Err Msg: "IOS Failed to Initialize" on Boot

• Microsoft Windows 95
• Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release versions 1, 2, 2.1

SYMPTOMS

When you restart Windows 95 after installing a program or making a configuration change to your computer, you may receive one of the following error messages:

• Windows initializing device IOS: Windows protection error. IOS failed to Initialize, Please restart
• While initializing IOS: Windows protection error. You need to restart your computer.
• Windows initializing device IOS: Windows protection error. You need to restart your computer.

RESOLUTION

It may also be possible to start Windows 95 normally after using the following procedure:

1. Boot Windows 95 in Safe mode or to a command prompt.

2. Perform one of the following two steps:

       - Edit the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files and disable any
         references to Smartdrv.exe. To disable a line, type "rem"
         (without quotation marks) at the beginning of the line.
   

       - Rename Smartdrv.exe to another name.
   

3. Restart your computer normally.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Windows 95 and OEM Service Releases. An update to address this problem is now available, but should be applied only to systems experiencing this specific problem. Unless you are severely impacted by this specific problem, Microsoft does not recommend implementing this update at this time. Contact your OEM or Microsoft Technical Support for additional information about the availability of this update.

MORE INFORMATION

Users experiencing this symptom with an OEM version of Windows 95 should contact their computer vendor about the availability of a solution.

The problem occurs only on certain system configurations, and does not occur if Internet Explorer 4.0 is installed on your computer. These system configurations have a minimum of 32 MB of RAM and a large number of device drivers. The problem is rare and can occur only at startup. Users whose systems are starting successfully today are not impacted.