Windows Not Starting...

[bluenoser337]

Windows 98SE won't start. System goes all through the motions displaying the WIndows 98 start screen but then goes blank with non-flashing cursor in upper left corner of screen. Pressing enough keys eventually brings up "An internal stack overflow has caused this session to be halted...Change the STACKS setting in your config.sys file, and then try again". My config.sys file is empty. Windows will start in safe mode but I can't find the problem. Virus, maybe?

 

[bluenoser337]

By the way...it's an IBM Aptiva and the System Recovery CD will not work as described in the manual...boots up on CD but doesn't give menu choices for diagnostics. HHEELLPP

 

[Kionysus]

When your computer starts up...start hitting the F8 key and eventually you'll get an option screen where you can select from a few different options. Choose the one that lets you load windows command by command (or it says something like that). Then you can watch as it goes through command-by-command till it crashes. At that point an error log will be created either in the C: or in the Windows directory. You will be able to see if you just have a bad driver or what the hell happened.

Your system recovery CD should only reinstall the OS as it came when you first got the computer...take it back to default. There shouldn't be any diagnostic utilities. Stick the CD in and let it reload windows, and you won't have any problems but it may reformat your harddrive.

 

[encata]

Are you running NORTON ANtivirus? If so start in safe mode and uninstall it. Why you worry? Life is too short to worry.

 

[bluenoser337]

Kionysus...Thanks but I've tried the step-by-step thing many times and everything goes okay until Windows actually tries starting (the desktop step). The IBM "recovery and diagnostics" disk does have a diagnostic utility that is supposed to start when inserted and the system is restarted but it neither does that nor tries to do the recovery process??!!
Encata...Thanks but no antivirus running??!!

 

[Accessdabbler]

I'm not sure if this works in Safe Mode but can you boot to Safe Mode and run SFC? Go to Start > Run and type SFC.

Also, what has changed in the last few days?

 

[bluenoser337]

Accessdabbler...Thanks...but already tried that

 

[Accessdabbler]

You didn't mention what's changed recently.

Anyway, you can try removing all your devices except for HDD, Memory and Video card. Boot into Safe Mode and remove all other devices from device manager.

Reboot to Win98. If you get a clean boot, shutdown and add back another component and boot again. Keep doing this until all your hardware has been reinstalled.

Before you do all this though, go to MSCONFIG and turn off unnecessary programs from running during startup.

 

[bluenoser337]

Accessdabbler...sorry, I didn't answer completely. That's one big problem I am having...I don't know what has changed on this computer recently (not my system). I think I am ready to try what you say. BTW - I notice that the last messages before Windows trys to start refer to the sound card...and something about "TSR". Thanks!

 

[Accessdabbler]

Make sure the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files are renamed to Autoexec.old and Config.old. Win98 doesn't need these files to boot.

You may have a really old sound card in there with listing in config.sys or autoexec.bat causing problems.

 

[mainegeek]

Try adding this to the config.sys file

STACKS=64,512
FILES=60
BUFFERS=40