98SE Error loading lmouse.drv. You must reinstall Windows

[mikesphat]

The Windows install is about 2 years old and the mouse rarely registers. I did have it where I could let it set there and "warm up" for about half a day then on the next restart it would acknowledge the mouse. It hasn't been doing that for a few days now so I thought I'd try un/reinstalling the drivers. I tried the cd that came with my mouse but it didnt work. So I tried finding the correct ones in Windows...thought I did but then on next boot it says something to the effect that it couldnt find or load lmouse.vxd. Guess I'm not too handy using just the keyboard.

So I Google search about it and find a site that has it for download: http://www.dynamiclink.nl/ So I put it on a floppy from this machine and paste it in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM. I reboot ...dont get that error anymore but now it says, "Error loading lmouse.drv. You must reinstall Windows". Did a Google for it but can't come up with anything that makes sense to me. Well I did find the file lmouse.drv at driverguide but I don't know where I should put it this time. In the same C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM perhaps?

The mouse is a Logitech Mouseman Wheel USB using PS/2 adapter which I've always used. I've tried putting it in the USB but I couldnt get it to work(b4 these errors but during the "warm up" periods). Win98SE, PIII-650, and DFI P2XBL Rev. DE+ mobo.

I've got a few things I'd like to backup which I guess you cant do in safemode right cuz I can get there? I'd like to avoid reinstalling Windows ATM

thx for your time

 

[imported_Phil]

Try this:

Get the Win98 startup menu up at boot by hitting F8 a few times. Choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only. Type "scanreg /restore" and choose a registry backup that's a few days old. Hit Enter to restore that backup of the registry, and then you'll be prompted to restart.

That should get Windows back and running, and you might want to get the latest Mouseware drivers from Logitech or remove the mouse from Device Manager in Safe Mode and reboot to let Win98 redetect it.

 

[mikesphat]

Just tried 2 from 3/31/04 and then I think 4/1/04. They both failed Hope I didnt try too old. And can I try them all?

 

[imported_Phil]

Yeah, go ahead, you won't lost any data

 

[Slikkster]

I'll bet you can get into Safe Mode Ok, so try that. As your computer is posting, keep tapping the F8 key. You want to be tapping F8 the moment is says "Starting Windows 98" or whatever that message is (been a long time!). Use your arrow keys to select "Safe Mode" from the menu.

This should bring you to Windows 98 Safe Mode, and chances are the mouse will work just fine here.

Click OK to get rid of the message that you are operating in safe mode, etc.

Now, click the Start Button. Click the Run menu item. When the Run box comes up, type in (without quotation marks)
"sysedit".

You should get a cascading menu of 4 windows. In the foreground should be Autoexec.bat. Right under that is Config.sys. Right under that is Win.ini. And lastly, System.ini.

Now, first look at your autoexec.bat file closely. Do you see ANY reference to "lmouse"? If you do, put the word "REM" followed by a space in front of that line.

For example, you might see a line that says (and I'm making this up; don't expect to see this line):

Set lmouse=lmouse.drv

To edit this, make it look like this:

REM Set lmouse=lmouse.drv

Put the REM in front of any entry with lmouse in it in the Autoexec.bat file. (and note that I'm only talking about the autoexec.bat file right now. Don't do this for the other files yet.

If you don't see any lmouse entries in autoexec.bat, fine. Click the X on the autoexec.bat window to close it, or minimize it. Make sure you don't click the X on the entire sysedit window, as that will close all 4 sub windows.

Look at config.sys. See any entries there about lmouse or mouse?
If so, put an REM in front of that line.

For example, you might see something like:

device=c:\windows\system\lmouse.drv

Edit it by typing in an REM, so it shows:

REM device=c:\windows\system\lmouse.drv

Always make sure there is a space between REM and any word that follows.

No lmouse or mouse entries in config.sys? Then close that window or minimize it.

Now, take a look at the Win.ini file. This could be a pretty lengthy file. Particularly, though, look at the
line(s) that say "Load=" and "Run=" near the top of the file.

If you see any reference to lmouse in either of those two lines, put an REM in front of those lines for now like before.
If they are loading other programs that don't reference lmouse, leave them alone. Click the X to close the win.ini window, or minimize it.

Note: when you click the X on these windows to close them, if you've made any changes to the files you'll be prompted to save your changes. Of course, you want to save them so click OK to that prompt.

Now, move to System.ini. Here's where I think you'll get a quick fix to your problem, unless lmouse has appeared elsewhere in those other files.

In System.ini, you'll see lots of groups of info.

At the very top of the file it should say:

[Boot]

followed by other entries below that.

One of those entries will be labeled "mouse.drv=lmouse.drv" (at least I'm betting it says that).

Ok, on this line, remove the "l" from lmouse.drv, so the line reads:

mouse.drv=mouse.drv

This will load a standard Microsoft mouse driver. If you're able to boot into Safe mode, this is what's "driving" your mouse right now.

Almost done, but a couple of other things to change in the system.ini file.

Scroll down if necessary and look at the section labeled "[386Enh]".

You'll see a line there labeled "mouse=blahblahblah" (whatever mouse= on your system)

Change that line so it reads this exactly:

mouse=*vmouse, msmouse.vxd

Ok?

One more thing to change. Look at the [boot.description] section.

You'll see a "mouse=blahblahblah" entry. Change it so it reads:

mouse.drv=Standard mouse

Now, click the X to close this file. You'll be prompted to save your changes. SAVE THEM!

The beauty of using sysedit to edit these files is that for every edit you make, sysedit makes
a backup of your previous file with an .syd extension.

So, if you change autoexec.bat, sysedit will backup your original by creating a file named autoexec.syd, etc.

But, it will always overwrite the previous .syd file. So, in other words, if you already have a backup named
autoexec.syd and you go ahead and re-edit autoexec.bat, it will overwrite your original autoexec.syd backup.

Anyway, that's just an aside, but a good reason to use sysedit to edit these system files.

Now, you're done editing all the files.

Close Sysedit. Go ahead and click the Start Button, then Shutdown, and then choose Restart Windows.

See if all is well. Good luck.

 

[mikesphat]

Oh when I said, "I've got a few things I'd like to backup which I guess you cant do in safemode right cuz I can get there?". I was asking if I could operate my cd burner in safe mode if all hope was lost.

Yeau it put me in safe mode when these errors cut my boot up short... I wasnt able to use my mouse in safe mode either.

So should I still go through with all this Slikkster?

 

[Slikkster]

Yes, go through it. It will be more tedious without a mouse. Use your Tab keys to move around. Alt-F4 will be the equivalent of clicking an X to close a window.


Make sure your mouse is in the ps/2 port, not usb. Only switch the mouse when the power is off (to/from ps/2 port).

Do you have any other mouse to check this with?

Print out this keyboard shortcut list so you can navigate without a mouse:

Windows System Key Combinations

F1: Help
CTRL+ESC: Open Start menu
ALT+TAB: Switch between open programs
ALT+F4: Quit program
SHIFT+DELETE: Delete item permanently
Windows Program Key Combinations
CTRL+C: Copy
CTRL+X: Cut
CTRL+V: Paste
CTRL+Z: Undo
CTRL+B: Bold
CTRL+U: Underline
CTRL+I: Italic
Mouse Click/Keyboard Modifier Combinations for Shell Objects
SHIFT+right click: Displays a shortcut menu containing alternative commands
SHIFT+double click: Runs the alternate default command (the second item on the menu)
ALT+double click: Displays properties
SHIFT+DELETE: Deletes an item immediately without placing it in the Recycle Bin
General Keyboard-Only Commands
F1: Starts Windows Help
F10: Activates menu bar options
SHIFT+F10 Opens a shortcut menu for the selected item (this is the same as right-clicking an object
CTRL+ESC: Opens the Start menu (use the ARROW keys to select an item)
CTRL+ESC or ESC: Selects the Start button (press TAB to select the taskbar, or press SHIFT+F10 for a context menu)
ALT+DOWN ARROW: Opens a drop-down list box
ALT+TAB: Switch to another running program (hold down the ALT key and then press the TAB key to view the task-switching window)
SHIFT: Press and hold down the SHIFT key while you insert a CD-ROM to bypass the automatic-run feature
ALT+SPACE: Displays the main window's System menu (from the System menu, you can restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the window)
ALT+- (ALT+hyphen): Displays the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) child window's System menu (from the MDI child window's System menu, you can restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the child window)
CTRL+TAB: Switch to the next child window of a Multiple Document Interface (MDI) program
ALT+underlined letter in menu: Opens the menu
ALT+F4: Closes the current window
CTRL+F4: Closes the current Multiple Document Interface (MDI) window
ALT+F6: Switch between multiple windows in the same program (for example, when the Notepad Find dialog box is displayed, ALT+F6 switches between the Find dialog box and the main Notepad window)
Shell Objects and General Folder/Windows Explorer Shortcuts
For a selected object:
F2: Rename object
F3: Find all files
CTRL+X: Cut
CTRL+C: Copy
CTRL+V: Paste
SHIFT+DELETE: Delete selection immediately, without moving the item to the Recycle Bin
ALT+ENTER: Open the properties for the selected object
To Copy a File
Press and hold down the CTRL key while you drag the file to another folder.
To Create a Shortcut
Press and hold down CTRL+SHIFT while you drag a file to the desktop or a folder.
General Folder/Shortcut Control
F4: Selects the Go To A Different Folder box and moves down the entries in the box (if the toolbar is active in Windows Explorer)
F5: Refreshes the current window.
F6: Moves among panes in Windows Explorer
CTRL+G: Opens the Go To Folder tool (in Windows 95 Windows Explorer only)
CTRL+Z: Undo the last command
CTRL+A: Select all the items in the current window
BACKSPACE: Switch to the parent folder
SHIFT+click+Close button: For folders, close the current folder plus all parent folders
Windows Explorer Tree Control
Numeric Keypad *: Expands everything under the current selection
Numeric Keypad +: Expands the current selection
Numeric Keypad -: Collapses the current selection.
RIGHT ARROW: Expands the current selection if it is not expanded, otherwise goes to the first child
LEFT ARROW: Collapses the current selection if it is expanded, otherwise goes to the parent
Properties Control
CTRL+TAB/CTRL+SHIFT+TAB: Move through the property tabs
Accessibility Shortcuts
Press SHIFT five times: Toggles StickyKeys on and off
Press down and hold the right SHIFT key for eight seconds: Toggles FilterKeys on and off
Press down and hold the NUM LOCK key for five seconds: Toggles ToggleKeys on and off
Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK: Toggles MouseKeys on and off
Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN: Toggles high contrast on and off
Microsoft Natural Keyboard Keys
Windows Logo: Start menu
Windows Logo+R: Run dialog box
Windows Logo+M: Minimize all
SHIFT+Windows Logo+M: Undo minimize all
Windows Logo+F1: Help
Windows Logo+E: Windows Explorer
Windows Logo+F: Find files or folders
Windows Logo+D: Minimizes all open windows and displays the desktop
CTRL+Windows Logo+F: Find computer
CTRL+Windows Logo+TAB: Moves focus from Start, to the Quick Launch toolbar, to the system tray (use RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW to move focus to items on the Quick Launch toolbar and the system tray)
Windows Logo+TAB: Cycle through taskbar buttons
Windows Logo+Break: System Properties dialog box
Application key: Displays a shortcut menu for the selected item
Microsoft Natural Keyboard with IntelliType Software Installed
Windows Logo+L: Log off Windows
Windows Logo+P: Starts Print Manager
Windows Logo+C: Opens Control Panel
Windows Logo+V: Starts Clipboard
Windows Logo+K: Opens Keyboard Properties dialog box
Windows Logo+I: Opens Mouse Properties dialog box
Windows Logo+A: Starts Accessibility Options (if installed)
Windows Logo+SPACEBAR: Displays the list of Microsoft IntelliType shortcut keys
Windows Logo+S: Toggles CAPS LOCK on and off
Dialog Box Keyboard Commands
TAB: Move to the next control in the dialog box
SHIFT+TAB: Move to the previous control in the dialog box
SPACEBAR: If the current control is a button, this clicks the button. If the current control is a check box, this toggles the check box. If the current control is an option, this selects the option.
ENTER: Equivalent to clicking the selected button (the button with the outline)
ESC: Equivalent to clicking the Cancel button
ALT+underlined letter in dialog box item: Move to the corresponding item

 

[mikesphat]

I see also in the system.ini. under [boot.description]

mouse.drv=Logitech Mouse

(also display.drv=NVIDIA RIVA TNT; I upgraded to geforce 2 ages ago tha heck)

Should I alter this mouse.drv in anway? All I've changed so far is, "Ok, on this line, remove the "l" from lmouse.drv, so the line reads:

mouse.drv=mouse.drv"



And I believe the autoexec and config were completely empty.

EDIT: okay I read a little further and understood.

welp I saved it all and I was able to boot!!! Mouse still didnt register though. Is it ok that I left the lmouse.vxd file in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM or I guess your tweaks probably took care of it?

And about, "Change that line so it reads this exactly:

mouse=*vmouse, msmouse.vxd".

Is that a intentional comma between *vmouse and msmouse? Sry to question your help it has all worked !!!! Just if the mouse would....seems I'm back to square 1.

I mean, your tweaks eliminated all Logitech driver traces right? So after I shutdown I plugged the mouse back in w/ ps/2 adapter but still didnt detect it. It should be running on default ones right? Or do I have to build a driver database and that stuff? It's been so long since I had a fresh install I forget if it detects a mouse from the get-go or not....I'm fixing to try this other mouse out ps/2 style...

UPDATE: Well my Intelli Explorer 3.0A USB with its own ps/2 adapter worked all 4 times I tried. Put the Logitech on the MS ps/2 adapter and it did not. I swore I tried this MS mouse over there b4 and it didnt work. Does the Logitech need additional drivers or is it suppose to work from the get-go on default drivers?

Wonder why it isnt working. Whenever it did detect it worked fine no signs of defection. And I wonder if they HAVE to use its own ps/2 adapter....didnt try the Logi on the MS one on this pc yet.

Does anyone know the setting in the BIOS off hand that enables USB because I think I turned it off ...I'm gonna try the Logi in USB I guess.

 

[Slikkster]

Good deal so far. As for the comma question in that system.ini line, yes, it's an intentional comma. So type it in exactly as written. There is a space after the comma, so make sure you put it there before msmouse.vxd.

Boot up in Safe Mode again, even though you can boot normally now. Once you get to the desktop, press the Windows Logo key on the keyboard (it's got the little microsoft flag on it, probably between the ctrl key and the alt key) and while holding the Windows Logo key down, press the Pause/Break keyboard key.

This should bring up Device Manager. You might have to use your tab key to actually get into the actual device sections. Once you see your cursor is highlighted there (in the actual list of devices), use the arrow key to scroll down to the mouse section. Press the Plus Sign key on your number pad to expand the mouse section. Chances are you will see more than one mouse listed. That's because windows has a record of all the mice and drivers you've loaded over time.

Now, once your mouse section is expanded, use your arrow key to scroll to the first one listed. Once it's highlighted, press your Delete key on your number pad. It will prompt whether you want to delete it. Hit Enter if OK is highlighted, otherwise tab to OK and enter.

Do this for ALL the mice you see in this section.

Once done deleting all of them, exit safe mode and reboot. Hopefully you will redetect your mouse.

 

[mikesphat]

doh I entered it without the space...see my UPDATE(in last post) for what happened. I should go back and enter the space?Anyways, my MS mouse works but the Logi doesnt.

 

[Slikkster]

yes, enter the space in that mouse section.

And still boot in Safe Mode and delete ALL mice in Device Manager's Mouse section. Safe Mode is the only place you'll see the additional devices you've loaded over the years, so boot in Safe Mode, go to Device Manager (using your ms mouse to make this easier), and click on the mouse section. One by one delete all mice. If you finally delete one and your mouse stops working, no problem. Just use the keyboard to delete the rest. Shutdown the pc afterwards. Attach the Logitech mouse. See if it detects.

re: the Riva/TNT thing is fine. Just a generic listing for that type of card.

And please post results in a new message vs. editing your previous ones so I can follow along (of course, the irony is I just edited this post to say that, lol).

 

[Slikkster]

Read my post above (and reply in a separate post, not an edit of your old post). I've got to head out for most of the day to do domestic stuff. I'll check back tonight.

Once you get rid of all mice in safe mode in device manager, chances are your Logitech will detect.

If not, could have a bad mouse. Try the logitech on a different pc. But do the device manager mouse deletions first.

 

[mikesphat]

Ok I got all that taken of. No go on the Logi but I will try it on this PC.

 

[Slikkster]

Well, anyway, looks like you're back in business as far as booting up goes, and you can use an MS mouse, so I think you're set. I wouldn't waste too much time fretting over a logitech mouse that won't detect if others do.

One thing you might want to be sure to do is to remove the logitech software, if you loaded it. I'm not talking about the drivers. I'm talking about Mouseware, etc. Add/Remove Programs should do it for you.