[Resolved] Win 98 will not boot {virus and vkd error}

[firefly260]

Hello all, I have a friends laptop (Compaq LTE Elite4/75CXL) running on Win 98 with 16MB ram. However it has stopped booting into windows, I suspect relevant bits of bootlog read as follows:

[0016D21A] Loading Vxd = vkd
[0016D21C] LoadSuccess = vkd

Blah Blah

[0016D262] SYSCRITINIT = VKD
[0016D263] SYSCRITINITSUCCESS = VKD

Blah Blah

[0016D33D] DEVICEINIT = VMOUSE
[0016D33E] DEVICEINITSUCCESS = VMOUSE
[0016D33F] DEVICEINIT = VKD

this is the final entry in the bootlog.

Anyone any idea as to how I can sort this out, I cannot re-load Win 98 as the laptop does not have a CD-Rom.

Regards
Keith

 

[Bryan]

Those bootlog entries don't really reveal much. Try following <a href=http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q188867> this</a> Microsoft Startup Troubleshooter and see if you can get access at least in SafeMode.

 

[firefly260]

Sorry Bryan, meant to say cannot access even in safe mode, fails with While initialising device VKD:
Windows protect I presume that this is a protection error, but the line does not complete. On running scanreg from command line, not errors reported, but running again system locks.

Any ideas please

 

[Bryan]

Are you saying you tried the "Step by Step With Confirmation" option from the Startup menu and that's where it fails? If you haven't tried the "Step by Step...", try it. It's one of the options on the Startup menu.

Have you tried running a scanreg /restore from a DOS prompt and restoring back to a prior registry copy? If not, try it. At a c: prompt type in the following and follow the prompts

scanreg /restore

 

[firefly260]

Hello again,

when I try step by step, config.sys runs OK, autoexec.bat runs OK, when asked to load all windows drivers, the following appear

JAVASUP.vxd
C:\windows\system\vrtwd.386
C:\windows\system\vfixd.vxd
imouse.vxd
Imul.vxd
msmouse.vxd

then it fails with
While inititialising device VKD
and has just shut down before i could read it all, will try again.

 

[Bryan]

BTW, VKD is the keyboard loading.

 

[firefly260]

I tried scanreg /restore back to the earliest cab, but it has himem.sys missing, will try to reinstall that.

Thanks for your assistance Bryan.

 

[firefly260]

Uh oh, may have just found the culprit, put clean floppy in my machine, copied Himem.sys to it, then x-copy to other machine.
Still saying Himem.sys missing, when put disk back into my machine, AVG says bootsector infected with Form virus.

Is this the probable cause? if so how can I cure it on the laptop with no AV program on it?
Is the only solution to reformat the drive?

 

[Bryan]

First off, the data on the drive may be lost or may become lost if you try this.

First throw away any diskettes that you've used in the laptop. They are all most likely infected and dangerous to use in any PC.

Then this is what I'd try

I'd create a new clean W98 boot diskette from any functioning W98 PC. Then be sure to "Write Protect" the floppy. Boot the laptop to the boot diskette and resys the drive.

See <a href=http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q128730> this </a> article and follow the step to "Reinstall the Windows System Files" to 'resys" the drive.

If you can at least get the laptop to boot up, then install any AV program.

Let us know what happens.

Other than that, maybe someone else that has experience with the Form boot sector virus may have some better suggestions.

 

[Bryan]

Or if I caught you soon enough. Try this utility. Unzip it to a floppy and read the "Readme.doc" for instructions on how to use it from DOS mode.


http://www.simtel.net/pub/pd/51891.html

And remember, "Write Protect" the diskette before using it in the infected PC.

 

[firefly260]

tried creating bootdisk and sysing drive to no avail, still fails on boot-up with the original problem, Whilst initialising device VKD windows protection error.

Any other suggestions please Bryan?

 

[Bryan]

Did you try the Simtel utility above? I'm not sure if it will clean an already infect hardrive but it's worth a try. Be sure to read the "Readme.doc" that's included in the .zip file.

In the meantime I'm hoping someone with experience cleaning the Form virus from DOS mode will come along. I'm pretty sure there's a utility that will do it, I just can't locate it.

 

[firefly260]

not tried it yet, still reading the read me file, will give it a go though, nothing to lose.

 

[Bryan]

I also believe you can use the free version of F-Prot for DOS to clean the drive but I'm not 100 percent sure of that.

I've got to go but I'll check back later. Hopefully someone else will come along in the meantime.

 

[firefly260]

thanks again bryan, have just tried it but no use, still failing.

Will check in again tommorow evening, its now 01:45 AM here, nearly time for bed.

Thanks again
Keith
Firefly260