My Win 98 SE is not starting up. It hangs after the win 98 splash screen with the error message : 128 ... unknown error (code 5).

I can force a startup in safe mode by hitting F8. I can find no reference to that error code. Even the Dell Tech help could not figure this one out.

Any helpful thoughts will be greatly appreciated.


Jimmy Joe

'Unknown error' generally means "this program has packed up in a way that the programmers hadn't anticipated so there's no proper error message for it and you'll need to re-install the program to stop it occurring".

If you don't know what program it is that's having the problem, then the only solution will probably be to format your C: drive and re-install everything

However, here's something that's worth a go - it'll only take a few minutes.

1. Go to your C: drive in Windows Explorer and right-click on Autoexec.bat and choose Edit from the context menu (if you can't see that file, you need to go to Tools > Options and switch on hidden files). If it asks you what program you want to use, choose Notepad.
2. Go to File > Save As and save the file on the C: drive as Autoexec.DAL
3. In front of every line of text, write REM and add a space
4. Go to File > Save
5. Close Notepad and reboot your PC

Let us know if that helps. If it doesn't, you just need to delete Autoexec.bat and then rename Autoexec.DAL back to Autoexec.BAT

Thanks for the reply. I think I solved my problem. My Virus Scan program must have become corrupted. I realized that Autoexec.bat had a call to run a scan on bootup, and the PAUSE if ERROR occurred. So everything was just hanging. I re-installed the Virus Program and got everything back to normal.

I appreciate you taking the time to reply.

Jimmy Joe

No problem - thanks for the update

please help me...my ibm thinkpad laptop will not start. When I turn it on it looks like it will start then it gets to the windows 98 screen and all of a sudden it goes black and starts all over again. That's as far as it will go.
I have no kind of start up cd or anything, and I'm not very computer savy...
Can you help me? I would really appreciate it!!!

I have tried the f8 key and a screen comes up that says error 00301 and test or restart, I did all that and nothing...
I have also tried the f2, f3 key , every body tells me to try something I have tried it.ha-ha I need your professional help.......please...........