asked on

Disable XMS driver

I am trying to install Hard Drive Mechanic Gold (I guess it's a DOS program) on a win98 OS PC. When I attempt to execute the .exe file I get the following error: Found Extended Memory Handler. Reboot without XMS driver. How do you disable or delete the XMS driver without rebooting problems. My previous question and and solution got me out of a crashed PC when I made some editing changes to the c:\windows HIMEM.sys file. I understand that HIMEM.sys is the XMS driver, but when I REM the file my PC would not boot with error: HIMEM,sys is missing or corrupt. Replace HIMEM.sys and reboot. I replaced the file and I am up and running again (thanks to Teckiedog). I have a crashed hard drive on another PC and I want use Hard Drive Mechanic to fix it.

nobus

i would suggest spinrite for fixing the data : http://www.grc.com/spinrite.htm
and the manufacturer's test to check the drive status : http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

harryjj38

ASKER

Thanks nobus, however your solution is not exactly what I want to do. I want disable the XMS driver in a win98 OS PC so I can fix this error: Found an extended memory handler! Reboot computer without XMS driver.

nobus

I know it's not what you want, but it is all i can come up with

harryjj38

ASKER

Nobus, I wasn't dismissing your input to my question. Thanks again. I was hoping to get some new possible solutions from other Expert Exchange members to my question: How to disable XMS driver in win 98 OS? I would like to keep my question open for awhile to see if I can get someone else's solution to this question. If I need to "accept as solution" your input I can do this, but I want to keep my question open. How do I do this?

nobus

maybe this helps : DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF

from : http://support.microsoft.com/kb/109845

harryjj38

ASKER

nobus, I have tried this last night (i got this fix on a Goggle search) but just give me an error message at boot up. I used Start>Run>Msconfig>Config.sys to add this DEVICE= string. Maybe I should have added the DEVICE= string thru a DOS prompt? Here is what I get as a boot up message now: "The following file is missing or corrupt: HIMEM.SYS . There is an error in your CONFIG.SYS file on line 5" (without quotes). I do not understand the reference to an error on line 5 in my CONFIG.SYS file because there is only two (2) lines in the file. My CONFIG.SYS file looks like this:

Rem TSHoot
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF
Any more thoughts?

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

nobus

membership

This solution is only available to members.

To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.

Start Free Trial

harryjj38

ASKER

Nobus' great stuff. I will do as you suggest and let you know the results.

harryjj38

ASKER

nobus, I am still working on suggestion. I am going to try another way of fixing my hard drive and I am going to close this session as "accepted solution" and points to you. Thanks again for all you help.

nobus

i hope it works out for you

Jake Pratt

For anyone else reading this. In the readme file that comes with Hard Drive Mechanic Gold, it states that you must remove autoexec.bat and config.sys from the win98 boot disk in order for the software to work. I ran into this same problem, then noticed those instructions in the readme. After removing those files, the program started up no problem.