During the booting process, a message stating that the system.ini file
is missing and that windows setup must be run. I can get into windows
using safe mode. There are no obvious backups of system.xxx on system.
Can I rebuild system.ini without running setup, and if not, can I run
the setup process without destroying the existing windows system? How
do I do this step by step?

Hello mesamike,

I posted a comment right after you posted the question with two
solutions that could work for you. I will go over these again here in
case you have not yet had the chance to see them.

Here is a link to the Microsoft Knowledge Base which explains how
Windows makes an automatic backup if your system.ini file name is
changed: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;131532


===Solution #1====
The first idea would be to attempt to restore the last backup of this
backup file, which is saved as System.syd.

1.) After you are booted into safe mode, click on Start and Search. 
2.) Look for the file: “system.syd” (without the quotes). 
3.) If you find this file in your C:\Windows\ directory, all you
should need to do is rename it to “system.ini” by clicking once on the
file name inside the search window and renaming the file. (If you have
any problems renaming the file using this method, please let me know
and I will find a Windows 98 pc and get right to you with more
detailed instructions.)


===Solution #2====
I am not sure that this will work, but it is worth a try before going
on to the next step. The idea is to use the sysedit tool to try and
write changes to the system.ini file and hopefully we will be able to
recover it. Please follow these instructions inside Safe Mode:

1.) Click Start, and then click Run. 
2.) In the Open box, type the following line and then click OK:
“sysedit” (without the quotes). System Configuration Editor opens on
the screen.
3.) On the Window menu, click C:\Windows\System.ini, where C:\Windows
is the drive and directory in which Windows 95/98 is installed.
4.) Make the changes you want to the System.ini file. When you finish
making the changes, click Exit on the File menu. When you are prompted
to save current changes, click Yes.
5.) Click Start, click Shut Down, and then click Restart.

Source: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;131532

Note that this step might not work if your System.ini is truly missing
or if it is severely damaged.

====Solution #3====
For this solution, I am using this website as a reference:
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000211.htm

I am however going to change the instructions slightly and use a
combination of instructions from Microsoft and this website.

NOTE: You might find it easier following these instructions, but
hopefully I have made the instructions below as easy as possible:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=http://support.microsoft.com:80/support/kb/articles/Q140/4/41.asp&NoWebContent=1

1) OK we need to get a command prompt, so I want you to reboot the
computer, and as the computer is booting up click the F8 Key as soon
as you see the “Starting Windows 98”. This should bring you to a menu
where you should be able to select “Command Prompt Only” (probably
option 5). Enter the proper choice and hit Enter.
2.) Now that we have a command prompt open, type “cd\windows” and hit
Enter.
3.) Lets make a backup of whatever system.ini you have now (just to be
safe). Type: “ren system.ini system.xxx” (without the quotes). Note if
you do not have a system.ini file, this step will fail. Just ignore
this and continue.
4.) Now type “copy system.cb system.ini” (without the quotes). This
will take the fresh system.cb file and rename it to system.ini. All we
have to do now, is manually add support for your mouse.
5.) Type “edit system.ini” (without quotes). You should see an editor
open up. At the very beginning of this file, hit enter so you get a
blank line. Move the cursor up again and type in the following:

[boot]
 mouse.drv=mouse.drv
 drivers=mmsystem.dll

6.) Look through the file to find a section starting with [386Enh].
Immediately below this heading, insert this line: “mouse=*vmouse”
(without the quotes).

7. To save this new system.ini file, hold down ALT-F (release) and
press X and then Y. (You can also hold down ALT-F, release, and scroll
down to save, then press Alt-F again and scroll down to Quit/Exit).

8. Reboot your computer.


Hopefully by now we have this problem solved. If not, please let me
know and I will give you some further steps to try. If you run into
any problems with any of these steps, please let me know and I will do
my best to make it easier to understand. You might also want to try to
give these instructions a try:
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000211.htm

It could very well be that something beyond just system.ini has gone
wrong or missing and that the best way to fix this is to reinstall
Windows 98. Either way, as soon as you get an internet connection on
this computer, please run this free virus scan program to see if you
have any viruses on your computer: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

I look forward to your response,

tisme-ga


Search Strategy:

system.ini restore "windows 98"
://www.google.com/search?q=system%2Eini+restore+%22windows+98%22

safe mode "windows 98" cmd
://www.google.com/search?q=safe+mode+%22windows+98%22+cmd

system.ini restore
://www.google.com/search?q=system%2Eini+restore

Also searched the Microsoft Knowledge Base
(http://support.microsoft.com)

---

Request for Answer Clarification by mesamike-ga on 30 Apr 2003 23:42 PDT

First, tisme, Thank you for your super-duper prompt reply. The
troubled machine is at another location so I will attempt these well
documented steps in the morning. If these fail to yield fruit, would
you please address the remainder of my question concerning running a
non-destructive win98 setup?

---

Clarification of Answer by tisme-ga on 01 May 2003 00:02 PDT

Hello mesamike,

Actually I do not think that a completely non-destructive installation
of Windows 98 is possible and was hoping we could avoid going down
that avenue. I feel that a format, fresh install is the best way to
go, but it is worth a try.

Granted, it might be possible to keep all your data intact, but
programs might stop working and will have to be reinstalled anyway...
and your windows system might become somewhat unstable.

Basically, the way to reinstall windows is "To reinstall Windows 98 or
Windows 95 system files, reinstall Windows from your original
installation media, or use the System File Checker tool in Windows 98.
Note that reinstalling Windows does not alter your currently installed
programs unless a program has previously replaced a Windows system
file. If a program does not work correctly after you reinstall
Windows, reinstall the program, but note that the program may be
replacing one or more Windows system files." Source:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;259181

Windows 98 will simply overwrite the modified versions of all system
files and you can hope that your programs do not depend on these
modifications. If they don't then everything should be fine. If they
do, your only option will be to reinstall the application in question.
You might also suffer from stability programs (this is what I remember
whenever I attempted to "fix" a Windows 98 installation).

I do believe that an "overinstall" is slightly more successful when
started inside of Windows, but if you cannot get into Windows in the
first place, then chances are that we would need to use the command
prompt and hope for the best. You could try running Setup from the
CD-ROM inside Safe-Mode, but I am not too optimistic that it would
work.

"If you are starting with a clean or new hard disk or if you have
problems running Setup from your previous version of Windows, you may
have to run Windows 98 Setup from MS-DOS. Although installing from
MS-DOS is typically the slower method of installation, it is often the
safest and should be used when other types of installations fail."
Source: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=%2fsupport%2fwindows%2freadme%2f98%2fW98setuptxt.asp#dos

There are also detailed instructions on this page on how to install
Windows 98 from DOS, but if you have the CD-Setup floppy disk, the
instructions that came with it should be fine as well.

My humble opinion is that if you are forced to install from DOS
anyway, you would be better off to format the hardrive and get a fresh
install. Of course your situation make make it such that there are
many applications that would need to be reinstalled, and too many
documents/data to back up, so it might be worth a try. You should have
all your data backed up though before attempting any reinstallation of
Windows.

Please let me know if you have any further clarification requests. I
am still hopeful that we can avoid a reinstallation, but if there is
more than just the system.ini file causing problems, then it is
probably the best way to go.

tisme-ga

Tisme, tis excellent answer. I appreciate your thoroughness and
consider this question answered!

First thing I want you to try doing is to go into safe mode and look
for a backup file of System.syd and rename it to System.ini and then
reboot.

If that fails, then boot into safe mode, type sysedit, make a few
changes and save, and then reboot.

I am going to be researching a "proper" answer for you, but just
thought that I would give you these suggestions in case you were out
there waiting.

tisme-ga