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Windows 98 crashes about half the time on startup

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Experienced Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2021
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117
Location
Staten Island, New York
I have an unusual situation that I can't quite understand. Windows 98 freezes on startup (at the Windows 98 startup logo), but only about half the time. I press reset and it might freeze again, or it might boot up fine. What's incredibly strange is there's no pattern at all. Sometimes If the system is cold and not used for a day or more it'll freeze. Sometimes it'll boot right up. I'd estimate that out of every 100 bootups, it'll freeze 40-60 times.

My only guess is that's it a hardware issue. Bad RAM? My computer is a K6-2.
 
I agree on the bootlog.txt. You could also pull out cards that are not absolutely necessary to boot to see if it's one of them.
 
Sorry I'm late in replying, but I just got home. I will create a bootlog.txt right now and reply again with the results.

As for my system setup, it's a K6-2, 475 MHz, 320mb of RAM and two hard drives (both "real" of that era, no CF cards drives). I enclosed a screen cap of more specs from Speedsys.

IMG_5186.JPEG
 
Ok, attached is my bootlog.txt. Two quick things though:

1) As you will see in the file, I know my CD-ROM isn't loading (that's a problem I'll work on tomorrow). However, even when it was working, I still had the same Windows 98 inconsistent boot problems.

2) I forgot to mention the long pause in loading times, even when it does boot correctly. When the Windows 98 boot screen shows, midway it will stop for roughly 20 seconds. Zero HD activity, light, or noise. Then either it resumes or the freeze is permanent until a reset.
 

Attachments

  • BOOTLOG.TXT
    56.5 KB · Views: 2
Chuck(G) said:
Is this relevant?
Click to expand...

Some differences. I never get to an hourglass when it freezes, just the bootup screen. Here's my end of the bootlog:

Init = Final USER
InitDone = Final USER
Init = Installable Drivers
InitDone = Installable Drivers
Init = TSRQuery
InitDone = TSRQuery
[0003AA4D] Enumerating Standard Floppy Disk Controller (BIOS\*PNP0700\0D)
[0003AA4F] Enumerated Standard Floppy Disk Controller (BIOS\*PNP0700\0D)
[0003AA4F] Enumerating TapeDetection (TAPECONTROLLER\TAPEDETECTION\0000)
[0003AA9F] Enumerated TapeDetection (TAPECONTROLLER\TAPEDETECTION\0000)

Here's what failed:

[0003A5E4] LoadFailed = C:\DOS\OAKCDROM.SYS
[0003A65C] LoadFailed = ndis2sup.vxd
[0003A675] DEVICEINITFAILED = MTRR
[0003A9B1] INITCOMPLETEFAILED = SDVXD
 
If you're running windows, why is there a real-mode CD-ROM driver in your config.sys? The SDVXD message is related to that in that the OAKCDROM.SYS driver is not one that Windows recognizes. The ndis2sup.vxd failure is normal and should not cause a problem.

Have you tried booting into Safe Mode?
 
Chuck(G) said:
If you're running windows, why is there a real-mode CD-ROM driver in your config.sys? The SDVXD message is related to that in that the OAKCDROM.SYS driver is not one that Windows recognizes. The ndis2sup.vxd failure is normal and should not cause a problem.

Have you tried booting into Safe Mode?
Click to expand...

Booting in Safe Mode I believe is the same thing (freezes 40-60% of the time, but I'm not certain; I'll try tonight when I get back).

Not sure why I did that when I wrote the config.sys, I thought it was needed I guess. So just delete the oakcdrom.sys line? Replace it with nothing?

Anyway, I ran Bootlog Analyzer. It's good, it lists the fails and the delays. Here they are:

3:41:19 0.44 Loading Device = C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE
3:41:20 0.56 LoadSuccess = C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE
3:41:20 2.44 Loading Device = C:\DOS\OAKCDROM.SYS
3:41:23 0.39 LoadFailed = C:\DOS\OAKCDROM.SYS
3:41:22 1.06 LoadSuccess = C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS
3:41:23 5.06 C:\DOS\MOUSE.COM[0003A5EF] starting
3:41:28 0.89 Loading Vxd = vnetsup.vxd
3:41:29 0.00 LoadFailed = ndis2sup.vxd
3:41:31 0.00 DEVICEINITFAILED = MTRR
3:41:33 0.33 Enumerating ATI 3D Rage Pro (atir3) (PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4744&SUBSYS_00801002&REV_5C\0008 00)
3:41:34 0.33 Loading PNP drivers of Intel PC Camera Pro (USB\VID_0733&PID_0430\INST_0)
3:41:34 0.39 Starting Intel PC Camera Pro (USB\VID_0733&PID_0430\INST_0)
3:41:37 0.83 Starting PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port (BIOS\*PNP0F13\0A)
3:41:38 7.56 Started Intel(R) PRO/100B PCI Adapter (TX) (PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1229&SUBSYS_00018086&REV_02\BUS_ 00&DEV_09&FUNC_00)
3:41:46 27.28 Starting TCP/IP (NETWORK\MSTCP\0002)
3:42:14 0.39 Initing esdi_506.pdr
3:42:15 1.44 Initing drvwq117.vxd
3:42:16 0.28 Init Success drvwq117.vxd
3:42:17 0.00 INITCOMPLETEFAILED = SDVXD
3:42:17 0.28 Dynamic load success C:\WINDOWS\system\serial.vxd
3:42:18 0.28 Initing drvwppqt.vxd
3:42:19 0.28 Dynamic load success dsound.vxd
3:42:19 6.17 InitDone = TSRQuery (time estimated)
3:42:25 4.44 Enumerating TapeDetection (TAPECONTROLLER\TAPEDETECTION\0000)
 
I wonder if the tape detection (was notoriously buggy on some systems) is what's doing you in. You can try this (only involves file renaming, so you can rename them back if you need to):

Rename these files in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\IOSUBSYS

drvwq117.vxd Drvwppqt.vxd Drvwcdb.vxd

For example, change the vxd extension to old

Drvwq117.old
Drvwppqt.old
Drvwcdb.old
 
Chuck(G) said:
I wonder if the tape detection (was notoriously buggy on some systems) is what's doing you in. You can try this (only involves file renaming, so you can rename them back if you need to):

Rename these files in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\IOSUBSYS

drvwq117.vxd Drvwppqt.vxd Drvwcdb.vxd

For example, change the vxd extension to old

Drvwq117.old
Drvwppqt.old
Drvwcdb.old
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, that didn't do anything, as it froze the first two times after resetting. Even when it worked, there is still that long 25 second pause with zero HD activity. Here is my autoexec.bat and config.sys. I will take out the oakcdrom.sys line tonight. If you see anything weird, please let me know. A friend helped me with these, no idea if he was wrong or not. Also, my two hard drives are C and D. My card reader USB is drive E. I wanted my CD-ROM to be drive F.

AUTOEXEX.BAT

@ECHO OFF
PATH=C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND;C:\DOS
rem - By Windows Setup - LH C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001
SET CTCM=C:\WINDOWS
SET SOUND=C:\PROGRA~1\CREATIVE\CTSND
SET MIDI=SYNTH:1 MAP:E MODE:0
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 E620 T6
LH MOUSE

CONFIG.SYS

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DOS=HIGH,UMB
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\ANSI.SYS
DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE AUTO RAM
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
LASTDRIVE=F
 
There's something funny going on--I ran 98SE on a K6-2 (ASUS) board for years with no problems. Like a lot of Win9x problems, the solution is to isolate and conquer--and yes, you could have flaky memory.
 
I seem to recall similar problems with boot up halting for a minute or so on Windows 95. I can't quite remember what the exact issue was, but I am fairly sure it was some resource conflict. A resource conflict could easily cause random crashing/freezing too.

I think what needs to happen here is to reduce the machine to the simplest possible configuration. Put in a lower end generic PCI video card, basically only have that and one hard drive hooked up, disable all unneeded optional hardware in the boards BIOS setup. Might have to restart with a minimal fresh install of Windows. Then slowly add things back and see when issues arise.
 
Thanks guys. While I didn't get too much done today because I was working on a 386, I at least got the CD-ROM properly working and removed the OAKCDROM.SYS line. Still freezes sometimes, and always has that long pause. Next time it does I'll create a new BOOTLOG.TXT.

SomeGuy, I will take your advice and do that. I may not get to it until my day off Friday, but I will do it. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to re-install, but I will if necessary.
 
The try basic system and different cards can work. Perhaps try a different video card. I once had a failing video card that worked most of the time, but would freeze the system maybe 20-25% of the time. Boot would take forever even when it was "working". I tried just about all software things I could think of until one day I pulled the video card and the mobo could be heard booting the drives time after time. Put a different card in and problem went away.
 
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