I have a relative who has encountered a blue screen fatal error occurence at OE-015F:00000013. A missing file SYMTDI.VXD is mentioned and I believe this to be a Norton Symantic file. My plan has been to either delete the Norton programme, since she now uses another anti-virus programme, or at least remove reference to this file from within the registry.

My problem is that I cannot start the PC without the fatal error message appearing. I cannot get into Safe Mode without the message appearing. I've tried starting from a Windows 98 startup floppy using various commands at the A:\ prompt. I've tried starting in MS-DOS using various commands at the C:\ prompt.

I did manage to restore a previously successful registry with scanreg /RESTORE, but that hasn't helped to start the PC.

Short of reinstalling the operating system, I am running out of ideas and would very much appreciate some help/ guidance.

Good old Symantec. Another system crash it can put under it's belt.

With a VXD error, about the only thing you can do now is install 98 over itself. ie; A "repair install". This method leaves your personal files/settings intact.

Put the 98 CD in the drive. Boot the machine with a Win98SE Boot Disk* choosing "... with CDROM support".

When you get the A:\> prompt, type in c: and hit enter. (This should bring you to the hard disk ie; C:\> prompt.)

Type in cd progra~1 and hit Enter. You should now be at C:\Progra~1>

Type in dir/a/o/w/p and hit Enter. Look for any directory listing with a name of SYMANTEC or NORTON. (Or any directory you know to be associated with Symantec or Norton. ie; NSW = Norton System Works, etc.)

If found, type in deltree/y symantec and hit Enter, (and the same for a NORTON dir if found).

Type in a: at the command prompt. This should bring you back to the A: drive. Then proceed with the 98 Setup.

Type in setup at the A:\> prompt. Continue with the normal setup prompts, Product Key entry, etc. When it gets to the installation location, redirect the "new" install to C:\WINDOWS and do not let it install to C:\WINDOWS.000.

Post back with your results or further questions/concerns.



*The above bootdisk image file is a self extracting file and has to be executed (run) from a running Windows machine in order to create the actual startup diskette on one of your floppy disks. (This image file produces the same bootdisk which 98SE creates.) This downloaded image file will format the floppy disk to ensure its integrity, write the files to the disk, then verify the file write, so it'll take a minute or three to create the bootdisk.

Ensure the floppy drive is set as the first boot device in the bios.

NOTE: When you boot a machine with this boot floppy, it creates a RAMDRIVE in system memory to contain DOS system tools/drivers. Thus it will move your "normal" CDROM device/drive letter "up" one level. (If your CDROM is normally E: it will be F: when booting with this bootdisk.)

The path to the found CDROM will be set with the bootfiles, so entering A:\>f:\setup is the same as entering A:\>setup at the A:\> prompt. There is no need to include the cdrom drive letter. The CDROM device letter will be assigned near the end of the floppy boot process, right after MSCDEX is loaded.

Hello Dan

Started to try your suggestion, but would you believe that my relative cannot type in the ~ symbol. When she tries to do this she gets the | symbol, which is above the \ and to the left of the Z on the keyboard!

The (~ #) key does not appear to be working - any suggestion to overcome this please.

I gather this isn't a US keyboard/layout.

The directory deletion(s) were to reinforce "not finding Symantec/Norton" on the machine during the registry read/compare activity during setup.

OK, skip the directory deletion for now and just proceed with the "over the top" install.

Hi Dan

No, it's a UK key board, but mine is also and I can get the ~ symbol to work. Funny eh?

I like your idea of suppressing all access to Symantic/Norton during registry read/compare, but without this symbol I guess you're saying we can't do that. Any idea why my relative can't get the ~ symbol if I can?

If she must and she can't and we have to proceed with over the top installation, will she still maintain her personal files, such as photos etc (which I told her to put on cd a long time ago!)?

It could be that her keyboard is incorrectly identified and/or wrong drivers/layout map are being applied.

"With a VXD error, about the only thing you can do now is install 98 over itself. ie; A "repair install". This method leaves your personal files/settings intact.



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Hi Dan

We tried the 'repair install' of Windows 98. At the product key entry point realised we only had the product ID (which includes OEM) and as we now know it wouldn't accept this. Eventually found the key and so was able to proceed.

Unfortunately, one or two things appear to have gone wrong. Outlook Express couldn't be loaded as MSOE.DLL was missing. Think the original 98 disk would tried to have loaded version 5, and version 6 was already on the hard drive. Don't know if this was the problem here. There was also insuffient memory to load internet explorer (?). Memory on the machine os 500Mb. Sounds as if there has been some duplication of loading during the repair install.

I've advised my relative that the only real way of overcoming all the issues we may have to unravel is a clean install, which of course would lose all her personal files, not to mention involve her in a great deal of re-loading work. I said I didn't think this worth doing with an outdated operating system on a PC now over 8 years old. She's making up her mind to spend a little money and purchase a new PC!

Nevertheless, thanks for your interest and contribution.

500 MB of ram is about the max to use for 98. It runs best between 256MB and 512MB. (I used to run mine with 384MB and it ran really well.)

Is the machine now basically running windows?

Is there a CD/DVD burner in the machine? If so, do you have a burner program/software? (ie; Nero, Easy CD Creator (Roxio), etc)

What size is the hard disk?

Is there only one partition? (Drive, ie; C:)

Is it partitioned/formatted as FAT32?

Hi Dan

She can run Windows, but there are things amiss. She's told me for example that her photos are still there, but they are grainy.

There is a CD burner in the machine, but she had loaded a freeware burning programme. I guess that may have now been lost.

The hard disk is 80Gb.

Yes, one partition, C: and yes FAT32

Regards

Grainy display = video drivers

Burner, we'll get one back if required. (Whatever was there, should still be there, reinstalling it should clear this up.)

Outlook Express = We'll get 6.0 once we straighten out the machine.

Memory for IE = we can adjust, and get IE 6.

First, Download, install, and run Everest Home Edition on this machine. (Clean FreeWare) Once it's finished loading and running, click on the Report Wizard in the Menu Bar. Save all hardware related pages (the default) to a HTML file (the default) in a location of your choice. (It will default the location to C:\Program Files\Lavalys\EVEREST Home Edition\Reports.)

Download (and transfer) http://www.d-a-l.com/dan/winzip90.exe to the machine and install it.

Zip the HTML report.

Attach that .zip document to your next posting. (When posting, click on Advanced, and just below the posting box you'll see "Additional Options", and within that, "Attach Files". Click on "Manage Attachments" and follow the prompts. Browse to the file and choose UPLOAD.)