Cannot boot Windows ME: I/O subsystem driver failed to load error

I own a compaq presario 5003US series with Windows Me. When I try to boot the machine I get an error that says: "An I/O subsystem driver failed to load. Either a file in the .\iosubsys subdirectory is corrupt, or the system is low on memory." I contacted HP and was told to boot with a windows startup disk and rename the iosubsys file to iosubold (c:\Windows\System\ ren iosubsys iosubold). This did not change anything. The machine came with a recovery cd, but i never performed a user backup and cannot restore use the cd to restore the computer to the factory settings. When I insert the recovery cd the option for factory restore says "no factory image found." I did make an emergency disk, but im not sure what I can do with it. If I could have any input on how to fix this or just recover the factory settings it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jim

This worked for me once ...

Insert a Windows 98 bootup diskette and restart your computer to an A:\> command prompt. Type the following two commands, pressing [Enter] after each:

ren c:\windows\system\iosubsys iosubold
c:\windows\options\cabs\setup.exe

Windows should reinstall/repair itself.

Note: You can download a program that will recreate a Windows 98SE bootup diskette for you from bootdisk.com.

I tried the windows 98 startup disk and I got the reinstall to work, but now when I boot the Windows ME screen comes up then it goes straight to the shut down screen ("It's now safe to turn off your computer"). Am I doing something wrong or is there something extra I have to do?

-Jim

Also, I can boot my computer in safe mode. When I do boot in safe mode I get an error message that reads "Windows cannot detect and install your devices while it is running in safe mode. To detect and install your devices, restart Windows and don't choose safe mode." I read about a similar problem in another forum for a Windows 98 machine(http://discussions.virtualdr.com/sho...t+shut+screen). I think, although i'm not positive, that this is not a result from a worm. I have only one copy of the wininit.exe file in the c:\windows folder, there is no copy in c:\windows\system. And I tried renaming the vmm32.vxd file to vmm32.old using the windows 98 boot disk, and then I reinstalled Win Me using the c:\windows options\cabs\setup.exe command. Still when I try to do a normal boot I get the Windows ME startup screen, then it goes straight to the shutdown screen. If anyone has any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again,
Jim

By using the selective startup I've limited the problem down to the System.ini file. My machine will now boot into normal mode without the system.ini. But now I need to know how to fix the system.ini file???

-Jim

Sounds like you've done some tedious but excellent detective work so far. :)

If you can, post a copy of your System.ini file in here and we'll see if we can spot anything wrong. (Hopefully it's not too long).

"Here's a copy of the System.ini file and the System.tsh file. I'm guessing the .ini file is for reference and the .tsh file is the actual file that is used?? They don't match exactly so I'm hesitent to change either of them without someone elses input. Thanks again for any help!"

SYSTEM.INI file:

;
; *** DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE! ***
;
; This file was created by the System Configuration Utility as
; a placeholder for your SYSTEM.INI file. Your actual
; SYSTEM.INI file has been saved under the name SYSTEM.TSH.
;
[boot]
system.drv=system.drv
drivers=mmsystem.dll
user.exe=user.exe
gdi.exe=gdi.exe
sound.drv=mmsound.drv
dibeng.drv=dibeng.dll
comm.drv=comm.drv
mouse.drv=mouse.drv
keyboard.drv=keyboard.drv
shell=Explorer.exe
*DisplayFallback=0

[386Enh]
ebios=*ebios
device=*vshare
device=*dynapage
mouse=*vmouse, msmouse.vxd
device=*vcd
device=*vpd
device=*int13
woafont=dosapp.fon
keyboard=*vkd
display=*vdd,*vflatd

[drivers]
wavemapper=*.drv
MSACM.imaadpcm=*.acm
MSACM.msadpcm=*.acm
wave=mmsystem.dll
midi=mmsystem.dll

[mci]
cdaudio=mcicda.drv
sequencer=mciseq.drv
waveaudio=mciwave.drv
avivideo=mciavi.drv
videodisc=mcipionr.drv
vcr=mcivisca.drv

[drivers32]
MSACM.imaadpcm=imaadp32.acm
MSACM.msadpcm=msadp32.acm
MSACM.msgsm610=msgsm32.acm
MSACM.msg711=msg711.acm
MSACM.trspch=tssoft32.acm
vidc.CVID=iccvid.dll
VIDC.IV31=ir32_32.dll
VIDC.IV32=ir32_32.dll
vidc.MSVC=msvidc32.dll
VIDC.MRLE=msrle32.dll
msacm.lhacm=lhacm.acm



SYSTEM.TSH file

[boot]
oemfonts.fon=vgaoem.fon
shell=Explorer.exe
system.drv=atmsys.drv
drivers=mmsystem.dll
user.exe=user.exe
gdi.exe=gdi.exe
sound.drv=mmsound.drv
dibeng.drv=dibeng.dll
comm.drv=comm.drv
mouse.drv=mouse.drv
keyboard.drv=keyboard.drv
*DisplayFallback=0
fonts.fon=vgasys.fon
fixedfon.fon=vgafix.fon
386Grabber=vgafull.3gr
display.drv=pnpdrvr.drv
atm.system.drv=system.drv

[keyboard]
keyboard.dll=
oemansi.bin=
subtype=
type=4

[boot.description]
system.drv=Standard PC
keyboard.typ=Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard
mouse.drv=Standard mouse
aspect=100,96,96
display.drv=Intel(r) 82810E Graphics Controller

[386Enh]
ebios=*ebios
woafont=dosapp.fon
mouse=*vmouse, msmouse.vxd
device=*dynapage
device=*vcd
device=*vpd
device=*int13
display=*vdd,*vflatd
WPSLPT1=0
device=*enable

[NonWindowsApp]
TTInitialSizes=4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 20 22

[power.drv]

[drivers]
wave=mmsystem.dll
midi=mmsystem.dll
wavemapper=*.drv
MSACM.imaadpcm=*.acm
MSACM.msadpcm=*.acm

[iccvid.drv]

[mciseq.drv]

[mci]
cdaudio=mcicda.drv
sequencer=mciseq.drv
waveaudio=mciwave.drv
avivideo=mciavi.drv
videodisc=mcipionr.drv
vcr=mcivisca.drv
MPEGVideo=mciqtz.drv
MPEGVideo2=mciqtz.drv

[vcache]

[Password Lists]
default=C:\WINDOWS\default.PWL

[drivers32]
msacm.lhacm=lhacm.acm
VIDC.VDOM=vdowave.drv
msacm.msaudio1=msaud32.acm
msacm.sl_anet=sl_anet.acm
MSACM.msg711=msg711.acm
vidc.CVID=iccvid.dll
VIDC.IV31=ir32_32.dll
VIDC.IV32=ir32_32.dll
vidc.MSVC=msvidc32.dll
VIDC.MRLE=msrle32.dll
msacm.msg723=msg723.acm
vidc.M263=msh263.drv
vidc.M261=msh261.drv
VIDC.IV50=ir50_32.dll
msacm.iac2=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\IAC25_32.AX
msacm.l3acm=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\L3CODECA.ACM
msacm.voxacm160=vct3216.acm
VIDC.TSCC=tsccvid.dll
MSACM.imaadpcm=imaadp32.acm
MSACM.msadpcm=msadp32.acm
MSACM.msgsm610=msgsm32.acm
MSACM.trspch=tssoft32.acm

Wow, quite a difference between those two, (quite a bit missing too). Wonder how it'd run with the original SYSTEM.INI file restored?

First make a backup copy of how it's setup now. Get to a DOS prompt, (click Start|Run type command and press [Enter]), then type the following two commands, pressing [Enter] after each:

copy c:\windows\system.ini c:\windows\system.ini.bak
copy c:\windows\system.tsh c:\windows\system.tsh.bak

If you see a "1 file(s) copied" after each of those two commands, you'll know they worked. (If you didn't see them, don't continue with the next command).

Now restore the SYSTEM.TSH back as the SYSTEM.INI:

copy c:\windows\system.tsh c:\windows\system.ini

(and press [Enter]).

Reboot and cross your fingers.

Does it boot into Normal mode now without having to skip the SYSTEM.INI file?

--

BTW, (by the way), here is the DOS command to put the SYSTEM.INI file back the way it was before that last copy command above:

copy c:\windows\system.ini.bak c:\windows\system.ini

We have to be gettin pretty close. I tried restoring SYSTEM.TSH back to the SYSTEM.INI file, but the computer still will not boot in Normal mode without having to skip the SYSTEM.INI file. Including the SYSTEM.INI in the boot causes the computer to go straight to the shutdown screen still(although now when the shutdown screen comes up the computer automatically turns off, before i had to turn it off manually-don't know if that means anything??). Without the SYSTEM.INI file the computer does boot in normal mode, so it still may be a problem with this file. Is it possible that both copies are bad?? or would it make a difference if I copied the .ini file and pasted it over top of the .tsh file in wordpad?? Thanks so much for your help so far! Your assistance is very much appreciated.

-Jim

The SYSTEM.TSH file is not used by Windows during the bootup process, only the SYSTEM.INI file.

According to the note at the top of your SYSTEM.INI file, some "System Configuration Utility" (whatever that is), made a backup copy of your original SYSTEM.INI file and named it SYSTEM.TSH. It then made numerous changes to your current SYSTEM.INI file. If you compare the two (TSH and INI), a lot of lines are missing and there are many changes to the lines that are left.

The SYSTEM.INI file doesn't really "run" like a program. It's a list of configuration settings like the Windows registry. Some of the lines can cause Windows to load various DLLs, others to launch EXE programs and others are simply configuration settings for things like installed fonts, cache sizes etc.

Apparently one of those DLLs or EXE programs listed in both your SYSTEM.INI and SYSTEM.TSH files are causing your system to shutdown on bootup. It could be because one (or more) of the DLL and/or EXE programs is corrupt or malicious or it/they could be causing a conflict with something else on your system.

The last step we took, trying your original SYSTEM.INI file, was with the hope that the problem was only with something in the new SYSTEM.INI file ... which didn't work.

The next step (in this process of elimination) would be to temporarily delete one section at a time (in the new SYSTEM.INI file), reboot and see if it still tries to shutdown. Once you've found the problem section, then start deleting just one line at a time from that section, reboot and see if it worked. Hopefully you'll eventually discover the line (or lines) that are causing the problem.

I say "hopefully" because it's sometimes a particular combination or even a sequence of events that can cause the problem. (Load A before B and it doesn't work, but load B before A and everything is fine).

Another thing you might try is booting up to the Startup menu and selecting the "boot with logfile" (or similar) option. As Windows is booting up now it will be adding what it's loading and doing to separate lines in a file named "C:\BOOTLOG.TXT". The last entry (or near to the last entry) should be the program causing the auto-shutdown problem. (Since Windows won't stay running for you, you'll probably need to boot from a Windows Startup/Boot diskette in order to view the C:\BOOTLOG.TXT file).

Gotta run for now, (off to work). Holler if you need some help with any of the above.