Some System Configuration Utility Tools Do Not Work

ID: Q192723

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows 98

SYMPTOMS

When you run the System Configuration Utility, the following items may not work:

  • Diagnostic Startup - Interactively Load Device Drivers And Software


  • Enable Startup Menu


  • Disable Scandisk After bad shutdown


  • Disable SCSI Double-Buffering



CAUSE

This behavior can occur if you use any version of the DriveSpace disk compression software to compress your hard disk in place (meaning that you compressed the entire hard disk). When you compress a hard disk in place, DriveSpace swaps hard disk letters after the initialization of the compressed volume file (CVF). Because the System Configuration Utility is not aware of the drive letter swap, it edits the Msdos.sys file on the CVF instead of the Msdos.sys file on the host drive.


RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, edit the Msdos.sys file on the host drive (usually drive H) after DriveSpace is loaded. Note that DriveSpace hides the host drive by default. To make the host drive visible, follow these steps:

  1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click DriveSpace.


  2. Click the compressed drive for which the hidden drive is a host drive, and then click Properties on the Drive menu.


  3. Click the Hide Host Drive check box to clear it.


  4. Click OK.


For more information about hidden drives, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q136597
TITLE : Drives May Appear to Be Missing When Using DriveSpace


To enable or disable a specific option, edit the appropriate line in the Msdos.sys file on the host drive. If the appropriate line does not exist, create it in the [Options] section of the Msdos.sys file.

For more information about editing the Msdos.sys file, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID : Q118579
TITLE : Contents of the Windows Msdos.sys File


To enable diagnostic startup, edit or add the line "orig_diag_BootMenu=1" (without quotation marks). To disable the option, remove the line or change the value from 1 to 0 (zero).

To enable the Startup menu, edit or add the line "BootMenu=1" (without quotation marks). To disable the option, change the value from 1 to 0 (zero).

To disable automatic ScanDisk after an incorrect shutdown, edit or add the line "AutoScan=0" (without quotation marks). To enable the option, change the value from 0 to 1.

To enable SCSI double-buffering, edit or add the line "DoubleBuffer=1" (without quotation marks). To disable SCSI double-buffering, change the value from 1 to 0 (zero).


STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows 98.

Keywords : kbtool win98
Version : WINDOWS:
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb


Last Reviewed: January 28, 1999
© 2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.