Dos Prog Problems under Win 98

I had a problem where the DOS box wouldn't allow me to type at all.  It turned out to be a problem with the video driver.

Check for updates to your video card driver.  If this doesn't help, go to the Display control panel, click on the Settings tab, then the advanced button, and finally on the performance tab.  Turn the hardware acceleration down to "None," all the way to the left, restart, and try again.

If this solves the problem, you can try bumping the acceleration up one notch at a time to see how high it can go before crashing again.

--
Troy

Sounds weird. If you just open a dos window and type a command like mem, does it lock up , or only when you run a specific program.

Troy,  I followed your suggestions.  Found and installed newer driver for my video card......but that did not fix it so I tried the other.  Still if I touch a key on the keyboard I get the same display I quoted in my first message.   Hummm....sure hoped your idea would work.


SysExpert,  Yes it displays the message above quoted in any dos window.  I tried restarting the computer in Dos and I have no keyboard function.

Jean

Sounds like you have a file missing or damaged.

Try reinstalling Win 98.

If all you have installed is Win 98, or you'r willing to reformat the hard drive, and install WIN 98; that you should take care of the problem.

Perhaps it was due to the real mode   drivers.Check your config.sys or autoexec.bat file to disable some unsure usage command then to reboot to see the result. I think you must have loaded some real mode drivers or runed applications which are the reason for your problem.You can test to see before you doing anything:Just reboot the system to the safe prompt mode.To check:Does the system work ok?If Ok,then the problem is sure to be caused by the command of your config.sys or autoexec.bat file.Wish you good luck!

You need to try a few things.
1) Try to start in safe mode ie. When you see the "starting windows" message immediately hit the F8 key, and then choose 3 - safe mode.
Try a Dos window in there and see if it works.

2) Try in pure dos mode - Hit F8 at the "starting windows" message and choose DOS prompt ( 5 or 6  normally ). Does it work OK here ?

If it does, then I would rename my autoexec.bat and Config.sys to use the *.old extension, and reboot windows.
I hope this helps.

SysExpert,  I tried 1 & 2 of your suggestion and my program worked fine...so I renamed autoexec.bat to autoexec.old and config.sys to config.old.....rebooted and the programs still get the original message when a keyboard key is struck.  

I tried (as suggested in Win98 troubleshooters) setting the program to open in Dos mode - this doesn't work when the key is struck everything just freezes.

Do I need to change the autoexec and config files back??  
Jean


sunsetyang,  real mode drivers??  I did check even disabled the config.sys and autoexe.bat but the problem remains.  ?? Jean



sduanek,  I am not willing to reformat the hard drive.  Everything works great except for 3 old Dos programs.....unfortunately I have no work around for 2 of them and use them often so don't want to loose access to them.  :-)  Reinstalling Win98 is a possibility but I sure hope not.  It was a booger boo the first time.  Thanks Jean

Before re-installing Windows, I would run the System File Checker (Start/Run/SFC) to see if there are any missing or corrupted files.  It would certainly be easier than a re-install of Windows.

But, before doing even that, it's possible that this Knowledge Base article http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q118/5/39, even though it says it is for Windows 95, may be applicable to your situation.  The programs may be using DOS extenders that do not work with Windows 98 DOS.

If this doesn't help, what applications are causing the problem?

OK, you can rename your programs autoexec, config back to normal. The fact that it works in safe mode means that a driver/program loaded during the strtup phase is causing problems.
Download the Startup COP a free pcmag utility from
                     http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/filters/downloads/0,9077,6008597,00.html

    Run it and it sill show you everything that is listed in all the possible startup places.
Disable all that you do not need, and at some point your system will work in DOS again.
 I hope this helps !

thoffman,  The problem is not with these programs.  It occurs if I open a Dos window or if I restart the computer in Dos as well as with particular programs.  The only way around it seems to be not to start Windows. Wrong...I mean not to normally start Windows.  The programs work when Windows is started in safe mode.


SysExpert,  I downloaded Startup Cop and I disabled everything that program showed except for Systray which it would not let me disable.  Restarted and still received the message as before "illegal action...".  

Using Run msconfig, I removed Start Up files from the  Startup Selection.  That did not fix the problem.  Then I tried adding Startup files back and disabeling System INI files - no fix so added back System INI and finally disabled Win INI files.  Each time, windows opened but the message still appeared when I tried to open any dos program.  I am totally frustrated.  

Once in a restart with a step by step verification it locked at  "excepion 06  occured at 0000:00000017"  AND when using "Sysinfo" Information Dumper showes IRQ Holder for PCI Steering(01)                               Problem
            PCI.VxD       4.10.2222
            system.drv    4.10.1998
        IRQ Holder for PCI Steering(02)                               OK
            PCI.VxD       4.10.2222
            system.drv    4.10.1998
        IRQ Holder for PCI Steering(03)                               Problem
            PCI.VxD       4.10.2222
            system.drv    4.10.1998
(just copied area where Problems appeared)

Any chance this is part of the problem?
Jean

Adjusted points from 100 to 250

thoffman,  I forgot to mention I did run System File Checker and it did find and repair one file but that did not change the problem I am experiencing.  

thoffman,  I forgot to mention I did run System File Checker and it did find and repair one file but that did not change the problem I am experiencing.  

1st, your system is locking up because: DOS programs access the first 640K of memory.  Some try to access expanded memory. Win 98 and your DOS program are trying to use the same memory.  When this happens your system locks.

Try this: Right click on the icon for your DOS program. Click on properties.

Under the program tab (check) Prevent MS-DOS based programs from detecting windows. Also (click) on MS-DOS mode.

Under the font tab (click) Bitmap only.

Under the Screen tab (Click) full screen.

If you still have problems the only way you can run your programs is to make a boot dick with DOS 7 (WIN 97/98 DOS). I cna show you how if the above don't work.

sduanek,  I had tried most of what you said before......but did all and it still produces the "This program has performed an illegal operation and will be terminated" message.

It's not just a program, I can't use the keyboard and therefor can not type a command at the C: prompt in Dos if I get there after having opened Windows.

The keyboard works as do the programs in "Safe Mode" or if I interrupt the bootup process and boot to C:\

There are some DOS programs that just will not run under windows 98.  Looks like yuo have them.

They should run if you boot from a floppy in drive A:  You set up the programs just like an old DOS machine. Put all required drivers in config.sys and autoexec.bat on the floppy. This way the machine is in fact a DOS machine.

Only other thing is you could have some damaged files.  If you reload Win 98, make sure you force it to write over all files or it will only check the files.

When the system locks up from programs requeting the same memory, not one thing will work. You have a total freez.

Also alot of older programs were not compiled with all the library's needed to run on newer PII's or with the proper compiler flags set. Basically, what the guys above said...

what dos programs are they?

I know where the problem is!!

By elimination I know it is with

ECP Printer Port (LPT1)
drivers: LPT.VXD   vmm32.vxd   vcomm.vxd

Now this is what was displayed through "device manager" so I extracted lpt.vxd and vcomm.vxd from the Win98 installation disk and installed in Windows\system\  [note: did not find vmm32.vxd on disk and when checked the Windows\system directory found a sub directory - VMM32 into which the last file was placed]

BUT this did not fix the problem.  With this port disabled, everything else enabled, the programs function properly.

So......where do I go from here??  Yes, I can see how to work around this but would really like for things to work properly.  Can this be fixed??

In ypur BIOS set up the printer to be Standard modr if possible ( not bidirectional , not ECP and not EPP, choose the most standard setting. This may fix the problem in w98.  If not, you may be able to change the printer properties in the W98 device list.
I hope this helps.

I want to thank everyone who tried to help me.  I have it fixed.  Jean