>From: Kevin Nowicki <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: [PCSOFT] Old 386 Won't boot
>Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 04:15:35 EDT
>
>Dear Listers,
>
>I'm hoping someone can help with this older machine.  Upon starting, it
>goes
>through the boot up process (?) and stops at Primary Boot-strap.  My client
>said she was typing in WP51 and went to print and then the whole thing
>froze
>up.  It's an older machine and frankly I don't have the experience with the
>older routines.  It's a
>
>386
>16mhz
>4mg ram
>100mg HD
>Win 3.1
>
>I can boot off a floppy and access C:  After booting off the floppy I went
>into the Windows directory and tried starting windows through there.  I
>receive an error message saying "Himem.sys is missing.  Check config.sys
>and
>windows directory" or something to that effect.  Himem.sys is in windows
>directory and DOS and is listed in config.sys.

=Himem.sys that the system is looking for is supposed to be in the DOS
=directory. The one in Windows has no effect on the boot since =config.sys
is looking in DOS.

  I deleted himem.sys believing
>it might be corrupt and replaced with himem.sys file from working 3.1
>computer.  It still won't boot and I get the same results.  So I checked on
>the working 3.1 computer and saw the  himem.sys line referred to the DOS
>directory and not Windows like the broken machine so I changed the
>config.sys
>to point to the DOS directory instead.  Still no results.  Here is the
>autoexec and config files:
>
>Config.sys
>DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
>DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM
>BUFFERS=15,0
>FILES=30
>DOS=UMB
>LASTDRIVE=E
>FCBS=4,0
>DEVICEHIGH /L:1,12048 =C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE
>DOS=HIGH
>STACKS=9,256


=I suspect that the himem.sys you got from the other system is from an older
dos (e. g. the ailing set is running DOS 4 and the one you transfered himem
fro is running 3).

I would suggest you get a copy of DOS 5 (if you can) or maybe your friend
has the boot disks from the DOS on the machine, which is probably 4, and
reinstall DOS.
>
>I realize this old 16mhz machine is probably a better doorstop, but the
>client is a single mom w/4 kids and it was meeting her word processing
>needs.

Hey, don't knock 386. I run one. With 8 meg RAM I surf and have even written
my own web pages (twice, since my other ISP did some fancy maneuvering and
ruined my web site and e-mail- then had the gaul to bill me for "service").

Yes, I'd like to have a newer greater set, but . . .

>  I'm doing the work "pro bono".  I'm hoping one of the lists experts has
>had
>experience with these older machines and can help me out on this.
>
>I apologize for the length of this email, I wanted to provide as much info
>as
>I could.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>Kevin Nowicki

Hope this helps, Kevin. If not, gimme another shout and we'll see what we
can do. I love making these antiques perform.

Korny


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