MS DOS Prompt

[LMOORE]

During boot-up, my son's computer displays a line: EMM386 not Installed - XMS Manger not present. Then, instead of opening windows, the MS-DOS Prompt box appears with a statement that Specified Command Search Directory Bad. The box then contains the C:\Windows prompt and in order to access windows, you must type exit.

I have not made any changes to this computer and to my knowledge, neither has my son. I am running Windows 98. What could be the problem?

 

[edfair]

You have a config.sys active on bootup.
Is your 98 an upgrade from windows3.1?
It also indicates that the emm386 is missing from where it should be.
Also suspect that the msdos.sys has a line bootgui=0. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[SimonDavis]

My guess would be that you've installed a cranky game or something that has written an autoexec.bat and/or config.sys file (no offense meant there - I meant the game is cranky!).

Try booting up, when you get the command prompt, type

cd\ [enter]

to get to the root of c:, then

ren autoexec.bat autoexec.duf [enter]
ren config.sys config.duf [enter]

And reboot.

Win 98 shouldn't need an autoexec.bat or config.sys, although if what I say is true, whatever naughty game is installed might not work - you may need to make a .pif file to get it going.

Alternatively I might be talking complete rubbish, in which case retype the two commands in reverse (e.g. ren autoexec.duf autoexec.bat) to restore what you had before.