WIN98SE Boot problems

[wildWolverine]

I keep getting a Windows Protection Error when I try to boot my machine. The PC will run in Safe Mode but not in Normal Mode, no matter how many items I un-check in msconfig. I'm totally baffled by this. There is no new hardware installed, just the basics. When I check my bootlog, I only have four lines (not eight) referring to HTREE -- I have the four "RESERVED" lines, but not the "ROOT" lines.

i.e.:

[00130B42] Starting Unknown (HTREE\RESERVED\0)
[00130B42] Started Unknown (HTREE\RESERVED\0)
[00130B42] Enumerating Unknown (HTREE\RESERVED\0)
[00130B42] Enumerated Unknown (HTREE\RESERVED\0)

are at the end of my bootlog.

I've searched a lot of tech forums, and this doesn't seem to be an entirely rare problem (with description similarities right down to the bootlog). However, most of the forums don't say how to fix this...

Anyone got any ideas what I can do? I'm getting pretty frustrated. Thanks

 

[ainwood]

Have you installed any new software at all lately?

 

[wildWolverine]

No new software. I had been using an A/B switch, and operated the switch while the 98 machine was booting. I originally thought this might be the source of the error -- bad timing (even though I had operated the switch during booting before, perhaps I had hit it at the exact wrong instant). However, after browsing several technical forums (ironically w/ the same forum code as cfc), I'm not so sure. I really think the key is that the bootlog ends with only those four lines I had above, and not eight (with the "RESERVED" replaced with "ROOT". THat seems to be the commonality among all the people who have this problem -- namely, that their WIN98SE computer fails to load windows, after everything else in the boot sequence succeeds, but will still go to safe mode. Unfortunately, I do not know how to fix this.

 

[Aphex_Twin]

Did you do a Scan Disk under Safe mode? It might be a hardware problem. If it's not the case, stuff is generally fixed with a Windows reinstall.