The driver which is not loading is for any DOS programs which you may be able to run within 98. Check in your config.sys file. The first line should be DEVICE=emm386.exe (actually the entire path should be included, like c:\windows\emm386.exe), but I do not remember exactly where 98 stores emm386.exe; you can use the Search (or is it Find in 98) function to find where it is. If that line is already there, then emm386.exe may not be loading for some reason, such as corruption of the file; but if that were the case you should receive an error message concerning not being able to load the device.

Shadow
Apologies to Neil Gaiman

Message Edited on 04/22/02 12:49PM by wsnyder

Ok, I checked that the config.sys file and the line is there!

Also, I updated the drivers for the soundcard, now the message is different, it's as follows.

Emm386 not installed unable to set page frame base address
press nay key when ready

(I press any key or just wait and it says the following)

EMM386 succesfully installed

(then this follows)

Expanded memory service unavailable
Total memory installed 54kb
Largest memory block 54kb
upper memory starting address D100H

EMM386 Active

How would I go about fixing this problem?!



Message Edited on 04/22/02 03:33PM by PanzerMeyer

This is beyond me. It almost sounds as if the system is reading autoexec.bat before it reads config.sys; it is supposed to happen in reverse order. One thought: exactly what does the line in config.sys contain? If it is not directing the system to the correct location (or not to a specific location, or to a corrupted location), then it may be taking the system that long to locate the file. Usually, emm386.exe is in several places (in the \DOS - I forget the exact name - directory, in c:\windows, c:\windows\sytem, et al.); try directing it to one of the different locations. Or maybe one of the good guys (or gals) will read this exchange and have a different suggestion.

Shadow
Apologies to Neil Gaiman

Hi,

Well the first line is:
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS

The second line is:
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE

Both should be there, and that is the proper order (I had forgot about himem.sys; it has been a while since I used a DOS based system). Check with the find (or search) function from the Start menu, to see if emm386.exe is located in any other folder; if so direct it to one of the other copies (just in case the current one is corrupted). Also, you might try adding the NOEMS parameter; an old 98 boot disk which I just located has that parameter; the line would then read "device=c:\windows\emm386.exe NOEMS" (of course, no quotes, and note the space between exe and NOEMS). You can edit config.sys quite easily in Notepad; just make certain that you change nothing else.

Shadow
Apologies to Neil Gaiman