Unable to start win98

janeway · 08-25-2004, 08:10 PM

My notebook refuses to boot & gets stuck when Windows 98 appears then Abort,Fail, Retry message appears & when Abort is selected "VFBACKUP Could Not Load VFD.VXD" appears. Tried as suggested here but still unable to boot. Tried to reinstall win98 but when scandisk runs it gets stuck at 4% when scanning directory structure. Also tried to look at c:\windows\system\dir , it shows "Not ready reading drive C" followed by "abort,fail,retry ". Is my hard disk a goner? Anyone?

anerd10950 · 08-25-2004, 09:41 PM

This happened to my laptop. Use a floppy boot disk and boot to DOS. See if you can read the C:\windows directory by typing:

c:
cd windows
dir

(after each line break, press enter)

if you can read the windows directory, try the windows system and system32 directories:

Ctrl+C (to cancel out the dir command)
cd system
dir

then...

Ctrl+C
cd.. (Enter that exact phrase 'cd..')
cd system32
dir

if this doesn't give any errors, do what the subject said. (and good luck)

janeway · 08-26-2004, 07:18 PM

ok tried both and able to read windows system32 but unable to read windows system. Where do I go from here?

CTSNKY · 08-27-2004, 12:32 PM

Your hard disk may be a problem.

If available, you shold try to install it as a secondary (slave) drive into another working PC. If you can then see your data, SAVE IT OFF !

From that point, you can either choose to struggle and fix the boot problem or re-format/re-install Win98. I think the latter choice would be the bigger time saver.

08-25-2004, 08:10 PM	#1 (permalink)
janeway Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 2 OS: win98	Unable to start win98 My notebook refuses to boot & gets stuck when Windows 98 appears then Abort,Fail, Retry message appears & when Abort is selected "VFBACKUP Could Not Load VFD.VXD" appears. Tried as suggested here but still unable to boot. Tried to reinstall win98 but when scandisk runs it gets stuck at 4% when scanning directory structure. Also tried to look at c:\windows\system\dir , it shows "Not ready reading drive C" followed by "abort,fail,retry ". Is my hard disk a goner? Anyone?

08-25-2004, 09:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
anerd10950 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 5 OS: XP	If you pray, now it s good time This happened to my laptop. Use a floppy boot disk and boot to DOS. See if you can read the C:\windows directory by typing: c: cd windows dir (after each line break, press enter) if you can read the windows directory, try the windows system and system32 directories: Ctrl+C (to cancel out the dir command) cd system dir then... Ctrl+C cd.. (Enter that exact phrase 'cd..') cd system32 dir if this doesn't give any errors, do what the subject said. (and good luck)

08-26-2004, 07:18 PM	#3 (permalink)
janeway Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 2 OS: win98	ok tried both and able to read windows system32 but unable to read windows system. Where do I go from here?

08-27-2004, 12:32 PM	#4 (permalink)
CTSNKY Knower of all that is MS Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 10,755 OS: (multiple machines) 95, 98, 2K & XP Home & Pro	Your hard disk may be a problem. If available, you shold try to install it as a secondary (slave) drive into another working PC. If you can then see your data, SAVE IT OFF ! From that point, you can either choose to struggle and fix the boot problem or re-format/re-install Win98. I think the latter choice would be the bigger time saver.