Computers and Peripherals - Windows VKD Device Error (All Caps Removed)

:wall: Please help fast so my son can do homework

I have e-machine 366is win 98. Not sure but maybe upgraded to se. Two harddrives. So I used a program don’t know the name to clean it up make it fast yada yada. It took off tons of files claiming I didn’t need them Anyway trouble started and in trying to fix I tried to use two different cds with win 98 and 98se. Things were more messed up with blue screens and shut downs. So now I try to restore with cd. I don’t have a bootable floppy disk. I can not boot up the computer. There is a problem with system registry. I tried to do scandisk in dos but that just freezes it up. It will not read the restore from the cd. I turn on computer, it starts booting shows windows logo then:
Blue screen I think says WHILE INITIALIZING THE VKD DEVICE WINDOWS PROTECTED ERROR. It says could be fixed by booting to command prompt and run scanreg/fix. I do that and it freezes. Please, Please help. Thanks, Katie

but can you get into safe mode on the machine? Press "F8" right after you see the first screen, but before the Windows screen. You'll need to be pretty quick, it may help to hold it down.

If you can get into safe mode, we can probably fix it.
Worst case is you may need to re-install windows.

Windows will not boot up in safe mode either, How can I reinstall windows? I can;t get it to read the cd rom??

You will need to find or make a bootable floppy. Find someone else with Windows 98 and just make a bootable floppy. You will then be able to boot your PC. Hopefully from there you will be able to use the CD drive and then reformat and install Windows. IF you don't have a good Windows 98 CD then you will have to find one of those to.

now I did this

Hard Drive Format Error

Insufficient memory error when formatting hard drive

This can be caused by one of the following reasons:

1. Hard disk drive has no room to place system files or to backup data on hard disk drive incase the drive needs to be unformatted. This issue is most commonly caused because the hard disk drive has no capacity to place information on the hard disk drive incase it needs to be unformatted.

To fix it: Run an unconditional format on the hard disk drive by typing the following at the MS-DOS prompt. format c: /u <press enter>

After doing that "u format" I boot up and get this message Searching for boot from floppy not found Searching for boot from ide-o..ok then it keeps saying invalid system disk. replace the disk and press anykey. Over and over thats the message, with restore cd without restore cd. Please help

Racraft, Does your response still apply now that I did that u format thing? Thanks for your help. :o

If your computer will not boot from the Windows 98 installation CD, you will need a Windows 98 boot floppy to boot the machine and load the drivers for the CD drive. When the computer boots, press Delete and go into the BIOS. Check through the first few screens for the boot order of drives for the computer. Make the CDROM drive the first choice, press escape and select save and exit. Then restart the computer with the Windows 98 CD in the drive to see if it will boot from it. If so, the installation process should proceed from there.

Hope this helps.

I looked in the bios setup screen and I can not figure out how to change it. In fact I can not figure out where it is in the bios. Sorry but if you could please give me more help on how to find it in the bios and then change it. I never did anything in bios before.Please help and thanks

You can download an image to create a boot floppy for Windows 98 here:

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

Choose the OEM disk for 98 or 98SE, whichever you have on CD.


Now, from there...

Boot from your newly created 98 or 98SE Boot disk

1. Take note of the drive letter the MSCDEX driver assigns to the CD-ROM drive (one of the last things you'll see before you see the A:\> prompt)

2. At the A: prompt, type "format c: /u /s" (u = Unconditional format, s = copy system files)

Enjoy a Coke...this'll take a while (You can add a /q at the end of the format line to do a quick format). Do this step even though you have already formatted to add the system files. It'll ask you for a label when its done. Put in anything or nothing, it doesn't matter.

3. When the format completes, type the following commands hitting enter after each:

c:

md windows

cd windows

md options

cd options

md cabs

cd cabs

4. Put your Win98/Win98SE disk in the CD ROM drive and type:

copy d:\win98 (***If your CD ROM is NOT D:, change the letter to the letter you noted in step 1)

Watch for error messages. See note below if you have any errors.

5. Remove the boot floppy, the 98SE CD, and reboot

6. At the C:\> prompt, type c:\windows\options\cabs\setup

7. Follow the prompts. At some point, you will be asked where you want to put the windows files, and it will *probably* default to c:\windows.000 Change it to c:\windows, and say OK to the warning that the folder exists.



By doing what I prescribed, you will eliminate the need to do the install directly from the CD. If the CD has problems, they will be found in step 3, not during the actual install process. If you get error messages in step 4, you have either a bad 98/98SE disk, or a bad CD-ROM, and you will need to get a replacement/loaner.

The other advantage of this is that whenever your computer needs something off the 98/98SE CD, it shouldn't have to prompt you for the disk since everything it needs will be in the C:\windows\options\cabs CD.

I've done this proceedure dozens of times (perhaps closer to hundreds). Works like a charm...

Chirkware, I first made win 98 since that was the original system. I rec;d the error on bootup "non-system disk or disk error" So then I made a copy of win 98 se since at one point that was system and still recd the same error on boot up. Please advise. My son has a big homework project on the second harddrive and we need to get this running. Thanks so much
This is driving me insane and taking all my time. Should I just buy a new small harddrive to install the windows system on or will i still have trouble. Thanks

OK...The machine is obviously configured in the BIOS to boot from the Hard drive first. Since it see's a bootable hard drive, but no operating system, it displays the non-system disk or disk error message. It probably never even tries to read the floppy, does it?

As chfite mentioned, you need to change the boot order in the BIOS...Here's emachines support page for this system:

http://www.emachines.com/support/product_support.html?cat=desktop&subcat=eTower+Series&model=eTower+366is

They have some contact info there. Maybe they can step you through it. Their FAQ page just says "You can alter the boot up drive sequence when you enter the system BIOS setup." Well, duh! LOL They could be a little more specific...

If you can get into the BIOS again, tell us what options the main screen gives you (you don't need to give all the details, just the main options). If you can note whether it is an "AMI BIOS", "Award BIOS", "Phoenix BIOS", or something else, that could help...maybe someone can put on their "way back" hat and remember where the boot order settings are for that type BIOS.

Hi
since your not to familar in computer problem.
Take it to a computer shop ASAP they might be able to fix it in no time.
They have all the software.
Good luck

pg

Things are just getting worse. I bought a new hard drive and am getting the same message "Non Sysyem disk or disk error" during boot up. so I took out the new hd and put back the old. It starts to boot, seems to read "a" drive first cause it says looking for boot from a drive first. The restore cd says its bootable but it won't read it either I guesss.Then I get the error. I can not get to dos, I can not get to bios. This is soooo buming me out. Any help is still appreciated and thanks to all who have tried to help me.

By the way 80 gig western digital hd has $60.00 in rebates at Micro Center if anyone needs one. Only $30.00 after rebates.(not mine, just info for anyone)

get your hands on a bootble floppy and reinstall windows

Chirkware, I can get to BIOS There are 4 squares Setup, utility, security, and default. It says American trend Amibios setup 1999. I now have a bootable floppy but it will not work even though it appears to be the first detected. Same error "non-system disk or disk error" When I boot up. I put the floppy restore in and the cd restore in and same error. With one disk or both. Thanks again

Chirkware, I can get to BIOS There are 4 squares Setup, utility, security, and default. It says American trend Amibios setup 1999. I now have a bootable floppy but it will not work even though it appears to be the first detected. Same error "non-system disk or disk error" When I boot up. I put the floppy restore in and the cd restore in and same error. With one disk or both. Thanks again


Cool! Amazingly, I happen to have a 486(!) with an AMIBIOS sitting here now...1994 on this one (and you thought YOUR PC was old :D). BTW: No, it is not my machine.

Lets see...

Setup-->Advanced-->System Boot Up Sequence

Select this option. You should get a few different choices. Choose one that has A: first, and then the CD-ROM (if CD-ROM is even a boot uption).

Hit ESC to get back to the main screen, then ESC again. Choose Save changes and Exit.

NOW you should be able to boot off the floppy. Alternately, if you can set it to boot off the CD-ROM drive first, you should be able to boot off the Win98 CD or the Restore CD.


ONE NOTE OF CAUTION on that E-Machines Restore CD. **DON'T USE IT** until and unless we determine something:

Are you sure you have *two hard drives*, or do you have one hard drive *partitioned into two drive letters*?

You say your sons data is on the second drive. If there are two physical hard drives, disconnect the second one before running that restore CD. If there is one hard drive partitioned into two drive letters, don't use the restore CD period. It WILL wipe out the partitions...I know...I've "been there, done that". Thankfully, there was no data on the second partition.

Hi Chirkware, I absolutely have 2 separate harddrives
The original and first had nothing but basically the operating system. On the second drive that was partitioned into 2 or 3 others letters was the one with my work on one, my sons games and schoolwork on another and so on. On the off chance that the floppy was bad I tried another working floppy on it and same problem. Also as I said I tried a brand new HD and same prob. I’ll try what you just mentioned and sure hope it works thanks for help. There are also 2 cd's if that matters one writable one not.

Hey C,
There is other stuff but I'll just mention bootup stuff. It says:
Quick Boot Disabled
1st boot device atapi cdrom
2nd boot device floppy
3rd boot device 1st ide hdd
bootup numlock on
boot to os/2 no

Before I try anything to change the bios after reading this above should I still do it. Thanks K.

Interesting...That boot order should work. Go ahead and change the floppy to be first and the ATAPI CDROM second. That way we know it's looking at the boot floppy first.

Another setting I had forgotten about that may need to be changed is "Floppy Drive Seek at Boot". It needs to be enabled. This setting is probably in that same area (Setup-->Advanced Setup).

When the PC boots, does the floppy drive light just come on and go off, or does it actually act like it is trying to read the floppy disk?

Another setting I had forgotten about that may need to be changed is "Floppy Drive Seek at Boot". It needs to be enabled. This setting is probably in that same area (Setup-->Advanced Setup).

When the PC boots, does the floppy drive light just come on and go off, or does it actually act like it is trying to read the floppy disk?

When i boot up the floppy lights up and the screen says looking for boot from floppy ok then the invalid systen error

I can not find anything in the bios that says "Floppy Drive Seek at Boot".
I changed the boot up sequence as you said to and it does not work same error so I changed it back
Thanks

you might have a bad floppy drive. How do you know the floppy disk are good? Have you tried the floppies in another drive

I was able to restore using original restore cd. I did a full format. now when it boots up it says

"invalid system disk replace disk and then press any key"
also
Something is wrong with dos? Maybe, not sure, but at boot up one line says
asp12dos.sys instilation failed aic-78xx/aic-75xxaspi manager for dos version 1.32
Then there are about 2 or three more line about dos that say bus scan complete. Thanks for any help.
I did take out the secind drive to save it and I checked the floppy by changing it with a know good one(the whole physical drive) I put back the original

So you are getting "invalid system disk replace disk and then press any key" when you try to boot off the hard drive that you ran the restore disk on? If so, I see two possibilities:

1. The hard drive is failing.
2. The hard drive does not have an "active" partition.

Since you are apparently able to boot off the CD-ROM drive now, try running the restore disk on the new hard drive. If #1 is true, a new hard drive is the only fix. If #2 is true, a partition can be set active in FDISK (unfortunataly, since you can't get the PC to boot off the floppy, FDISK is gonna be hard to get to).


Now, I'm a little confused with the other error messages. If you get "invalid system disk replace disk and then press any key", when are you getting these other messages? Those are messages you will get during the bootup process. The Invalid System Disk message indicates there is nothing to boot from, hence no bootup process ever starts.

Or, are these error messages coming up when you try to boot from a CD or floppy? Those look like SCSI driver files, so if you are getting them booting from the CD or floppy, don't worry about them. They are likely for hardware you don't have. For instance, the Generic Win98 boot disk attempts to load several CD and/or SCSI drivers. If the PC doesn't have the hardware the driver is for, you get an error saying the driver failed to load.

Hey C, :thumbup: you're right harddrive was bad. I replaced it and also there were some bios problems. Anyway I am restoring all our programs. Many headaches and sleepless nights have tought me to learn about back up. I will now always do that regularly and on two seperate hd's. I think I'll get a backup drive or what ever they are . Also I tols my son to always save his projects on floppys or disk too. Thanks for all the help. K

Katie,

If there is a panic to retrieve data from the second hard drive you could remove it and install it in another machine that has a fat 32 file system.
If the computer you're on now is win 98 you'll have it made.

I swap hd's all the time and will be setting up a fresh install of XP in my spare time on a new drive, but swapping cables to access my old drive if I need to do something.

Thanks but it's too late. I was originally able to save much on second hd. But then in the panic wiped it out accidently when restoring the hd. Anyway all was lost but am rebuilding. But I'll remember that for next time,... and if there is a next time, just shoot me. ;)