Updated NtKern for Windows 98 SE ? [Solved]

[Ninho]

I'm searching for any official/non-official updates to ntkern.vxd, were there any ?

Using the original[°] from Win 98SE - embedded in vmm32.vxd. Often it gives me the infamous windows protection error while initializing driver ntkern... for which the only thing MS kb has to say is blame defective memory, which I'm sure is not the cause here. Rather it has to be sort of a race condition with hardware or other driver initialisation. It happens most often when I boot 98 again after booting Linux or Win 2k (neither of which suffer from "memory" problems), and when it happens it is rather sticky - to cure the condition I have to boot to the desktop while disallowing all vxd's (shift-[F8] diag booting, /not/ FailSafe, which doesn't repair the whatever problem; maybe something inscribed in the NVRAM after running the other OSes????)

Anyway, if there are more recent versions of the ntkern, I'll be sure to try them as a way to better diagnose the problem. WinME's ntkern does not load at all under 98Se, however.

TIA !

[°] Now trying Ntkern.vxd file version 4.10.2224, internal version 4.10.2225, size 195,262 from MS kb Q288430.

Too early to say if it will fix the problem at hand (fingers crossed). Any known later versions ?

[MDGx]

There are 2 NTKERN.VXD builds available as Win98SE updates [both official from MS]:

* Microsoft Windows 98 SE Laptop PC Hangs During Docking/Undocking NTKERN.VXD

4.10.2224 + VMM.VXD 4.10.2226 Fix:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=288430

Direct download [362 KB, English]:

http://support.toshiba-tro.de/tools/quick-fixes/q288430/win-98se/qfe-winse-q288430-en.zip

* Microsoft Windows 98 SE IEEE 1394 Standby Error NTMAP.SYS 4.10.2227,

OHCI1394.SYS 4.10.2226, SBP2PORT.SYS 4.10.2226 + NTKERN.VXD 4.10.2223 Fix:

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=267304

Direct download [278 KB, English]:

http://ftp.isu.edu.tw/pub/CPatch/msupdate/win98se-nsrc/backup/q267304/267304usa8.exe

More updates like these at my site:

http://www.mdgx.com/web.htm#98SE

HTH

[dencorso]

Using the original[°] from Win 98SE - embedded in vmm32.vxd. Often it gives me the infamous windows protection error while initializing driver ntkern... for which the only thing MS kb has to say is blame defective memory, which I'm sure is not the cause here. Rather it has to be sort of a race condition with hardware or other driver initialisation. It happens most often when I boot 98 again after booting Linux or Win 2k (neither of which suffer from "memory" problems), and when it happens it is rather sticky - to cure the condition I have to boot to the desktop while disallowing all vxd's (shift-[F8] diag booting, /not/ FailSafe, which doesn't repair the whatever problem; maybe something inscribed in the NVRAM after running the other OSes????)

Ninho, I doubt there is an actual problem with ntkern.vxd, no matter which version you're using right now.

Something is definitely wrong with the way you're multibooting, IMHO. There is something fishy going on, no doubt.

But a race condition between OSes, after rebooting? I don't think so... And which NVRAM are you referring to?

I'm sorry I haven't any alternate theory to offer, right now. But, then again, you've offered very little info on which to go on, too. Please, elaborate.

[Ninho]

Ninho, I doubt there is an actual problem with ntkern.vxd, no matter which version you're using right now.

I haven't seen the problem again since I swapped ntkern versions ! Too early to say if that was "it", but encouraging nonetheless.

But a race condition between OSes, after rebooting? I don't think so... And which NVRAM are you referring to?

I'm sorry I haven't any alternate theory to offer, right now. But, then again, you've offered very little info on which to go on, too. Please, elaborate.

I meant a possible race condition, not between OSes of course, but between Windows 98 initialising various hard/software components... WAG indeed. As to the NVRAM, was thinking of extra non volatile storage used by ACPI. The ill condition which prevents normal booting of win 98 (and only it), when it exists, is persistent across rebooting and even powering off, which suggests non volatile RAM is involved.

Of course Registry could be involved, but the fact that the problem seems to switch itself on after running other OSes suggests that is not it.

That ill condition, once it exists, is deterministically cured by the following steps :

- boot Windows 98 SE in "step by step" mode, refuse the loading of all and any optional VxD.

- reboot (or even "shift"-reboot) Windows normally, including all VxDs, now works.

Oh, well, don't lose sleep over that. In a previous life, many moons past, I would have "soft-ice'd" this system... I don't have a working winice any more, and couldn't install it on this MoBo most probably.

Edited February 20, 2010 by Ninho

[Ninho]

I haven't seen the problem again since I swapped ntkern versions !

*Confirmed*

For all purposes, it seems the Ntkern and VMM (from MS kb Q288430) have fixed the odd problems I was having :=) Maybe good to note !

[dencorso]

Glad to hear that the NTKERN.VXD v. 4.10.2224 (from Q288434, download link) solved your issue!