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Hi All, First time poster here please be gentle. I hope someone can help me figure out how to create a new win.com file by extracting the win.cnf file from my win98 cd-rom to the windows folder and then renaming it to win.com. I tried following the instructions at Microsoft's website on how to do this but I still get error messages that the file cannot be opened or no matching file found. So here's where I'm at, with my Win98 cd-rom in the D: drive (I don't have a working floppy drive) I can get to the Microsoft Cabinet Extraction Tool screen and at the bottom of the screen there is a D:\Win98 prompt with a blinking cursor but I have no Idea what to type. I tried restoring a good copy of the registry from a previous date but to no avail. I also tried fixing the registry and still no luck. This problem started after I scanned and deleted some items from MRU Blaster. I tried to restart my pc and was taken to a dos screen with the error message "cannot find win.com unable to continue loading windows". I did a search and found a poster with a similar problem but they didn't say how they fixed the problem. I didn't know whether to reply to that post or start a new one. Thanks for listening.
wideglide36

 

Hey wideglide36....and Welcome to Wilders

According to which version of Windows you have....the following instructions should work. Also....since I do not have access to a Win98 CD at the moment....I'll assume that the cab files are in the folder you say they are in regarding the below instructions.

Note:
Win98_28.cab of the original Windows 98 CD-ROM
Win98_25.cab of the original Windows 98 Second Edition CD-ROM

For Win 98:
@ the D:\Win98 > prompt you mentioned above:
type extract Win98_28.cab Win.cnf /L c:\windows

For Win 98 SE:

@ the D:\Win98 > prompt you mentioned above:
type extract Win98_25.cab Win.cnf /L c:\Windows

If that was succesful....you should be able to then rename the win.cnf file

From the D:\Win98 > or C:\ > OR C:\Windows > prompt

type ren c:\windows\win.cnf c:\windows\win.com

 

Hey Bubba,
Thanks for your quick reply. I typed the first set of instructions exactly as you said and i got this message "bad command or filename". Are there any other commands I could try? Thanks again,
wideglide36

 

Nope....extract.exe is the file\command you need....which is something I forgot about. The file extract.exe is on your C: drive somewhere....possibly the C:\Windows\Command folder ?

BTW....do you have a Windows 98 start-up disk ? If not....that would have helped and we can talk about that later if you wish.

I am going to give basic instructions in case your knowledge of DOS commands is limited. What we want to do first is to see where your extract.exe file is located on the C: drive


@ the D:\Win98 > prompt
type C: and then the Enter key
you should be @ the C:> prompt ?

If so type dir /s extract.exe

It possibly will return back saying one is in the C:\Windows\Command folder ? In any case....that's what my example is using.


We'll try it again

For Win 98:
@ the C:\> prompt:
type CD\Windows\Command and then the Enter key
@ the C:\Windows\Command> prompt:
type extract d:\win98\Win98_28.cab Win.cnf /L c:\windows

For Win 98 SE:
@ the C:\> prompt:
type CD\Windows\Command and then the Enter key
@ the C:\Windows\Command> prompt:
type extract d:\win98\Win98_25.cab Win.cnf /L c:\Windows

 

Hey Bubba,
Thanks for hanging with me. I did exactly as you instructed and got a message that said "Overwrite c:\windows\win.cnf (yes/no/all)? I typed y and hit enter (hope that I chose the right one). Then got "extracting c:\windows\win.cnf" and now I have a C:\Windows\Command with a blinking cursor. Now what? By the way, I have no experience at all using dos. You knew that didn't you? Thanks Bubba

 

Nope....but I do now

Ok....@ the blinking cursor:
type cd.. and select the Enter key. It should now be @ the C:\Windows> prompt....with a blinking cursor ?

Also....if you indeed extracted a new win.cnf file to the C:Windows folder properly....you are now ready to rename that file to win.com

From the instructions given above:
@ the C:\Windows> prompt....type ren c:\windows\win.cnf c:\windows\win.com

If that was succesful....you now have a win.com....and a reboot should be succesful IF there are no other problems.


I would like to also add....there should be no way that MRUblaster caused a loss of win.com. It's purpose is to remove only items dealing with MRU's(Most Recently Used) and all MRU's can be removed if a user so desired....without losing\corrupting a win.com file.

 

Hi Bubba,
When I type cd at the c:\Windows\Command prompt, it just comes back as c:\Windows\Command. Any other ideas on how I can get to the c:\windows prompt? Any spaces or slashes with that cd command? Thanks a ton,
wideglide36

 

In my instructions above there are two dots (..) after CD....which means to go back one directory. In either case....try this to make it easier\better understood.

@ the C:\Windows\Command> prompt:
type cd\windows

It should now be @ the C:\Windows> prompt ?

 

Hi Bubba,
Guess who?
Last question (I hope). I'm now at the C:\windows prompt.thanks to you but when I type in the last part of your instructions: ren c:\windows\win.cnf c:\windows\win.com I get this message "Invalid Parameter C:\windows\win.com". Any more thoughts other than I'm a pain in the butt?
wideglide36

 

Hmmm....try this:
@ the C:\Windows> prompt....type dir win.cnf

If it indeed comes back that there is a win.cnf file in that folder try this:

@ the C:\Windows> prompt....type ren win.cnf win.com

 

Bubba,

O.K. I think we're getting somewhere. When I typed dir win.cnf I got this Info: Win Cnf
1 file - 24,791 bytes
0 dir(s) - 4,263.91 mb free

Then when I type ren win.cnf win.com I'm taken back to the C:\windows prompt with a blinking cursor. I know you can figure this out. Thanks Bubba,
wideglide36

 

I'm beginning to wonder

Anyway....no error message is good and it should now be a file in the C:\Windows folder named win.com.

@ the C:\Windows> prompt:
type dir win.*

You should at least have a win.ini....and hopefully....a win.com file show up ?

If there is a win.com file now in the C:\Windows folder....you should be good to re-boot your machine.

 

Bubba,

I think we're almost there. There is a win.com file with a size of 24,791 bytes. One last stupid question, I'm back to the C:\Windows prompt with a blinking cursor. How do I reboot from this prompt?
wideglide36

 

You can't....you'll have to shut your computer down and go fishing, golfing, walk in the park....etc

2 ways to reboot
**Turn the computer off and then back on**
or

**the 3 finger salute:**
select the Ctrl Alt Del keys @ the same time

 

Hey Bubba,
I knew you could do it.
As Gomer would say "THANK YEE, THANK YEE, THANK YEE". I'm back in business thanks to you. Man, those DOS screens are ugly. I don't ever want to see another DOS screen. Please send your bill to wideglide36. In all seriousness, Thank you for spending half your Sunday helping a bumbler and a stumbler like me. If there is anything I can do to contribute please don't hesitate to ask. Also, be assured that I didn't mean to imply that MRU Blaster caused my problem. It was after that I scanned and deleted with MRU Blaster that the problem started but I was doing other tasks at around the same time so who knows what happened. I'll take a breath now and thank you for the last time. Thanks Bubba,
wideglide36

 

Your more than Welcome

Simply give back to the Forum what you have taken....knowledge