I read operaboy's windows98 crash threads, but I think my problem is a little different. I have the same problem, about a problem loading Explorer.exe, and all, so I did a dir/s Shlwapi, in C: and found nothing, however the when I did a dir/s Explorer.exe, I found that file in C:\WINDOWS. I went form C: to D: and retried the same dir/s's, and I found both files. I think that when I ran out of spcae on drive C:, I copied 10 or 15 folders from inside my computer, pasted them in D drive, and deleted them form c: drive. Next I tried to copy back in DOS (copy D:\windows\system\*.* \s C:\Windows\), and I could not make it work. Please help, I know it was foolish to delete program files from C:, but I think it is still on my computer. (I thought that Operaboy and Danpenny's convesation was the answer at first, but I found my files, unlike Operaboy.)

Next I tried to copy back in DOS (copy D:\windows\system\*.* \s C:\Windows\), and I could not make it work.

What happened? Any error message?

in d: looks like this-D:\>copy D:\windows\system\*.* \s C:\windows\ comes up "too many parameters"

I am not too familiar with DOS myself; just seraching that error however brings up this:

Receive error 'Too many parameters'.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Issue:

Receive error 'Too many parameters'.

Cause:

There is one too many spaces in the command you are typing.

Solution:

Verify that the command you are typing is correct and that you have no additional spaces in the command line.

http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...+parameters%22

Perhaps the space after *.*

D:\>copy D:\windows\system\*.* \s C:\windows\


.

I also searched the error, and found this info, but I have tried it with a space after *.* and without a space, but still too many parameters.

Our '98 and DOS expert Dan Penny has been out with his own computer problems.

At last word he was hoping to be back tomorrow. Hopefully he can assist with this.

Originally Posted by jephree

Our '98 and DOS expert Dan Penny has been out with his own computer problems.

At last word he was hoping to be back tomorrow. Hopefully he can assist with this.

I left off the last forward slash (\) and the copy command worked. After it finished, i restarted and a system.ini was missing, and it said press any key to continue. I pressed a key and another error message came up, and repeated twice, until the last thing it said was reintal windows, or ....., then I hit another key and the computer shut down.

If you're doing this in dos, use the xcopy command. If you're at the C:\> prompt, type in d: and hit Enter. You should now be at D:\> (or whatever directory you were last in on the D:\> drive). If at D:\>, type in cd windows\system. You should now be at d:\windows\system. Here we go...

Type in xcopy *.* c:\windows\system /e/h

If by chance it asks if the destination is a file or a directory, choose directory.

If it doesn't work (you get Bad command or file name), type in set path=c:\windows\command and retry the above xcopy command.

I suggest going through the above metric to ensure all folders and files have been copied back to their proper locations. Then try a clean boot. This may clear up the errors you're now getting.

Post back with your results.

I tried the command typed exactly like this: xcopy *.* c:\windows\system/e/h. ther is a space between copy and *, and * and c:, then it said Bad command or file name. So as youinstructed, I typed set path=c:\windows\command. Then it just wnet back to its d:\windows\system>, where I typed the above command again and it said Invalid switch - - /h
0 File(s) copied.

The following exactly explains the error messages I'm receiving.

When I turn the computer on the bootup scanner runs, it searches for the boot record and starts to boot, but after the emachines screen and the windows 98 blue sky screen it goes to a black screen and says ....."

Cannot find a device file that may be needed to run windows or a windows application.

The windows registry or SYSTEM.INI file refers to this device file, but the device file no longer exists.

If you deleted this file on purpose, try uninstalling the associated application using its uninstall or setup program.

If you still want to use the application associated with this device file, try reinstalling the application to replace the missing file.

C:\WINDOWS\VMM32\IFSMGR.VXD
Press ant key to continue
................................................"

The "/h" tells it to copy hidden and system files. You may be running 98FE, which it's xcopy may not have that switch. (It's been a long time since I was on a 98FE system, so I don't remember.)

98FE or 98SE
The date/time stamp on the majority of system files will be;

98FE = 11/24/1998 8:02 AM

98SE = 4/23/1999 10:22 PM
(c:\command.com and c:\io.sys being two of these files.... At the C:\> prompt type in dir/a/o/p and check the date and time stamps on these two files.)

Navigate to c:\windows\command. Type in xcopy/? and hit Enter. This should provide the command syntax and all the switches for the command. If the /h isn't listed, you could try the command without the "/h".

OR, better yet, in the d:\windows\system directory, type in attrib/s -h -s -r *.* and hit Enter. (Note the spaces between the command, each attrib switch, and the *.*.) This should remove any hidden, system, and read_only attributes from all files in the directory and in all sub-directories, allowing a copy of any hidden or system files. (You may have to perform the "set path=c:\windows\command" again prior to the attrib and xcopy commands.)