BleepingComputer.com: What Is A Boot-up Disk For?

I have been without a computer for about a month now because my computer will only boot-up halfway before getting an error message about a missing DLL file.. MSVCRT.DLL

I have attempted many fixes including renaming the file, extracting it from a CAB file etc... nothing is working. I get the same error message, even in SAFE MODE.

There ARE MSVCRT.DLL files on the PC, but for some strange reason Windows will not fire up. Unfortunately... I have no Win98 disk.

It has been suggested that I get a BOOT-UP disk....

What exactly will that BOOT-UP disk accomplish for me. Will my PC start up like before if I put the disk in the floppy drive? Also... how will it assist me in fixing this problem?

Thanks in advance

DAVID

PS: I haven't been able to get ahold of the disk because the PC I use here at the library cannot download files... I have to get on a waiting list to use a special PC used for downloading files.

Have you tried booting into safe mode? MSVCRT.DLL isn't a system file, but contains libraries for all sorts of processes. Chances are, you have other problems along with the missing dll file. Not having a 98 disk is a critical problem because the only way to fix it might be a repair install. Sure, you could replace the .dll, but I have to wonder what else has been corrupted, and why.

A boot disk is a floppy that has a set of minimal files to boot the PC into DOS. This is handy for moving or replacing files, and also could be very useful in your case because you also need it to replace the system registry with an earlier copy. Windows makes five copies of the registry and you should be able to go back to an earlier saved date where Windows started OK. You can download a Windows boot disk. If you have any friends who are running Windows 98, take a blank floppy to their house and make one from their system.

You create a boot disk by putting the floppy in the drive, then go to Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs and click on the Startup Disk tab. Press the button to create the disk and when it's finished, it'll boot up the machine from the floppy.

Sorry for the long explanation, but you should be able to start DOS without a boot disk. While your computer is booting, start tapping the F8 key and it will bring up a boot dialog. Choose "command prompt only" and you're in DOS.

To replace the registry, once you've got into DOS, which is nothing but a prompt which looks like this: C:/> type in:

scanreg /restore

just like that. Windows will bring up a box that will show you the five copies. Your mouse will not be working. You have to use arrow keys and the enter key to pick one that started. I'd choose the most recent one that started.

If you do get Windows up and running OK, it's a good idea to make a boot disk.

Hi... OK. I HAVE tried scanreg/restore.. but no matter which date I choose, it still doesn't work. This is the error message I get when attempting to start my PC.

The MSVCRT.DLL file is linked
to missing export NTDLL.DLL:
RTLGetNTVersionNumbers

Now... most of the suggested fixes involve somehow getting the file off of my Win98 CD... which unfortunately... I DON'T have.

Other fixes suggested involve renaming files, extracting the file from a CAB file... but still no luck.

I will soon attempt to get a BOOT-DISK from BOOT-DISK.com..... because obviously I cannot create one from my PC if I cannot start it up.

Thank You

DAVID

I had a similar problem in May this year. I downloaded a copy of MSVCRT.DLL from HERE. Renamed the old MSVCRT.DLL to MSVCRT.OLD Unzipped the download into the same folder as the earlier one and all appeared to work. Hope it does the same for you.

The file is only 130KB so fits a floppy easily.

Problem solved... I had someone with a lot more computer knowledge than myself walk me through getting the file from one of my CABS. Somehow, I had the wrong MSVCRT.DLL and that was messing things up. All is well now, I am happy to say. Thanks for the help guys!

DAVID]