Last night i went to bed and left my computer on downloading somethings, i wake up this morning and find out that my computer is not working.

I get the message, "Cannot Find IFSHLP.SYS, the file is either missing or corrupt" something like that anyways when i try to reboot my computer. It even says that when i try to boot in safe mode.

I tried making a bootdisk, but that didnt seem to do anything, the onlything i've got it doing now is this message, "The following file is either missing or corrupted: C:\windows\system\vmm32.vxd Type in the name of the windows loader eg. "C:\windows\system\vmm32.vxd"
C>"

I have windows ME on that computer, ive been searching the net for answers and i havent found much. Please please help, this has been a shitty couple of weeks for me, and i hope to god i dont loose everything on my harddrive.

If you have really important data on that hard drive and you canīt access it because your system doesnīt load up, I recommend getting a second hard drive and making a fresh Windows install on it and then using it to boot up your computer. I have 2 hard drives in mine and each has an OS, if one goes fubar, I can switch the bootup sequence and have still a working puter and OS. The next step would be looking for missing files on the net trying to fix the problems that way. You can also extract the files seperatly by using "sfc" (without the quotes) in the Run Program menu option. Iīve had problems with lost or missing files before, and while they can have multiple reasons (viruses, bad crashes, damaged hard drive sectors, user mistakes etc), the most common procedure is to copy the 2 (or more) missing files to the necessary folders.

Good luck
Karl

I dont have REALLY important things on tehre, just movies that took me DAYS to download, and liek 5000 mp3's. Those are the things i dont want to have to get all over again. I was hoping there would be a way to fix this without spending money, i wouldnt consider myself computer illiterate, but im lost on this one.

Im not sure what you mean, by run programs menu option, because if your talking about the one in teh start menu, i cant even get windows to boot.

2k3thou said:
If you have really important data on that hard drive and you canīt access it because your system doesnīt load up, I recommend getting a second hard drive and making a fresh Windows install on it and then using it to boot up your computer. I have 2 hard drives in mine and each has an OS, if one goes fubar, I can switch the bootup sequence and have still a working puter and OS. The next step would be looking for missing files on the net trying to fix the problems that way. You can also extract the files seperatly by using "sfc" (without the quotes) in the Run Program menu option. Iīve had problems with lost or missing files before, and while they can have multiple reasons (viruses, bad crashes, damaged hard drive sectors, user mistakes etc), the most common procedure is to copy the 2 (or more) missing files to the necessary folders.

Good luck
Karl



If you could kinda walk me through that, sorta step by step id appreciate it, because im not sure i know how to do that through DOS, actually, i cant even get to the right DOS prompt, this one will only let me type in teh directory for the windows loader, and it wont let me do anything else, i found on the internet to try to put in the boot disk and get it on A drive, then try, "copy *.*C:\", but i cant even get to a prompt to do that

LowItalian said:
I dont have REALLY important things on tehre, just movies that took me DAYS to download, and liek 5000 mp3's. Those are the things i dont want to have to get all over again. I was hoping there would be a way to fix this without spending money, i wouldnt consider myself computer illiterate, but im lost on this one.

Im not sure what you mean, by run programs menu option, because if your talking about the one in teh start menu, i cant even get windows to boot.



Of course you donīt have to spend any money to fix the problem. I usually recommend what I did above because it is a good insurance on possible future problems since you are always able to "switch" to a backup OS. But anyway, in your case, if you donīt want to spend any money, I would just re-install WindowsME into the same folder as you had b4 and youīll end up with a working system in most cases and you even keep a lot of settings and none of your downloads and MP3 will be touched.

In case it is NOT working, you need to re-install WindowsME into an all new folder or delete the non-working WindowsMe folder/s while being in DOS.

The WindowsME CD should also be a bootable CD, very useful if you canīt access your CD/DVD drive because of missing drivers, a common problem, all you need to do is to switch your CD drive as first bootup or primary bootup drive in your BIOS.

If you need specific step by step help, I can guide you thru it or at least try.

P.S: Yes I meant the one in the start menu, but it was more meant as a general advice on a way to get missing system files beside looking for them online.

Well this brings up my next problem, i dont have any of the software that came with my computer, my computer is liek 5 yrs old now, ive moved in and out of college dorm rooms, back home, and now on my own, somewhere in between its all been lost. I found a site on the internet that suggests, i just find a computer that runs Windows ME, and copy the two files im missing (ifshlp.sys, and vmm32.vxd) onto a floppy. Then, reboot computer with bootdisk in, when i get to dos prompt, insert the floppy with the two missing files, then copy them into the directory on my harddrive where they should go. The problem is, i dont know anyone else with ME that i can think of. And if i do find those files and get them on floppy disks, i dont know how to copy them onto my harddrive.

So any suggestions from here?

Ok, i found the files on this page, http://drd.dyndns.org/index2.html ,
I'm retarded, they fit on a floppy disk. SO how do i put them where they need to go?

LowItalian said:
Well this brings up my next problem, i dont have any of the software that came with my computer, my computer is liek 5 yrs old now, ive moved in and out of college dorm rooms, back home, and now on my own, somewhere in between its all been lost. I found a site on the internet that suggests, i just find a computer that runs Windows ME, and copy the two files im missing (ifshlp.sys, and vmm32.vxd) onto a floppy. Then, reboot computer with bootdisk in, when i get to dos prompt, insert the floppy with the two missing files, then copy them into the directory on my harddrive where they should go. The problem is, i dont know anyone else with ME that i can think of. And if i do find those files and get them on floppy disks, i dont know how to copy them onto my harddrive.
So any suggestions from here?



I have the two missing files, but I have Windows98 (and Windows 2000 Professional), but no ME, however, it might be worth a try to use them especially if the ones in your system are gone. Copying the files is easy though:
After the re-boot with the bootdisk you should be in the DOS prompt showing "A:" or "B:", obviously, the target drive is in your hard drive (C:)
command to copy the first file: (always without quotes)
"copy ifshlp.sys c:\windowsme" (or winme, bascially whatever you named it)
and for the 2nd file
"copy vmm32.vxd c:\windowsme\system"

Obviously for that to work, your hard drive still has be to functional.

Its late over here, so I am not 100% sure if you can access your hard drive (c:), but here are a few basic commands while being in DOS

"dir /p" is showing you the full list of files and folders in the current drive/folder where you are located, "dir/s/p" is showing you all files in all folders and subfolders of your current drive
to move into a folder you need to type "cd NAMEOFFOLDER"
to exit it, you type "cd.."

These are the only DOS commands you need to know to find the missing files just in case they arenīt in the folder I told you above.

Alright, now i have those two files on floppy disk, but the dos prompt i am at wont let me do anything. all it wants is the name of the windows loader and gives me this "C>"

so how do i get to a DOS prompt that i can just do whatever i want to do?

LowItalian said:
Alright, now i have those two files on floppy disk, but the dos prompt i am at wont let me do anything. all it wants is the name of the windows loader and gives me this "C>"
so how do i get to a DOS prompt that i can just do whatever i want to do?



THat one thing confuses me, if you boot with the bootdisk, you should be already in the DOS prompt, showing either a:\> OR b:\> (let me know if it doesnīt) ..... with the command "c:" you can switch to your hard drive, NOW if this DOESNīT WORK, if it says something like "drive unknown" or some similar error message, your hard drive has a corrupt master boot sector, or something else is damaged.... it can be still repaired and the data saved but you would definitly need to plug it into a computer with a working OS to fix the problem. The program "scandisk.exe" (which you could copy to your bootdisk) can fix sectors too, but no masterboot ones, as far as I remember.

Oh.... sorry its late over here, but if it already shows c:\> you can use the command "a:" or "b:" to get to your floppy disk and the files you want to copy and use the copy commands above.

I'm trying to reboot computer now, it takes liek 20 min to reboot now, even with bootdisk in, it trys to load windows, then i get the option to start in safemode, step by step confirmation and a few otehr things, there are 4 options i cant remember off the top of my head. I'll edit this post when it boots up. But last time i was in DOS before i tried to reboot, it wouldnt let me change drives from C, it did try and read the A drive when i put that in the command prompt, but it seemed the only thing it wanted was the windows loader location, i couldnt seem to get it to do anything else.

By the way i really appreciate you takign the time to help me out here.

LowItalian said:
I'm trying to reboot computer now, it takes liek 20 min to reboot now, even with bootdisk in, it trys to load windows, then i get the option to start in safemode, step by step confirmation and a few otehr things, there are 4 options i cant remember off the top of my head. I'll edit this post when it boots up. But last time i was in DOS before i tried to reboot, it wouldnt let me change drives from C, it did try and read the A drive when i put that in the command prompt, but it seemed the only thing it wanted was the windows loader location, i couldnt seem to get it to do anything else.

By the way i really appreciate you takign the time to help me out here.



Hmmm ok if it wants to load windows, it is at least a sign that your hard drive is still accessable and works. To abort and cancel the windows loader, you need to press F8 (or CTRL+F8) right after the memory count/IDEdrive list (just keep hitting the key a few times until the menu pops up). If you do that it will either bring you straight to the DOS prompt OR give you a DOS menu with several options to choose from, one of them being to go to DOS prompt.

Sometimes floppy bootdisks are ignored if the primary boot device is the hard drive and has still has a working master boot sector. Which is extremely annoying if the windows loader reaches the missing file and STOPS or frezzes the process so far that it doesnīt even cancel it back to the DOS prompt. In that case you definitly would not come around to adjust the BIOS settings and change the bootdrive priority list (put your floppy drive in first place instead of the hard drive).

I am glad if I can help you some. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I am pretty out of shape since I havenīt done this in a long time.

Ok, i rebooted again, checked the boot sequence, and the floppy disk was first. This time when i tried to boot windows it told me to remove my bootdisk.

Also, it wanted to restart windows in normal mode, which is weird, why it would even ask me that....... anyways i still cant get to a dos prompt to save my life, im pressing F8, shift F8, and ctrl F8, after Bios loads, during bios load, during the windows start up splash screen, in this blank black screen that likes to pop up all the time....

It's kind of aggrevating to reboot because it takes soooooooooooo long for my computer to restart now, but at least im making progress.

Windows tells you to remove the bootdisk if it is starting in normal mode, because it thinks that everything is okay and you donīt need it. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif Every 2nd or 3rd bootup, depending on where it stopped, it switches back to "normal" mode although it shouldnīt.

I am trying to look online if its not the "F8" (or CTRL F8) key with WinME (it is with 98 and 2000), I canīt imagine that they changed those for WinME. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif I keep on pressing the keys several times after the IDE drives check until I see anything Windows related on the screen, and that usually is the sweet spot for the menu (that you need) to show up. Its not easy to describe exactly when to press it, especially since I have no experience with WinME.

I just found a great site, http://www.bootdisk.com/ it has also a lot more info than just bootdisks, also about recovering the system, etc. I donīt know how much longer I can stay online for today, because I am http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/sleep.gif

Well dont stay up for me man, ill figure it out eventually, i jsut cracked a beer, i need to take off the edge so i might be quitting for the night myself.

Ive been on that site all night (bootdisk.com), its a great site.

Eventually ill get to the bottom of this, if there is a way to fix it that is.

As for right now i think im gonna take a break for the nigbht myself.

It says all the files i have are still on the C drive which is a good sign, but now it says that i have an invalid COMMAND.COM

what to do now

LowItalian said:
It says all the files i have are still on the C drive which is a good sign, but now it says that i have an invalid COMMAND.COM
what to do now



Well, every bootdisk has a "command.com" file, and as long as this bootdisk is compartable or done for WindowsME, you can simply copy it from your bootdisk to your main root directory of your hard drive, BUT it is important that it is a command.com from the right system, I think there are differences, my command.com (from Win98) is 96.370 bytes in size.

Any files like command.com, msdos.sys, io.sys, are sensitive files, if they are deleted or damanged, it is almost impossible to save the system (not necessarly the data) IF you donīt have a Windows CD or 2nd hard drive/computer with a working OS.

I really start to think that you might have had a virus.... did you have an updated anti-virus program?

Well, i dont doubt it, i was hacked a long time ago from someone on a MMORPG i used to play, ultima online. Anyweays it put a nasty backdoor virus on my computer. Ive update Norton, ran almost every free virus protection/trojan software on download.com. The best i could find that you could update for free is the FProt Dos version, that found virus's when norton didnt find anything. I regularly use Adaware, and i update it probably once a week. So i'd bet it was a virus.

Anyways, the step im at now.

I was retarded, and i was just putting the extractable file on the floppy disk thinking it was the bootdisk, but i had to run that and create a bootdisk.

I can get in my comp and navigate around using cd, dir commands. There seems to be some problem in my Windows dir, because it never finishes reading through that.

Here read this link on another forum, this is me and some tech guy talkign about it.

http://www.cybertechhelp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=216705#post216705

any help from here?


on a side note, i did read somewhere that there was a virus that if you did not update to the most current version of windows ME, there was a virus that you didnt have to download or anything, it just ran and deleted files in you windows folder. I do know i havent ran any of the windows updates in ages, so that could be

I checked the links incl. the one on the microsoft site, and I have a feeling that it wonīt be easy to solve this problems without a WinME restore disk. Did you try the command "sys c:" while being on your floppy/bootdisk.... I think you did it once while being still on your hard drive, right?

If you canīt get a restore disk (I could swear I saw a site that had those, similar like bootdisk.com, so I am looking for it again!), you can try this:

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kbase/W...BootRecord.html (http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kbase/WindowsTips/WindowsNT/AdminTips/Miscellaneous/RewriteMasterBootRecord.html)

Thats a pretty cool and informative site too.

that sys c: think doesnt do anything. Now im getting error msgs saying cannot read drive C. But it only seems to have this problem in teh windows directory, i think i might have to find a windows ME CD, i just dont know where to get one, and id rather not spend the money to buy one, i know OS's arent cheap at the store.


This is by far the most aggrevating computer problem ive ever had. It's so hard to not just give up.

The sys command rewrites command.com msdos.sys and io.sys files, if I am not totally mistaken. Since you canīt read your windows directory, it seems like your MBR is indeed damaged or the file allocation table, where the "tree" of your whole hard drive is stored. But re-writing the MBR is dangerous and should be the last option if the Win restore disk doesnīt solve it.

If my Windows CDs werenīt german only, I would just send it to you so you could fix your system, but I also can download an english Win OS from a bit torrent site burn it on a CD and send it to you, but obviously it would take at least a week to reach you.

This is an "after market" restore tool/disk, that supports WinME:
http://www.getsomesoft.com/Utilities/Disk-Utilities/9085-Acronis-Recovery-Expert.html

and this is also interesting
http://www.runtime.org/

Well thats awesome, im gonna try and follow the guys advice from that other site, i just cant get it working. So what are those two links exactly? Like pirated versions of windows?

He suggests doing the sys C:, but for some reason i cant get that to work, it says bad filename or command

i also cant get his latest suggestions to work either,

typing in:

C:\>attrib -s -h -r msdos.sys

he then suggested

A:\>attrib -s -h -r C:\msdos.sys

both are coming up bad command or filename

The two links are for commercial programs with restore functions, you can download trial versions on those sites.

Well for the "sys" command to work you need to have the "sys.com" on your bootdisk, if it isnīt there, this command canīt work. Just run dir to check if it is on the disk.

And if you just type "attrib"? all my attrib.exe files are within the windows directory, and since you canīt access that directory, attrib canīt work unless you have it on your bootdisk.

that would explain it, that file isnt on the bootdisk........

Well i can see some of the files when i type dir in the windows directory, but towards the end it says error reading drive.

2k3thou said:
The sys command rewrites command.com msdos.sys and io.sys files, if I am not totally mistaken. Since you canīt read your windows directory, it seems like your MBR is indeed damaged or the file allocation table, where the "tree" of your whole hard drive is stored. But re-writing the MBR is dangerous and should be the last option if the Win restore disk doesnīt solve it.

If my Windows CDs werenīt german only, I would just send it to you so you could fix your system, but I also can download an english Win OS from a bit torrent site burn it on a CD and send it to you, but obviously it would take at least a week to reach you.

This is an "after market" restore tool/disk, that supports WinME:
http://www.getsomesoft.com/Utilities/Disk-Utilities/9085-Acronis-Recovery-Expert.html

and this is also interesting
http://www.runtime.org/



Does that first program you listed work if you cant get your computer to boot up? i read it briefly and it seems liek i need to install it, which i dont know how to do after my computer is already crashed.

WINME startup disk, the sys.com file will be in the compressed ebd.cab file on the startup floppy disk. The files in the ebd.cab file are expanded to the RAMDRIVE when you boot from the startup floppy disk.

so i guess i do have it