I recently was given this laptop from a friend, and whenever I boot it, it brings up some windows 98 is now star ting your MS-DOS-based program. It is an IBM 380ED thinkpad.

I would like to be able to boot windows 98 normally.

"it brings up some windows 98 is now star ting your MS-DOS-based program"

OK, then what happens?

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/s...

..."extremecrazydude"

... try tapping F8 key as it starts up.

... select "command prompt only" using arrow keys [*press ENTER]

type this: CD\ [*ENTER]

... next type this:

type autoexec.bat [*ENTER]

... post the contents here

Grrrr
wat do I know?
... got brain freeze

to the first response, it brings up some command line, and to the second, there is no where to type when I hit f8. Also, it said error 00301. In the thing wich it is normally starting in, instead of hitting F8, it says Microsoft(R) Windows 98 (C)Copyright Microsoft Corp. 1981-1999

and it changed from C:\ to C:\windows>

In your first message what you described was your laptop being "stuck" in "MS-DOS mode". MS-DOS mode was a "feature" of Windows 98 which allowed it to use DOS software which could not run with Windows running (mostly for old DOS games which used a DOS extender for accessing extended memory). When "restart the computer in MS-DOS mode" was selected, a new AUTOEXEC.BAT file was written and the computer would reboot. The new AUTOEXEC.BAT file would restart the computer with a particular DOS program or game, or just at the DOS command prompt. However, this was just for a single instance and when the DOS program was ended the AUTOEXEC.BAT file was restored to starting Windows and the computer would reboot as normal to Windows 98. Something happened to your computer the last time it was in MS-DOS mode and the AUTOEXEC.BAT file was never rewritten to start Windows, it just keeps re-starting this "MS-DOS" program. One way to fix this is to use the "Windows 98 Start up menu" by hitting the F8 key during the initial 2 seconds of booting. In the Start up menu, select "step-by-step confirmation" and the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files will be read one line at a time and you will be prompted for a y/n input weather to process that particular line or by-pass (ignore) it. Just punch the "y" key through the CONFIG.SYS file but read all the AUTOEXEC.BAT file lines. You should see a line where it's going to call some program like a DOS game or something. On that line make sure to press "n". Actually, you can press "n" on all of the AUTOEXEC.BAT lines except the last one which will refer to restarting Windows or something like that. That one you have to punch "y" and it will rewrite the AUTOEXEC.BAT file and reboot into Windows.

In your last message, if you used the "Start up Menu" to start at the command prompt, which would be:
C:\WINDOWS>
then just type "win" and hit the 'enter' key
C:\WINDOWS>win [ENTER]
it should start Windows. However, it's not clear if the AUTOEXEC.BAT file would be fixed to start Windows automatically next time the computer boots.

Tap F8 whilst it is booting and you should eventually get the startup menu. Select one of the command prompts and type this:

ren c:\autoexec.bat autoexec.old

(note there are two spaces)

Follow this by hitting the Return key.

If there is something in autoexec.bat the above will disable it. Windows will run fine without autoexec.bat - it is only needed for DOS games and the like.

some other bloke...

Here's some info on that:

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...

First try typing exit and enter at the dos prompt.

If that doesn't fix it, if possible, run the dos program and exit it normally. The exiting process should revert config.sys and autoexec.bat to what they were for a normal windows boot.

If that doesn't work, from a dos prompt type:

REN C:\CONFIG.SYS CONFIG.OLD and enter.
REN C:\CONFIG.WOS CONFIG.SYS and enter.
REN C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT AUTOEXEC.OLD and enter.
REN C:\AUTOEXEC.WOS AUTOEXEC.BAT and enter.

That should swap the files back to what they should be for a normal windows boot.

Thank you everyone, just typing win seemed to work, and now it boots normally. Initially, I just wanted to see if there were any games or something that i might remove. There was some chess master 95 thing, but when I restarted, it started normally. Thank you all very much.

Do you still get the msdos program message or is that gone too?

... nice one " pyrolitic"

... I forgot about that "win" method, 98's been a while has'nt it? lol.

..." extremecrazydude" #Response Number 4
CD\ [ENTER] should of got you to the C:
drive prompt.

... anyway sounds like you're solved.

... ok ya!

Grrrr
wat do I know?
... got brain freeze

yes, everything is solved thankyou agqain, it no longer brings up the command line