration Editor, locate the [boot]
section of the System.ini file.
b. In the [boot] section, locate the following line:
system.drv=system.drv
If you do not see this line, you may see the following lines:
system.drv=atmsys.drv
atm.sys.drv=system.drv
If you see these lines, type a semicolon (;) at the beginning of each line,
press END, press ENTER, and then type "system.drv=system.drv" (without the
quotation marks).
c. In the [boot] section, verify that each of the following lines are
present:
shell=Explorer.exe
mouse.drv=mouse.drv
keyboard.drv=keyboard.drv
If on of these lines in the file does not match the corresponding line in
the list exactly, type a SEMICOLON (;) at the beginning of the line, press
END, press ENTER, and then type the line exactly as it appears in the
list.
d. In the [boot] section of the System.ini file, locate the following line:
display.drv=pnpdrvr.drv
If the display.drv= line is not identical to this line, contact your
hardware manufacturer to inquire about how to obtain the latest Windows 95
version of the driver for your video adapter.
IMPORTANT: Do not change this line in the System.ini file!
e. On the File menu, click Save.
f. Quit System Configuration Editor.
7. Restart the computer and then run the program to determine if the issue is
resolved.
If the issue is resolved, proceed to the "Isolate the Conflicting Component"
method.
If the issue continues to occur, proceed to the "Troubleshoot the System.ini
File" method.
If Windows does not start, or if the program requires a component that no
longer starts when you start Windows, proceed to the next method.
Restore Required Windows Components
-----------------------------------
In some cases, Windows may require a component in the Autoexec.bat or Config.sys
file to start or to use the CD-ROM drive.
If Windows does not start, follow these steps to restart the computer to a
command prompt:
1. Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE to restart the computer.
2. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key
3. On the Startup menu, select Command Prompt Only, and then press ENTER.
4. At the command prompt, type "cd\" (without the quotation marks), and then
press ENTER.
If Windows starts, but does not recognize the CD-ROM drive, restart the computer
to a command prompt. To do this:
1. Click Start, and then click Shut Down.
2. Click Restart the Computer, and then click OK.
3. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key.
4. On the Startup menu, select Command Prompt Only, and then press ENTER.
5. At the command prompt, type "cd\" (without the quotation marks), and then
press ENTER.
If you know the component that Windows requires, you can either edit the
appropriate startup file, or create a new copy of the file that starts only the
required component.
To restore the required component(s) in the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files:
1. At the command prompt, type "edit autoexec.bat" (without the quotation
marks), and then press ENTER.
2. Locate the line that starts the required component.
NOTE: If you need to load MS-DOS drivers for your CD-ROM drive, restore the
line that loads the Mscdex.exe file, and then note the drive name that
follows the /D: switch on that line.
3. At the beginning of the line, press DELETE four times to erase "rem" and the
blank space that follows it.
Repeat this step to restore each line in the file that starts a required
component.
4. Press ALT+F, and then press S.
5. Press ALT+F, and then press O.
6. Type "config.sys" (without the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
7. Locate the line that starts the required component.
NOTE: To locate the line that loads the MS-DOS CD-ROM driver, press ALT+S,
press F, type the drive name you noted in step 2, and then press ENTER. To
move to the beginning of this line, press HOME.
8. At the beginning of the line, press DELETE four times to erase "rem" and the
blank space that follows it.
Repeat this step to restore each line in the file that starts a required
component.
9. Press ALT+F, and then press X. When you are prompted to save the changes,
press Y.
10. Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE to restart the computer.
To create new copies of the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files that contain only
the required lines:
1. At the command prompt, type "edit autoexec.pss" (without the quotation
marks), and then press ENTER.
2. In the Autoexec.pss file, delete all lines except the required line(s).
NOTE: If you need to load MS-DOS drivers for your CD-ROM drive, restore the
line that loads the Mscdex.exe file, and then note the drive name that
follows the /D: switch on that line.
3. Press ALT+F, and then press A.
4. Type "autoexec.bat" (without the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
5. Press ALT+F, and then press O.
6. Type "config.pss" (without the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
7. In the Config.pss file, delete all lines except the required line(s).
NOTE: To locate the line that loads the MS-DOS CD-ROM driver, press ALT+S,
press F, type the drive name you noted in step 2, and then press ENTER.
8. Press ALT+F, and then press A.
9. Type "config.sys" (without the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
10. Press ALT+F, and then press X.
11. Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE to restart the computer.
If you do not know the component that Windows requires, restore the Autoexec.bat
and Config.sys files to their original conditions. After you restore the files
to their original conditions, contact your computer manufacturer or your
hardware documentation to determine the components that Windows requires.
If you renamed the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files, follow these steps to
restore them:
1. At the command prompt, type "ren autoexec.pss autoexec.bat" (without the
quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
2. At the command prompt, type "ren config.pss config.sys" (without the
quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
3. Press CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart the computer.
If you modified the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files, follow these steps to
restore them to their original conditions:
1. At the command prompt, type "edit autoexec.bat" (without the quotation
marks), and then press ENTER.
2. At the beginning of the first line, press DELETE four times to erase "rem"
and the blank space that follows it.
3. Press DOWN ARROW to move to the next line.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 to restore each line in the Autoexec.bat file.
5. Press ALT+F, and then press S.
6. Press ALT+F, and then press O.
7. Type "config.sys" (without the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
8. At the beginning of the first line, press DELETE four times to erase "rem"
and the blank space that follows it.
9. Press DOWN ARROW to move to the next line.
10. Repeat steps 8-9 to restore each line in the Config.sys file.
11. Press ALT+F, and then press X. When you are prompted to save the changes,
press Y.
12. Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE to restart the computer.
NOTE: If you have a SCSI CD-ROM drive and these steps do not restore the CD-ROM
drive, please see your hardware documentation or contact your hardware
manufacturer for information about how to configure the MS-DOS drivers for the
CD-ROM drive.
Troubleshoot the System.ini File
--------------------------------
To troubleshoot the System.ini file, follow these steps:
1. Restart the computer to an MS-DOS prompt.
2. At the command prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after each
line:
cd \windows
ren system.ini system.pss
copy system.cb system.ini
edit system.ini
3. Locate the [boot] section of the System.ini file.
4. In the [boot] section, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after each
line:
drivers=mmsystem.dll
mouse.drv=mouse.drv
5. Locate the [386Enh] section of the System.ini file.
6. In the [386Enh] section, type the following line, and then press ENTER:
mouse=*vmouse, msmouse.vxd
7. Press ALT+F, and then press X. When you are prompted to save the changes,
press Y.
8. Restart the computer.
9. Start the program.
If the issue is resolved, the cause of the problem is probably a line in the
[boot] or [386Enh] section of the original System.ini file. Restore the
original System.ini file to troubleshoot the problem.
For additional information about the System.ini file and its default entries,
please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q140441 Creating a New System.ini File Without Third-Party Drivers
Isolate the Cause
-----------------
If you resolve the issue using a clean boot of Windows 95, restore your startup
files, registry keys, and StartUp folder one at a time to isolate the cause of
the issue.
After you identify the startup file, registry key, or folder that causes the
issue, repeat the steps in the "Clean Boot the Computer" method to disable the
appropriate lines, value settings, or shortcuts, and then restore them one at a
time to isolate the component, driver, or program that causes the issue.
After you identify the component, driver, or program that causes the issue,
contact the manufacturer of the component, driver or program for information
about how to resolve or work around the issue. If a device driver causes the
issue, contact the manufacturer of the device to inquire about how to obtain and
install the most recent version of the driver.
Additional query words: multi media multi-media mm clean-boot safe-mode tshoot
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Keywords : kbenv kbtshoot kbimu
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Version : :1.0,2.0,95
Issue type : kbhowto
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