win98 cannot find win.com help please

[Jwyatt]

The OS has been loaded on this laptop for over a year now without problems. The main use of the laptop is programming PLCs and HMI devices, so that imposes a problem. If I have to reload windows i have to call several of the software makers to get the programs activated again(and you thought microsoft was the first to do this, pfft!) which will take hours upon hours of me being on the phone.

From the c: i can go to the windows directory and type win.com and everything boots fine from there. Just that irritating message comes up during boot.

The last thing done was a vendor gave me a floppy with a plc program on it to load in a machine. Everything was fine, then after that im getting this message. Could this possible be a virus?

Any help is appreciated.

 

[underpaid]

Just reinstall 98 over the old install. Shouldn't have to "reactivate" anything. I don't have enough time to explain how to fix the problem
without reinstalling.

 

[dahunan]

This one fixes the path command in autoexec after a software install incorrectly set the path.
Here is 1 method to attempt - it is a simplified version


And here is an official Microsoft help page - Which is probably the one you need.

Creating a New Win.com File When You Cannot Start Windows (Q136630)

Good Luck

 

[obenton]

Another possibility is that the Paths section of msdos.sys (in C:\), which points to the location of the Windows directory, has been changed, or the file itself has become corruptied. Either can easily be fixed.

 

[Jwyatt]

Thanks for the help guys. Ill give it a try tomorrow

 

[cleverhandle]

If you have a friend with Win98, you can just steal a copy of win.com from him/her. I had that problem once, and fixed it by copying over the file from another box. So there doesn't seem to be anything machine-specific about it.

 

[RyDogg1]

<< If you have a friend with Win98, you can just steal a copy of win.com from him/her. I had that problem once, and fixed it by copying over the file from another box. So there doesn't seem to be anything machine-specific about it. >>



No, he has the Win.com file, if you read the original post. This sounds like a path issue. If you can boot to DOS and run WIN.com from the Windows dir, then the file is still there.

In Dos, do this:

C:\>SET PATH=C:\Windows;C:\windows\system; <press enter>

Then reboot. You should be fine.

Ryan

 

[cleverhandle]

Ack, wasn't reading carefully. You are correct.