EMM.386

[HotWire]

Working on a friends computer (dino) I took out some commands in his autoexec.bat or sys. file that had a command something about EMM.386 or 386.EMM that I removed by error. Instead of writing it down or just putting a REM in front of it I deleted it in a momentary brain freeze now I can't get windows to boot. Does anyone know how to find the reference to those files so I can restore them, keeping in mind the machine won't even let me safe boot in at this point.

Thanks

 

[Workin']

Well, you don't need that for Windows 9x or higher to boot.

EMM386.EXE is an expanded memory manager, which typically is used to provide "expanded" memory to older DOS-based programs that require it, and to provide Upper Memory Blocks (UMB's) so DOS can "load high" to free up memory below 640k.

But if you really want to put it in there, it would go in the config.sys file as device=c:\windows\emm386.exe noems

 

[Rendus]

It'd suprise me if EMM386.EXE not being loaded in config.sys is causing Windows to not boot, unless this is Win3.1. (You mention Safe Mode won't load either, which means it's DEFINITLEY not the lack of emm386 in config.sys, as safe mode doesn't even touch config.sys).

Now, if you outright deleted the actual emm386.exe file, what you're probably going to have to do is extract it manually from the Windows CD.

Here's a (partially inaccurate) document on it at Microsoft's support site.

http://support.microsoft.com/suppor...nk=2&src=DHCS_MSPSS_gn_SRCH&SPR=MSALL

The example command line reads EXTRACT A/ D:\WIN95\WIN95_02.CAB ENABLE3.DLL C:\WINDOWS\TEMP

It should be EXTRACT /A D:\WIN95\WIN95_02.CAB ENABLE3.DLL /L C:\WINDOWS\TEMP

Although you won't want to extract to C:\Windows\temp

Here are the commands for the different versions of Windows:

Win95(any version): extract /a D:\win95\win95_02.cab emm386.exe /L C:\windows

Win98(any version): extract /a D:\win98\win98_22.cab emm386.exe /L C:\windows

WinME: Unknown.

 

[HotWire]

Thanks for the much needed advise, the computer is an 1996 Gateway2000 DX66 which has seen its time come and go. He is running Win 98 with 40 MGs of memory total in his system and would like to just save it for his little ones to practice on. Anyway when I plugged it in last night to throw in what was described above it wouldn't load and the CPU on the boot up screen said CPU ???????? this is the first time I had seen it do this so this tells me maybe it's been the battery all this time giving him fits cause it was on its way out. Anytime I have seen this it has always been the motherboard battery.

 

[Techwhore]

unless there's a bios feature to change your cpu or it's mhz (like abit's softmenu) the battery can't be responsible... the battery only holds bios info when the machine is off... so if the battery were dead the most serious issues u might have would be a wrong clock and maybe a different boot sequence... As for the the CPU ???? that's odd, i'd pay to see that . If you put any hardware in before u saw that message, take it out, if not or if that doesn't work go into the bios and see if there isn't a setting somewhere that deals with the cpu directly. IMO, perhaps it's time for an upgrade

 

[HotWire]

I thought if the battery goes you lose all your bios settings?

 

[Mark R]

I had this same odd error message (CPU ???), as well as others like 'CMOS battery dead!' on my Gateway 486/66 - I eventually traced the problem to an IDE cable which was starting to come apart at one end.

You might want to strip it down, check all the cables are intact and correctly seated, and unplug and reseat the cards and memory. Replacing the CMOS battery is also a top idea, although they are supposed to last 10 years.

 

[HotWire]

Thanks Mark, I'll check that when i get home tonight