Hello, I have researched this problem to no avail.  I have seen others with almost 
similar situation but there problem is different.   So i am asking for help as my 
situation is different.

Everytime i boot up sons computer i get this boot text:

"Windows 98 is now starting your MS-DOS-BASED Program"

it used to say:

"Starting Windows 98"

But it doesnt,

It then boots into windows.  it doesnt lock up nor does it boot a dos program as 
far as i can tell.

But my question is WHY did it change?!  A few weeks back it  had a virus and the 
OS was replaced.  And thats when I noticed that the BOOT text has changed to that 
"Windows 98 is now starting your MS-DOS-BASED Program".

I checked the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files and there is nothing in them files 
that  load any dos programs.  In fact i removed the autoexec and config sys and IT 
STILL shows that same text.   It seems like it is displaying that text before it 
even accesses the config.sys  and autoexec.  

I read ON LINE that the only way for it to display that text is IF a DOS based program 
is loading.  otherwise it SHOULD display "starting Windows 98" 

If there is a DOS based program running . or loading up.. HOW is it loading if it 
is NOT loading by the  Autoexec or Config.sys?!    How can I remove it from loading 
up at boot up?! 

Is there anyway i can change this back to normal?

Thank you in advanced

Justin

Tip: Run a free scan for common Windows errors ad

re: "Windows 98 is now starting your MS-DOS-BASED Program" Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 8:48 am Posted by DanTheMan (140 messages posted) did you fully get rid of the virus? [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: "Windows 98 is now starting your MS-DOS-BASED Program" Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 9:43 am Posted by Justin (7 messages posted) Yes I did. As mentioned I reinstalled the operating system using the factory restore cd, and then rechecked for viruses and it was clean! [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: "Windows 98 is now starting your MS-DOS-BASED Program" Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 12:34 pm Posted by gewg_ (4444 messages posted) Justin wrote: |I have researched this problem | http://jellyfoot.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/attaboy.jpg |[...]i get this boot text: |"Windows 98 is now starting your MS-DOS-BASED Program" |[...] |It then boots into windows. |it doesnt lock up nor does it boot a dos program as far as i can tell. | You are using the word "boot" improperly, but I'll let that slide. |[...]A few weeks back it had a virus and the OS was replaced. | The **proper** way to deal with an infection is to FDISK the system. This is *beyond* what even a FORMAT will do; nuking the partition with FDISK will also get any Boot Sector viruses.[1] If you didn't have to re-install all your Windoze-compatible apps, you didn't handle this right.[1] |And thats when I noticed that the BOOT text has changed[...] |I checked the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files |and there is nothing in them files that load any dos programs. | Well, *every* line in AUTOEXEC.BAT is either a DOS command a label to jump to or a remark --or at least that's the way it *should* be. |In fact i removed the autoexec and config sys | I ASSuME you mean you used MSCONFIG to disable processing of those. That's the proper move--unless you specifically want a DOS TSR running. |and IT STILL shows that same text. |It seems like it is displaying that text |before it even accesses the config.sys and autoexec. | |I read ON LINE that the only way for it to display that text |is IF a DOS based program is loading. By default, the Startup actions for Win9x will process (in this order): The Boot Sector of the boot device. If infected, you get what you get. IO.SYS - This loads the DOS kernel (Internal commands) MSDOS.SYS - Back in the days of Real DOS(tm), this contained additional Internal commands; with DOS 7, it contains Windoze config parameters. COMMAND.COM - The Command Processor for External commands. CONFIG.SYS - If not disabled in MSDOS.SYS, this loads DOS device drivers. AUTOEXEC.BAT - If not disabled in MSDOS.SYS, this runs anything the user / system configurer / old app installs thinks is apt to get the system to a usable DOS state. WIN.COM - Loads Windoze. An old batch file troubleshooting technique is to insert benign print-to-screen commands at points in the batch file: @ECHO Breakpoint1 reached . . . @ECHO Breakpoint2 reached . . . (etc.) If a command like one of those is the first line in AUTOEXEC.BAT, (or even one containing @ECHO **AUTOEXEC.BAT IS BEING PROCESSED**) it will show whether that file is, in fact, getting processed --especially if it is followed by a line containing PAUSE NOTE: If the first line of AUTOEXEC.BAT is WIN then anything else in that batch file won't be processed. [1] The abilities of The Black Hats long ago outstripped the abilities of the virus killer vendors to keep up. ...and ONLY WINDOZE needs this nonsense. It's gotten to the point that switching to Linux is easier that continuing to struggle with Windoze-specific infections[2] --and the M$ OSes that allow those systems to be infected so easily.[3] Linux is MORE SECURE BY DESIGN (where Windoze is Defective By Design). Linux is also gratis--and libre (FREE). [2] ...not to mention that with Linux you get a 21st-Century OS. Ubuntu 9.04 was just released and the early reports are that it is just SMOKIN'. This is a version for lower-powered hardware: http://google.com/search?q=Xubuntu-9.04 You can boot[4] to the CD and run Linux from the optical disk (a test drive) --WITHOUT **installing** anything. There are versions of Linux that are even less-demanding than that one. [3] The **only** safe way to run Windoze these days is inside a virtual machine. http://google.com/search?q=VirtualBox When you close the virtual session, all the infections and crap go poof. (VirtualBox is also Free Software--gratis and libre.) NOTE: A VM requires pretty $talwart hardware under it. [4] I used "boot" properly there. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: "Windows 98 is now starting your MS-DOS-BASED Program" Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 12:42 pm Posted by Justin (7 messages posted) Your post is a little more for the beginner students to teach them how to clean virues.. and had no relevance to my questions. But first . I am sorry for using the word "BOOT" inappropriately as to your "proper" useage of it! Forgive me. My question is how did i tget changed?! I already told you that I removed the config sys and autoexec.bat form the system before "Boot"ing the computer! I completely deleted them after reading what i read about DOS programs in the startup cauing the system to do that upon "Boot"ing up! There was NOTHING in the autoexec nor config.sys that loaded a dos based program. If you read my post you will see that i resorted back to FACTORY SETUP install.. I did not install any other apps nor dos based programs that would conflict . I did a scan of the boot sectors as well as the main system using an emergency boot disk!.. Everything was fine. if you think i am an A$$ which is why i ASSume you used CAPITAL letters in the word "ASSume" .. i ALREADY know what the config.sys does and also what the AUTOEXEC.BAT does.. but thank you for posting all that irrelevant information anyways. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: "Windows 98 is now starting your MS-DOS-BASED Program" Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 2:32 pm Posted by Jacob6601 (2174 messages posted) Please read all to be sure you take the correct action. Start here: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=130448 Note two links at the bottom of that page, ARTICLE-ID: 138996 and ARTICLE-ID: 151717. I would use the resolution in 151717 (blank Config.sys and Autoexec.bat). Afterwards, look at your Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files. As in the 151717 resolution, they MUST NOT contain those referenced lines. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: "Windows 98 is now starting your MS-DOS-BASED Program" Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 3:35 pm Posted by Justin (7 messages posted) Jacob, My problems hasnt anything to do with that support page. As it does NOT hang there.. NOR does it boot into dos mode. I have already done that before.. Thats what i read before i even posted my orginal message. Thats how i found that it is something to do with a DOS program.. BUT if you read closely what i said IT DOES NOT boot ANY dos programs.. as far as i can tell.. it just says WINDOWS 98 IS NOW STARTING YOUR MS DOS BASED PROGRAM... THEN it loads the config sys and then the autoxec. then boots to windows with no problem after that! I am just wonderign why it says that now instead of "Starting WINDOWS 98" I also said in my original post. that i HAVE already tried removing the autoexec and config sys before and also have tried to use blank ones too! And i still get that text saying that everytime i boot up!. So you see that is NOT the same problem i am having. It seems it has nothing to do with my autoexec.bat NOR the config.sys files! And as far as the other doodes request for me to SWITCH TO LINUX.. obviously wasnt much of a help. This is regarding his boot sector Virus statment.. I CHECKED with many programs .. and it ALSO shows up CLEAn and working fine! No corruption nor any viruses are in the boot sectors! [Reply or follow-up to this message] last post Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 4:38 pm Posted by Jacob6601 (2174 messages posted) Read all of that, including the links to 138996 and 151717. Also read any links on those pages. There MUST be Config.wos and Autoexec.wos for that message to be displayed. HINT: It is fairly obvious that the DOS program loading is win.com (windows). [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: last post Sunday, April 26, 2009 at 2:11 am Posted by Justin (7 messages posted) Hey Jacob, I checked there is no wos files in my system.. just autoexec.bat and autoexec.bak as well as config.sys and config.bak. and i have tried them with them all removed. Also regarding the links you mentioned. It is describing a different problem all together. Like i say, i have seen that already before even posting here, as i did aot of research first. Now you think it is win.com? thats loading up and thats why it says "Windows 98 is starting your MS DOS BASED program?! " But if that was the case , why it is saying that BEFORE the config sys and autoexec.bat are loaded in? In the boot sequence order.. i thought they load in first before WIN.COM is loaded?! Thank you for your patience. Sincerely Justin [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: last post Sunday, April 26, 2009 at 3:35 am Posted by Jacob6601 (2174 messages posted) 1. Make sure you can view Hidden files: Double-click on the My Computer icon. Select the View menu and then click Folder Options. After the new window appears select the View tab. Scroll down until you see the Show all files radio button and select it. Press the Apply button and then the OK button and close the My Computer window. 2. You can try adding (into Autoexec.bat), as described in the first #2 on page 138996 "... The last line in the Autoexec.bat file is always the following line c:\windows\win.com /wx " This might get you back into protected (normal) mode. 3. Open c:\Msdos.sys and Post back any lines NOT preceded with a semi-colon (;). 4. There may be a file c:\Windows\Dosstart.bat. Post the contents back here if you find it. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: last post Sunday, April 26, 2009 at 7:42 am Posted by Justin (7 messages posted) Jacob.. thank you for your response.. but I fixed the problem already. It is now saying "Starting Windows 98" like it is suposed to. I only did two things.. i deleted the CONFIG.bak and AUTOEXEC.bak from the c:\ root. and left the two SYS and BAT files there. The BAKs are only copies of them. I dont think that was the problem as they were BAK files but never the less they are gone. I also changed the setting in the MSDOS.SYS file of the double buffer back to 0 it was set to 1. Anyways I doubt if they were the cause of the problem, but it is now saying what it supposed to do.. call it a freak of nature? I guess! heheh! [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: last post Sunday, April 26, 2009 at 8:18 am Posted by Justin (7 messages posted) ok I rechanged the doublebuffer back to 1 since that helps with buffer underuns. And rebooted. It is STILL showing the CORRECT text "Starting Windows 98". So now I know it is NOT the doublebuffer setting that was causing the problem. So it leaves me back to the BAK files of the config.sys and autoexec.bat.. and i seriously DOUBT those were the culprit either! [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: "Windows 98 is now starting your MS-DOS-BASED Program" Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 8:30 am Posted by john frazier (4 messages posted) first off let me say this. windows 98 does not need the config.sys or autoexec.bat located on the c:\ drive it has its own located in windows. you can go to start , click on run. type msconfig. when the menu comes up select selective startup. donot select process cofig.sys file or process autoexec.bat file when done hit apply and okay your machine will now reboot if you are still having trouble such as windows is locked in dosboot mode. goto the control panel select system, choose device manager, go down through each listing, you are looking for an unknown device. it will tell you that it was added to to insure that windows was configured to run an unknown program remove it and reboot. On Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 12:34 pm, gewg_ wrote: >Justin wrote: >|I have researched this problem >| >http://jellyfoot.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/attaboy.jpg > >|[...]i get this boot text: >|"Windows 98 is now starting your MS-DOS-BASED Program" >|[...] >|It then boots into windows. >|it doesnt lock up nor does it boot a dos program as far as i can tell. >| >You are using the word "boot" improperly, but I'll let that slide. > >|[...]A few weeks back it had a virus and the OS was replaced. >| >The **proper** way to deal with an infection is to FDISK the system. >This is *beyond* what even a FORMAT will do; >nuking the partition with FDISK will also get any Boot Sector viruses.[1] > >If you didn't have to re-install all your Windoze-compatible apps, >you didn't handle this right.[1] > >|And thats when I noticed that the BOOT text has changed[...] >|I checked the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files >|and there is nothing in them files that load any dos programs. >| >Well, *every* line in AUTOEXEC.BAT is either >a DOS command >a label to jump to > or >a remark >--or at least that's the way it *should* be. > >|In fact i removed the autoexec and config sys >| >I ASSuME you mean you used MSCONFIG to disable processing of those. >That's the proper move--unless you specifically want a DOS TSR running. > >|and IT STILL shows that same text. >|It seems like it is displaying that text >|before it even accesses the config.sys and autoexec. >| >|I read ON LINE that the only way for it to display that text >|is IF a DOS based program is loading. > >By default, the Startup actions for Win9x will process (in this order): > >The Boot Sector of the boot device. If infected, you get what you get. > >IO.SYS - This loads the DOS kernel (Internal commands) > >MSDOS.SYS - Back in the days of Real DOS(tm), > this contained additional Internal commands; > with DOS 7, it contains Windoze config parameters. > >COMMAND.COM - The Command Processor for External commands. > >CONFIG.SYS - If not disabled in MSDOS.SYS, this loads DOS device drivers. > >AUTOEXEC.BAT - If not disabled in MSDOS.SYS, > this runs anything the user / system configurer / old app installs > thinks is apt to get the system to a usable DOS state. > >WIN.COM - Loads Windoze. > > >An old batch file troubleshooting technique >is to insert benign print-to-screen commands at points in the batch file: >@ECHO Breakpoint1 reached >. >. >. >@ECHO Breakpoint2 reached >. >. >. >(etc.) > >If a command like one of those is the first line in AUTOEXEC.BAT, >(or even one containing @ECHO **AUTOEXEC.BAT IS BEING PROCESSED**) >it will show whether that file is, in fact, getting processed >--especially if it is followed by a line containing >PAUSE > >NOTE: If the first line of AUTOEXEC.BAT is >WIN >then anything else in that batch file won't be processed. > > >[1] The abilities of The Black Hats >long ago outstripped the abilities of the virus killer vendors to keep up. >...and ONLY WINDOZE needs this nonsense. > >It's gotten to the point that switching to Linux >is easier that continuing to struggle with Windoze-specific infections[2] >--and the M$ OSes that allow those systems to be infected so easily.[3] > >Linux is MORE SECURE BY DESIGN (where Windoze is Defective By Design). >Linux is also gratis--and libre (FREE). > >[2] ...not to mention that with Linux you get a 21st-Century OS. >Ubuntu 9.04 was just released and the early reports are that it is just SMOKIN'. >This is a version for lower-powered hardware: >http://google.com/search?q=Xubuntu-9.04 >You can boot[4] to the CD and run Linux from the optical disk (a test drive) >--WITHOUT **installing** anything. > >There are versions of Linux that are even less-demanding than that one. > >[3] The **only** safe way to run Windoze these days is inside a virtual machine. >http://google.com/search?q=VirtualBox >When you close the virtual session, all the infections and crap go poof. >(VirtualBox is also Free Software--gratis and libre.) >NOTE: A VM requires pretty $talwart hardware under it. > >[4] I used "boot" properly there. 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