Error with Windows 98 startup (vmm32.vxd)

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M

mosdef

Banned
May 14, 2000
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My roommate purchased the Windows 98 full version and was trying to install it on a computer that already had Windows 95. It wouldn't let him do this so I told him to just start from scratch - I made him a bootdisk which reformated the HD to cleanly install Windows 98. The installation went smoothly after setup, installation, serial number was entered, etc. However, at the first real boot, the system said that a file in the c:\windows\system\ directory called vmm32.vxd was missing or corrupted and thus windows was not able to load it. We tried reinstalling Windows several times and I even copied this file from my computer to his computer. He even went out and bought a brand new hard drive but it still gives the error. The only cards in the computer right now are the sound and video cards. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks a lot.

-mosdef
 
M

medic

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Copying the VMM32.vxd file your friends machine or from the CD won't help this problem because the vmm32.vxd is what's called a monolithic driver file which is composed of many different drivers and is created specifically for your machine at setup.

From the KB:
To Re-Create the Vmm32.vxd File
Restart your computer. For Windows 95, when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key, and then choose Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu. For Windows 98, press and hold down the CTRL key after your computer completes the Power On Self Test (POST), and then choose Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu.
Type the following line to change to the Windows\System folder:
cd \windows\system then Type the following line: ren vmm32.vxd vmm32.old
Reinstall Windows 95/98.
NOTE: If you installed Windows 95 from a CD-ROM, you may need to enable the Mscdex.exe line in the Autoexec.bat file or reinstall the real-mode CD-ROM drivers included with the CD-ROM drive before you can reinstall Windows 95. After you enable the real-mode CD-ROM drivers, repeat step 1 to restart the computer.
MORE INFORMATION
A Vmm32.vxd file is included on the Windows 95 disks and CD-ROM. Extracting this version of the file does not solve the problem, as it is an incomplete version of the file. You must run Setup to re-create a system-specific Vmm32.vxd file.
If Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) is enabled in your computer's Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), the "It's now safe to turn off your computer" message may not be displayed when you shut down Windows 95/98.
 
J

JimMc

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
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If you had some other cards, particulalry SCSI (scanner?) in there when you installed Win 98, that may have created your problem.

As CRV points out, you can't copy over the VMM32.VXD file, it is machine specific. Instead of just reinstalling Win 98 over a bad install, try a format then install with just your video card. Install the other cards one by one afterwards. Use the bootdisk that came with his copy of Win 98.
 
N

Nih

Senior member
Sep 3, 2000
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My suggestion would be to run sfc from the start tab, then tell it to pull a specific file/files off the cdrom. pull the vmm32 files from there. I believe it is possible to fix the vmm's from there. Probably couldn't hurt to give it a try.
 
S

Steven the Leech

Golden Member
Oct 16, 1999
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I've had that problem with my umax scanner after installing the software for it. I copy the patch into the win sys folder[mentioned above] and it solves it. The problem with the scanners is for i beleive processors above 300 mhz. If it is cause by something else u may try boooting into safe mode and applying the patch. I could eventually boot into windows if i tried enough times. Sure had a lot of unecessary installs till i figured it out.
 
M

Midnight Rambler

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
4,200
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Though not necessarily relative to the initial question, the best fix for the UMAX scanner problem several have referred to is :

Run "MSCONFIG"
Click on the System.Ini Tab
Expand the tree under the (386Enh) heading (ie. click on the + sign)
"REM" out (semi-colon also works) the line DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\UMAXIS11.386
 
M

Midnight Rambler

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
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One other thought to the initial poster ... are you using a relatively old CD-ROM drive? Some older drives do not work well with the Win98 install. I've had this happen, in which case I just loaded the real mode drivers so I could access the drive, then copied everything necessary from the Win98 to a directory on the h.d., and then ran the install from the h.d.
 
M

mosdef

Banned
May 14, 2000
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Thanks for all the replies. I still haven't solved the problem. The drive is a 24x so I don't know how old it can be. The computer is a PII-300. Also, my roommate doesn't use any SCSI or UMAX components. I tried renaming the vmm32.vxd file but I'm not sure what CRV wanted me to do next. Any more ideas? Thanks.

-mosdef
 
M

medic

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,160
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0
mosdef

After you rename the vmm32.vxd file from a F8 restart you need to reinstall windows on top of itself.
 
M

medic

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,160
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0
Oh cr*p!

Overclocking? Set ram timings to By SPD also.
I would strip it to the bare minimum, 1 stick of your best ram, 1 H.D. on Primary Master, CDROM, floppy, PCI video card. Boot from a: and format then reinstall.

If it's fine then, start adding soundcard reboot, add drivers, reboot, keep adding hardware and software slowly and rebooting and trying the system in between untill it quits with the vmm32.vxd error, at that point you should have the culprit.

Maybe borrow some ram from another machine, remove the soundcard and make sure virus detection is off in the bios.
 
M

medic

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,160
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You don't have anything important on there do you?

Have you run any rescue disks that are made with most Anti-virus programs?
Try a fdisk/mbr then a reinstall.
 
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