Cannot Restart in MS_DOS Mode Anymore :( (W98)

[JL_COG]

Have had this happen before and filling the HDD with zeros, FDISK, Format and reinstall is so drastic and time-consuming a fix! All the DOS piff's look ok, the device manager is clean and no duplications in safe mode. This is a new system install with no glitches along the way so i am stumpped. Does anyone know exactly what the "Restart in MS_DOS Mode" option references? Registry key or file? If i knew that i'd have a clue maybe. Thanks to the Guru with the secret :)

[adg]

A little more info please. What exactly happens when you try to restart in DOS mode?

Allan
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.tweakdatabase.com/idealbb>tweakxp.com</a>

[JL_COG]

the screen goes blaack (normal), there is hdd activity in spurts for a few seconds. No cursor. (Other times this problem has occurred there HAS been a cursor but no prompt appears - fyi) This last re-install i failed to write zeros to the drive before FDISK and Format - and recently ran the Tiramisu Recovery Demo just to see how it does and there was a TON of alphanumeric directories full of text and url's and other such files even though this hdd has had zeros written on several occasions - at least four times. But then it isn't a secret about MS's surreptitious logging and hiding of all our activity, is it?) I am not sure what other info is needed, but just knowing exactly how the restart in MS_DOS mode is accomplished would go a long way to figuring this out. It seems not to be a pathing issue in this case. Have other comps without the problem and their DOS piffs are all identical in their settings under properties. I intend to do a DOD wipe with the old Norton utilities on the hdd after researching this problem (or giving up on it) and doing a really clean (i hope) install. If the solution is discovered by me i'll post it here. If someone else figures it out, HALELUJA! Thanks, JL

[JL_COG]

After trying restoring the C:\Windows\System files: WINOA386.MOD and VGAFULL.3GR in case they were corrupted (to no avail) and checking the pathing in all the DOS piff files and even making a private DOS session in the appropriate one, i decided to dump ALL the devices from device manager in safe mode. Subsequent restoration revealed a corrupted dll in one of the drivers which when replaced with an undamaged driver restored the ability to restart the computer in MS-DOS mode. Great! Hope this info helps someone else. JL