Computer Problems..PLEASE HELP!!!

[myRed240]

Okay, here is the problem: Yesterday I was trying to network three home computers : 2 laptops and a desktop. Well, on my older laptop, Toshiba w/ Win 98, I must have messed with some setting, and it doesn't start correctly. When I turn it on it beeps once and then at the top of the screen it says, "Windows protection error. You need to restart your computer." A couple of seconds later it beeps again and then says, "An internal stack overflow has caused this session to be halted. Change the STACK settings in your CONFIG.SYS file, and then try again."The thing is, I can restart the computer and run in safe mode, but that's about it.

Please, please, please, if anyone knows how to correct this I would really appreciate it. I have plenty of homework to do and I can't do it without the Visual Basic program that is loaded on the broken comp. Any suggestions would be nice.Thank you!!!Alex :help

[MasterMan]

your gonna have to edit the config.sys .. only other way is format yyour computer and reinstall windows.

[myRed240]

How can I edit it? What do I need to do to it? I really need to fix this problem, and I have no clue as to what I need to do...please help! Thank you!

[DAEDALUS]

You can edit the file but I don't really know what you have to change. From safe mode go to a Dos prompt. Once there get to the root C: directory. Type in "edit config.sys" and that will put you in the editor mode. Not a lot in the file though...Let us know what's in there and maybe one of our gurus can spot something out of place.

[myRed240]

Okay, here is what is in my config.sys file:

device=c:\dos\toscdrom.sysdevice=c:\dos\himem.sysdevice=c:\dos\panning.sys

[DAEDALUS]

Anyone know what the panning.sys line means? If you want to experiment, delete the last line and see what happens. If you get the same results, then it's not the problem and put it back. Then I would think that it's not the config.sys file at all but something else that's messing up. It might be a hardware problem too...no quick fix for that.

[myRed240]

I am afraid to delete anything, as I do not want to render my computer completely useless. Even though the computer says that the problem is within the config.sys file, you think it's hardware? the problem arose after I had messed with setting up a network and I changed a few settings within the network. I went back in and tried to change the settings back, but I am still having the same probs. Thanks for your help,

Alex

[TrueSlide]

well you can always edit them back, booting up the CPU and pressing F5 or F8(cant remember which, and if I remember right a boot screen will popup and just select command prompt, edit config.sys, then reset and if it works congrats, if not, do the F5 or F8 thing and command prompt and put that line back in. Thats one way I can think of.

Was the computer working when you networked it? If so, have you tried to hook it back up to the network and turn it on to see if that might fix it?? I would try that before editing the config.sys

[myRed240]

well I was trying to network it so I could pull files from one computer to another. I wasn't able to do so, and when I tried messing with the settings it got all f***** up. I tried to go back and put the settings back, but nothing has worked.

[lessthanjakejohn]

Format and reinstall, much easier thaan troubleshooting.

[maxnix]

Try a boot into safe mode. Once you get back-up, save all your data. Then determine if your machine will work with Win 2K or XP (Pro is better than Home). If it does, do a clean install.

[lessthanjakejohn]

do an install with no ooptions though, it will run much faster

[myRed240]

How can I back everything up? I have never tried this, and don't know what needs to be done. Thanks guys for your help!

[lessthanjakejohn]

You want to reinstall?

Ok go to one of your good computers with win98 or win me and make a boot disk (mycomputer>control panel>add/remove programs>startup disk)

Then put the disk in your laptop and use fdisk to format your computer, Make one partition since you rpobaly don't have much room on your laptop. after you do that and reboot selec install windows from CD and then put in your Windows 98 cd. After that you pretty much follow directions. If you have a choice you probaly won't want to install too many options since it is pretty old.

Guys please confirm that those steps are right. MyRed240 you probaly don't want to start until someone confirms that.

[lessthanjakejohn]

Do you have stuff you want to back up? go into safe mode and just pick files you want and You will probaly be able to transfer the files to another computer but I'm not sure if you can with safe mode.

If they are small fiels than save them to floppies

[myRed240]

Thanks, the problem is though, my mom has the win98 CD and she is in AZ, while I'm here in CA. I think I am out of luck for now.....I appreciate your help!

[90Q45blue]

Hi,

Sorry I didn't see this earlier. Here's your fix:

You need to modify your System. ini file. Do this by clicking on the Start menu and selecting Run. Type msconfig and click the OK button. Click on the System.ini tab and click once on the [386Enh] folder and click the New button. Type MinSP=8 and click OK. Say yes when the system asks if you want to save the changes. Microsoft says to set stack numbers in multiples of four. Reboot for these changes to take affect.

STACKS=64,512If the error persists, try adding this line to your SYSTEM.INI file in the [386Enh] section.

Good luck,

Nick

[lessthanjakejohn]

Dang I thought the only useful thing for msconfig was to get those annoying programs to quit booting at startup..

[myRed240]

If anyone else knows what to do, please help. Nothing has worked....

[lessthanjakejohn]

You tried what nick said?