Computer won't boot

[tightcoat]

On an old computer I am running win 98.  I ran my virus check and there were almost 7000 infected files.  I looked at some of them and they didn't look like viruses.  I put them in quarantine.  Now I fear that I quarantined some files necessary to boot up the computer.  It takes me to the C> prompt then nothing I do gets me past that. 
Is there a way I can reset or undo what I have done?  I have or at least can not find the recovery disks or the boot disks.

There must be a way to start this computer again.  Can you tell me how?

Thanks
tightcoat

[patio]

What app did you run ? ?
Does typing Win and hitting enter at the command prompt launch Windows properly ? ?

[tightcoat]

Everything works as it always has until this:
Boot from ATAPI CD-ROM :  Bootable CD not exist

The following file is missing or corrupted : C:\Windows\HIMEM.SYS

The following file is missing or corrupted : C:\Windows\DBLUFF.SYS

The following file is missing or corrupted : C:\Windows\IFSHLP.SYS

The following file is missing or corrupted : COMMAND.COM

Type the name of the Command Interpreter (e.g.,C:\Windows\command.com
C>
Nothing I do at C> works

The anti virus software I ran was I think (because I can't look) Free Virus Software, maybe it's free antivirus software or free antivirus protection..

It is all I could find for free that would run on the WIN 98.  That is when I found it I quit looking.  I have used this for a couple years with success.

This time when it showed me all the viruses I put the files in quarantine and I think that was my mistake.

I hope this helps.

Thanks..

[BC_Programmer]

sounds like you had a nasty infection that pretty much destroyed your windows installation, it might have been the "anti" virus you downloaded. malware likes to pretend to be a AV program, and googling for "free anti-virus software" is like opening a can of worms unless you know what to look for.

At the "enter the name of the command interpreter" prompt, you should be able to enter C:\windows\command\command.com to get a usable prompt.

Either way, you are certainly looking at a complete reinstall to get things working again.

[tightcoat]

OK, As I said this is an old computer.  I am willing to try to reinstall but alas I have long since lost all the disks that came with it.  I tried running a rescue disk I found and a startup one that I found but neither of them would work. 

I think if I could just get it started I could undo some of what I did.  As I said I have used this virus scanner many times before.  I think something was different in how it worked but if I had not quarantined the files they would be available to boot it up.  Anyway, without the original disks is there any way to get it running?


Part of this is I just am willing to try anything because there is nothing to lose.

Thanks for the help and keep that advice coming.

[tightcoat]

I am willing to learn a new operating system like linux.  Is this something that I can download on a different computer and then install on the one in question?

I don't remember what it has under the hood.  I think it's an intel 386 processor.  I don't remember the speed or how much memory I have.

I am new to other operating systems.  Can i get some help like maybe a step by step process?

[superheat11]

Hi Tightcoat, were you able to fix your comp yet? I was having a similar issue with my ten year old Dell. My friend thats gone now repaired my comp cause like a dolt i deleted some windows files so he restored them but he made a complete copy of the main WINDOWS FOLDER  and named it WINDOWS1 and he set my comp up to bootup on this WINDOWS1 folder. Now i cant get my comp to reboot up on anything but this windows1 folder and I CANT BELIEVE i cant find anyone here to show me how to reprogram my comp to boot up on the original WINDOWS FOLDER but since i had a copy of windows i was able to reinstall these DBLBUFF and and other files ill try to see if you can do it you might have a copy of those files hid somewhere in your comp try this line
copy c:\dblbuff.exe c:\winndows and then doit to the other files as well and see if that puts them back where they belongi have one lousy file missing on my comp to run windows and i have no cd either mabey if you cant copy the files back to windows try buying a cd off of EBAY there pretty cheap ill try that as soon as i can get my ebay account str8tened out,hope this helped you man,later...SUPERHEAT OUT...

[superheat11]

COPY C:\DBLBUFF.SYS C:\WINDOWS
COPY C:\HIMES.SYS C:\WINDOWS
COPY C:\COMMAND.COM C:\WINDOWS AND SO FORTH.......

[tightcoat]

superheat,

Thanks for the advice.  I'll try it.

Here is what I did in the meantime.  I got a copy of *censored* Small Linux on a different, newer computer and made a disk and put that in the old computer.  I run DSL off the disk.  I still can't get anything else to run.  When I have a little more time I will see what larger, more featured version of LINUX that I can run and I will load that and begin learning what all LINUX will do.

The old computer is in the room where I watch TV and I use it to surf when I am multi tasking (read Watching TV and surfing)

I have not yet formatted the hard drive so Windows is still there.  Maybe I can get it back up.

PS  I didn't know what was censored so I asked in a different thread.

Think of a word that rhymes with what a beaver builds and change the spelling to what you surmise is the censored word and google that and you can find the OS I am using off the disk.

[patio]

COPY C:\DBLBUFF.SYS C:\WINDOWS
COPY C:\HIMES.SYS C:\WINDOWS
COPY C:\COMMAND.COM C:\WINDOWS AND SO FORTH.......

This will not work...

[Salmon Trout]

I got a copy of *censored* Small Linux

Think of a word that rhymes with what a beaver builds and change the spelling to what you surmise is the censored word and google that and you can find the OS I am using off the disk.

*censored*? You can say that here you know. This is 2010, not 1810.

[BC_Programmer]

*censored*? You can say that here you know. This is 2010, not 1810.

It's censored by the forum, not by him. It will probably show as censored in my quote as well.

EDIT: I guess it depends on profile settings wether it will be censored or not.