I am unable to install any new software on my 10 month old Sony VAIO
PC. I have Windows XP.
When I begin an install a window appears with a title bar of: 16 bit
Windows Subsystem and this message: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG.NT .
The system file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft
Windows applications. Choose 'Close' to terminate the application.

I have unsuccessfully, thoroughly searched (both with Windows Explorer
and from a DOS prompt) for this file. I have cleaned the hard drive
several times both with scandisk and defrag, cleaned the registry
files with an OnTrack utility. Restored to several previously good
points. The problem seems to have begun when SP1 was attempting and
finally successfully installed itself. I have since removed SP1 and
then re-installed it. I have XP on my secondary (networked) PC and I
can install programs with no problem. I have searched and searched
resources, support groups, knowledgeable IT professionals, etc. and no
one has any knowledge of this error message or more importantly how to
get "rid" of it short of doing a complete rebuild of the PC.

---

Request for Question Clarification by pwizard-ga on 29 Oct 2002 19:53 PST

Greetings mellen,

I think I can help to solve your problem, but I don't want to post an
official answer if this doesn't help or has already been tried. The
CONFIG.NT file is a critical system file akin to the command.com file.
If it's missing from your system entirely, you definitely would be
getting the error you're describing. This will also happen if this
file is corrupted.  Could you please try this solution and see if it
fixes your problem? All of the resources I've searched points to this
as the resolution. If it works, I'll post it as an official answer. If
not, I have some other ideas about how to go about fixing the problem
without a fresh install.

This error can occur when the files, Config.nt, Autoexec.nt and
Command.com, are missing or corrupt.

To resolve this issue, use MS-DOS prompt to expand the files from the
Windows XP CD-ROM, or edit the files in the text editor, Notepad.

Method 1: Expand the Files From the Windows XP CD-ROM
-----------------------------------------------------

1. Click Start, and then click Run.

2. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.

3. At the command prompt, type the following, press ENTER between each
line:

   expand <CD-ROM Drive>:\i386\config.nt c:\windows\system32\config.nt
   expand <CD-ROM Drive>:\i386\autoexec.nt
c:\windows\system32\autoexec.nt
   expand <CD-ROM Drive>:\i386\command.co
c:\windows\system32\command.com
   exit

Where <CD-ROM Drive> is the name of your CD-ROM Drive. 

4. Start the program.

   If this does not resolve this issue, continue to Method 2.

Method 2: Create the Files In Notepad And Copy the Files To the
System32 Directory
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: The file, Command.com is not edited or created in this Part.

Part 1: Create the Files in Notepad:

1. Start Notepad.

2. In the new blank document, type the following block of code:

dos=high, umb
device=%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\himem.sys
files=40

3. On the File menu, click Save As.

4. In the File Name box, type "Config.nt" (without the quotation
marks), and then click Save.

5. Close Config.nt.

6. On the File menu, click New.

7. In the new blank document, type the following block of code:

@echo off
lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\mscdexnt.exe
lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\redir
lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\dosx
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330 T3

8. On the File menu, click Save As.

9. In the File Name box, type "Autoexec.nt" (without the quotation
marks), and then click Save.

10. Close Autoexec.nt.

Part 2: Copy the Files To the System32 Directory:

1. Start Windows Explorer.

2. Locate, and then right-click Config.nt, and then click Copy.

3. Locate, and then right-click %SYSTEMROOT%\System32, and then click
Paste.

4. Locate, and then right-click Autoexec.nt, and then click Copy.

5. Locate, and then right-click %SYSTEMROOT%\System32, and then click
Paste.

6. Locate, and then right-click Command.co, and then click Copy.

7. Locate, and then right-click %SYSTEMROOT%\System32, and then click
Paste.

8. Restart your computer.

9. Install the program again.


I'll wait to hear back before proceeding further. Thanks.

---

Request for Question Clarification by pwizard-ga on 29 Oct 2002 19:58 PST

Note that you may only need to extract the CONFIG.NT file with the
above solution and not the autoexec or command.com (at least I would
start with only CONFIG.NT and see if it works).

---

Clarification of Question by mellen-ga on 30 Oct 2002 05:27 PST

The solution pwizard provided has solved the installation problem. The
software I was having trouble with installed flawlessy and I even
installed a game I'd tried earlier (unsucessfully) for my
grandchildren. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I did first try sparky4ca's suggestion, but it didn't work.

I used the notepad instuctions, since XP came installed on this PC and
I don't have a separate XP installtion CD.

Mellen,

I am so relieved that the solution mentioned in my clarification
solved the problem for you. With it being so lengthy, I'm not going to
re-post it in the answer, just reference the section of it that seemed
to correct your problem:

Part 1: Create the File in Notepad: 
 
1. Start Notepad. 
 
2. In the new blank document, type the following block of code: 
 
dos=high, umb 
device=%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\himem.sys 
files=40 
 
3. On the File menu, click Save As. 
 
4. In the File Name box, type "Config.nt" (without the quotation
marks), and then click Save.
 
5. Close Config.nt. 

Reboot the system and it should correct the problem. If not, please
follow the remainder of the instructions outlined in the clarification
portion of this question.

I was happy to assist you with this question. Please let me know if I
can be of any further assistance on this question. Thanks!

Sincerely,
PWizard

---

Request for Answer Clarification by mellen-ga on 30 Oct 2002 06:59 PST

Actually when I created the new config.nt file without the new
autoexec.nt file it did not solve the problem, so the lengthy answer
is better.

---

Clarification of Answer by pwizard-ga on 30 Oct 2002 07:01 PST

No problem, here's the whole shebang:

This error can occur when the files, Config.nt, Autoexec.nt and
Command.com, are missing or corrupt.
 
To resolve this issue, use MS-DOS prompt to expand the files from the
Windows XP CD-ROM, or edit the files in the text editor, Notepad.
 
Method 1: Expand the Files From the Windows XP CD-ROM 
----------------------------------------------------- 
 
1. Click Start, and then click Run. 
 
2. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK. 
 
3. At the command prompt, type the following, press ENTER between each
line:
 
   expand <CD-ROM Drive>:\i386\config.nt c:\windows\system32\config.nt
   expand <CD-ROM Drive>:\i386\autoexec.nt
c:\windows\system32\autoexec.nt
   expand <CD-ROM Drive>:\i386\command.co
c:\windows\system32\command.com
   exit 
 
Where <CD-ROM Drive> is the name of your CD-ROM Drive.  
 
4. Start the program. 
 
   If this does not resolve this issue, continue to Method 2. 
 
Method 2: Create the Files In Notepad And Copy the Files To the
System32 Directory
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
NOTE: The file, Command.com is not edited or created in this Part. 
 
Part 1: Create the Files in Notepad: 
 
1. Start Notepad. 
 
2. In the new blank document, type the following block of code: 
 
dos=high, umb 
device=%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\himem.sys 
files=40 
 
3. On the File menu, click Save As. 
 
4. In the File Name box, type "Config.nt" (without the quotation
marks), and then click Save.
 
5. Close Config.nt. 
 
6. On the File menu, click New. 
 
7. In the new blank document, type the following block of code: 
 
@echo off 
lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\mscdexnt.exe 
lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\redir 
lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\dosx 
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330 T3 
 
8. On the File menu, click Save As. 
 
9. In the File Name box, type "Autoexec.nt" (without the quotation
marks), and then click Save.
 
10. Close Autoexec.nt. 
 
Part 2: Copy the Files To the System32 Directory: 
 
1. Start Windows Explorer. 
 
2. Locate, and then right-click Config.nt, and then click Copy. 
 
3. Locate, and then right-click %SYSTEMROOT%\System32, and then click
Paste.
 
4. Locate, and then right-click Autoexec.nt, and then click Copy. 
 
5. Locate, and then right-click %SYSTEMROOT%\System32, and then click
Paste.
 
6. Locate, and then right-click Command.co, and then click Copy. 
 
7. Locate, and then right-click %SYSTEMROOT%\System32, and then click
Paste.
 
8. Restart your computer. 
 
9. Install the program again.

Finally getting a solution and so quickly has gotten my day off to a
wonderful start. I have struggled with this problem for several weeks,
so I really appreciate the assistance. It was especially nice to be
able to cut and paste the code, to avoid any typing errors I might
have made.By the way, the Sony tech support person recommended I try
the GOOGLE answer site

the above sounds pretty good. A little background info:

config.nt is the rough equivalent to config.sys
autoexec.nt is the rough equivalent to autoexec.nt

You might not be finding them because they are hidden, system, or
protected files, or you are not authorized to access the folder they
are in (for example if you are logged in as a user instead of
administrator)

It may be possible that yours is corrupted or missing. Before going to
all of the steps that are listed above, I would do the following. On
your desktop, right click, and choose new, text document. You should
see a notepad icon with the name "New Text Document.txt" highlited. If
it doesn't end with .txt, then we need to "unhide" the file
extensions. click start, my computer, tools, folder options, view, and
make sure that "hide file extensions..." is unchecked. click OK. now
the .txt should be there. right click on the file and choose rename.
name it config.nt and then right click and choose open with. from the
list that pops up, choose notepad. when notwepad opens, copy and paste
the following into it:

dos=high, umb
device=%SystemRoot%\system32\himem.sys
files=40

then close the window, saving when you are prompted. Right click on
your new config.nt file, choose cut, and then opwn my computer. Open
the C drive, double click on windows, and then find the system32
folder. right click on it and select paste. This will drop the file
into it's proper folder.

try your install program again.

Another possibility: Programs have the ability to have a custom
config.nt and autoexec.nt specified. The installer program you are
running may have a pointer to a corrupter or invalid .nt file.

Find the install program you are running in explorer or my computer.
right click on it, and go to the program tab. CLick the advanced
button, and check that the .nt files that are specified in the two
boxes are set to

%systemroot%\system32\config.nt
and %systemroot%\system32\autoexec.nt

and click on OK. 

If neither of these works, then go through the steps outlined in the
clarification above.

If either works, please post a comment to say so.
Thanks, sparky4ca