Deleting File

[steve harrison]

hello everyone long time since ive been here,
still dont no much dos so can someone tell me the path for deleting this file[wnbootng.sts] in dos ,from what ive read its supposed to be in the windows folder but i dont see it anywhere ,infact not to sure i have it but i just want to see if it changes anything with pc?
steve

[Vernon Frazee]

To see if the file exists, and which directory (folder) it resides in, at any DOS prompt, type:

• dir c:\wnbootng.sts /a /s

(Note: The "/a" means show all files and the "/s" means search all subdirectories).

If it's found, let's say in the C:\Windows folder, you should be able to delete it with the command:

• deltree c:\windows\wnbootng.sts

(The reason for using DELTREE instead of DEL is because DELTREE will delete a file that has the Read-only, System and/or Hidden attributes set).

[steve harrison]

thanks Verson ,i.see your still around here lol..
steve

[Vernon Frazee]

You're welcome. And yep, still here.

[AlaricD]

Originally posted by steve harrison
hello everyone long time since ive been here,
still dont no much dos so can someone tell me the path for deleting this file[wnbootng.sts] in dos ,from what ive read its supposed to be in the windows folder but i dont see it anywhere ,infact not to sure i have it but i just want to see if it changes anything with pc?
steve

The only way you'll have that file is if you created it yourself, or if you interrupted a boot into Windows and then booted from a floppy drive. This file is used as a flag for the boot process to determine if Windows was able to attain Normal Mode on the previous boot. Recently, I did some extended testing with that particular file.

If I touched a wnbootng.sts in the \windows directory, and then rebooted, I would get the Startup Menu and the warning that Windows did not succesfully start the last time. However, if I chose Normal Mode at screen, it would take me to Normal Mode and on subsequent reboots take me there straight away.

If I touched the file (that is, created a zero-byte file of that name), and then gave it System and Read-Only attributes, then every time I rebooted I was taken to the Startup Menu and given Safe Mode as the default choice, but could still then choose Normal Mode and enter Normal Mode.
Very strange.

So, I removed wnbootng.sts and did some more testing (my poor machine!):

I started a boot to Normal Mode, and let it progress a while, then interrupted with a Ctrl-Alt-Del. Upon reboot, it took me to the menu, telling me (correctly) that Windows failed to boot normally, and suggested Safe Mode. I instead chose "Safe Mode Command Prompt Only" and looked for the wnbootng.sts that I was sure I would find in the \windows directory. I did not find it. Perplexing!

I rebooted, this time hitting Ctrl-Alt-Del as soon as I got the Startup Menu "suggesting" I use Safe Mode, and then booting from a boot disk. The file was STILL not there.

Finally, I rebooted, chose Normal Mode, and interrupted the boot -- but this time booted from a boot disk rather than wait for the Menu another time. This time, the file DID exist in \windows.

This answered several questions for me, to some extent.

1. Q. When does Windows create the file wnbootng.sts?
   A. According to my observations, Windows must create the file shortly after the the main process of loading the GUI gets underway. (WiNBOOTiNG.STatuS?)
   
2. Q. When does Windows destroy the file?
   A. Apparently, it is file is destroyed at two different times: Windows will remove it upon entry into Normal Mode (the file that it created in the middle of that boot is removed), and it will remove it upon displaying the boot menu bearing the "Safe Mode" warning.
   
3. Q. What does the file contain?
   A. A very good question (are you sure you asked it?)! The file contains NOTHING. It's a zero-byte file. I was curious as to the possible contents of the file, but, since I was experimenting with the effects of the file, I simply touched one instead of trying to create an "official" one. Turns out that it created the EXACT file that Windows creates since all it needs to do is check for the existence of the file. When you think about it, Windows would probably not have been able to put the reason for the boot failure into the file, as the boot failure would usually prevent Windows from doing anything at all at that point (such as locking up, or just rebooting all by itself). Therefore, the existence of the file itself at reboot is sufficient for Windows to know something went wrong. Besides, that's what the Logged Boot option is for, anyway.

[steve harrison]

AlaricD
thats more or less what i was trying to suss out ,after a safe mode episode i thought maybes the winbootng file was stopping me from going further,went the easy way by format c coz it was dragging me down
steve
ps btw whats wrong with this i can see something but checked autoexec and config files and the lines are not there?
steve
C:\>\Windows\command
MSCDEX,EXE /D :mscd001
Device Driver Not Found 'MSCD001:
No Valid Device Driver Found
C:\>
Microsoft Windows 98
C:\WINDOWS_[ends @flashing cursor]

[AlaricD]

The wnbootng.sts only throws up a speedbump, you should still be able to enter Normal Mode despite the presence of that file at boot.

Your next question, regarding the failure of the MSCDEX.EXE CD-ROM redirector to detect that a valid CD-ROM device driver was loaded, means one of many things.

1. You do not have a CD-ROM device driver in the CONFIG.SYS
2. The line is there but does not correspond to the correct path or filename (error prefaced with Bad or missing)
3. The line is there, but it is failing to detect a CD-ROM drive attached to the system (output like: No drives found, aborting installation or Interface board or CD-ROM not set or turned on (Abort, Retry)
4. The line is there, and it is detecting a CD-ROM drive, but the /D: switch does not match the /D: on MSCDEX.EXE (For example, one has /D:MSCD001, the other /D:mscd001)

Note: some people are tempted to use /E:mscd001 to set the CD-ROM drive letter to E:. This is erroneous. In MSCDEX, the /E tells it to use expanded memory (EMS). It may have no correlation for any of the major CD-ROM drivers. Use /L:<x> where <x> is a valid drive letter not in conflict with an existing drive or contrary to the LASTDRIVE= statement (E: when not explicitly stated in CONFIG.SYS.)

[Eeyore]

Device Driver Not Found 'MSCD001:
No Valid Device Driver Found

This means that the CDROM was not loaded. If the CDROM is working in Windows, then this line should have REM at the beginnning as:
rem C:\Windows\command\MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001

There should be a line in the CONFIG.SYS file with the same /D:mscd001 such as:
device=c:\cdrom\cdromdrv.sys /D:mscd001
These two lines make the CDROM available at DOS. But normally you would let Windows load it instead.

The error could be that the line is not in the CONFIG.SYS file, the file called is not where the path points to or is not on the hard drive, or the /D:mscd001 is not identical in both the CONFIG.SYS and the AUTOEXEC.BAT files.

If your Windows is not starting automatically, but you can start it by typing win, adding win as the last line in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file should start it. Normally having the line:
BootGUI=1
in the MSDOS.SYS file should start Windows automatically.

Hope this helps.
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Two Cents
Dennis
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[steve harrison]

windows starts normally m8 now its just when i boot i see that message,after that message windows loads normally,i checked the config sys file and it was empty so i was happy but on reading the post of yours it should be in there lol shouldnt it!
steve

[AlaricD]

If you intend to boot to Normal Mode and have access to your CDROM, you do not want to include drivers for the device in CONFIG.SYS. This can send your entire filesystem into MS-DOS compatibility mode (with the exception of drivers for certain proprietary-interface drives, however, even some of these drive still have protected-mode drivers available for them.)

Just REM the MSCDEX.EXE line from the AUTOEXEC.BAT. No more "No valid CD-ROM device drivers selected" message.

At the time it didn't sink in that you were just trying to boot to Normal Mode rather than use a boot disk.

As far as getting asked to enter Safe Mode every time you boot (but can still choose Normal Mode), then perhaps your MSDOS.SYS file has the entries:

• BootMenu=1
  BootMenuDefault=3

which would bring up the menu and choose "Safe Mode" as the default. You can edit the MSDOS.SYS and change the "BootMenuDefault" to equal "1".