What causes Windows to lock up, and what to do about it?

[CamTron]

 

 

Has anyone else experienced things like this? Are there any ways to diagnose this when it happens and find the cause.

Hello, yes this is interesting. The problem is, that to find the cause, it has to be reproducable in an exact way.

...but if you experience this often enough, you can assist by doing this:

 

The file kernel32.dll (c:\windows\system), which you cannot alter directly, but need to make a copy first. If you know about hex-editors, then search for the following bytes (there's only one occurance): 6830A0F7BF

Now, go back 5 bytes in the file where the byte is 55 and from there enter the following: 6A006A01FF152CB3FCBF

 

When finished, exit to dos and replace the original file with the one you changed (keep the original file too).

Now, everytime you press ctrl-alt-delete, the computer will shut down immedeately. This way we will get an idea of where to start...because there are 2 possibilities, either it works or not when your computer locks/freezes and so we can rule out things.

 

My time is limited, so I may not be here too often, but sooner or later things get fixed by someone...

 

NOTE! It's always risky to edit important files, so you decide! I only see my own system.

 

That's nice, but there is already a system.ini setting to have Ctrl+Alt+Del immediately reboot, without modifying kernel32.dll. Under the [386Enh] section, if LocalReboot=Off, the computer will reboot immediately. If it is On or not set, then it displays the Close Program dialog box. The issue isn't really what I'd call reproducible, so it's quite hard to diagnose.

[go98]

Hmm, CamTron, I insist, this is an interesting problem, but hard to diagnose if it's not clear how...or...when it is hard to diagnose, suspect the hardware...

 

Acctually, it's a better starting check-point to do according to my instructions than using the setting you mentioned, because then we are down in the vmm/vxd-line directly. For those who like it technical, it's controlled by the locked code section in reboot.vxd, but it's also calling services...where does the locking possibly occur? => interesting!

 

In the end, if ppl in this forum together get it rock-stable in the future, you might even transform into an 9Xocalypse survivor

[submix8c]

I must also mention that I connect this machine to the Internet using my Raspberry Pi as a wireless bridge since my modem and router are in another room.

WiFi speed/connection.

Have you even considered that? Might I suggest direct connection to see if you still get a lockup? It is, after all, called "troubleshooting", right?

Edited June 26, 2015 by submix8c

[sdfox7]

Just my experience with Windows 95 and 98, simply installing the OS and staying away from individual updates works the best. I am more a fan of service packs than individual updates.

I think Kernel Ex is a fabulous program. That being said, there are some fundamentals you should keep in mind when installing unofficial updates.

Every time you install an update or hack at the operating system level, you change the original design of the operating system and that could lead to issues. For every update you install, the operating system moves farther from its original performance and design and you run the risk of breaking compatibility with other programs. Simply put, one fix can break another function, call, or thunk.

This is the precise reason there was no Service Pack 7 for NT 4.0. Microsoft "could not guarantee that programs designed for NT 4.0 would continue to function on NT 4.0".

When I install Windows 95, I install IE 5.5 and Office 97 with Service Pack 1, 2, and 3. That's it. Many updates are already made to Windows 95 when you install IE 5.5. COMCTL32.DLL, MFC42.DDL, etc. While there is a Service Pack 1 for original Windows 95, I do not use original Windows 95 due to the many improvements and wireless support made in the 1996 version of Windows 95 B (OSR 2 and later).

References:

Availability of Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1: http://web.archive.org/web/20050221051537/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/142794

Windows 95 Service Pack 1 (12/31/95): http://web.archive.org/web/19990417050831/http://www.microsoft.com/Windows95/Downloads/Contents/wurecommended/S_WUServicePacks/W95SvcPack1/default.asp

[submix8c]

?

Microsoft "could not guarantee that programs designed for NT 4.0 would continue to function on NT 4.0".

I can't seem to find that quote. Do you have a link?

[sdfox7]

https://technet.microsoft.com/library/security/ms03-010

Scroll down to the "Frequently Asked Questions"

Question 1) If Windows NT 4.0 is listed as an affected product, why is Microsoft not issuing a patch for it?

Answer 1) The Windows NT 4.0 architecture is much less robust than the more recent Windows 2000 architecture, Due to these fundamental differences between Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 and its successors, it is infeasible to rebuild the software for Windows NT 4.0 to eliminate the vulnerability. To do so would require rearchitecting a very significant amount of the Windows NT 4.0 operating system, and not just the RPC component affected. The product of such a rearchitecture effort would be sufficiently incompatible with Windows NT 4.0 that there would be no assurance that applications designed to run on Windows NT 4.0 would continue to operate on the patched system.

[dencorso]

Well... It sure is a reasonably common MS platitude. The words used often vary but, then again, not that much... Here's another variation of it: MS10-036. Please do consider there's about 7 years separating this quote from the one in the post above.

 

Once again, scroll down to the "Frequently Asked Questions"...

 

If Microsoft Office XP is listed as an affected product, why is Microsoft not issuing an update for it?

 The architecture to properly support the fixes to correct validation does not exist on Microsoft Office XP, making it infeasible to build the fixes for Microsoft Office XP products to eliminate the vulnerability. To do so would require rearchitecting a very significant amount of the Microsoft Office XP products, not just the affected components. The product of such a rearchitecture effort could sufficiently introduce an incompatibility with other applications that there would be no assurance that these Microsoft Office products would continue to operate as designed on the updated system.

Yet another one: MS15-005. But, this time, do search for "re-architecture", not "rearchitecture".

[submix8c]

Windows 95 SP1 Complete Set -

   ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/softlib/MSLFILES/

START.EXE + DISK2.EXE thru DISK14.EXE

Read this: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/150445

Links to that KB and CD-ROM list KB's found here (scroll down) -

http://kbupdate.info/windows-95-w.php

 

START.EXE contains "SETUP.EXE" (aka "Prompted Setup") as *also* found in a sub-folder after all above have been extracted, e.g.

   "x:\ADMIN\COMPONTS\UPDATES\PROMPTED"

Side note: The files are all compressed with PKZip v2.04g and made to be self-extracting.

To put on a set of floppies:

1- Prepare (Format) all Floppies

2- In a DOS Command Prompt, change to the Directory where you save them. E.G.

2a- CD x:\SP1

2b- x:

3-Run the following

3a- START.EXE -d A:\   <<<==where A:\ is Disk1 / ADMIN.BAT may be safely deleted from it

- for each DISKn, put in the next floppy - be sure to mark Disk# on each Floppy

4- DISKn.EXE -d A:\

Please not that if you *don't* want the Compete Set, just get the SETUP.EXE *Also* not that you can create a separate folder and run the above commmands, replacing "A:\" with the that Folder Path to get a complete Admin Set (ref. ADMIN.BAT contents).

 

FYI, the Web Archive Link won't find "SETUP.EXE". It's *also* in the FTP folder given above, as are many of the other files given in your first link.

 

(Note - take a look in INDEX.TXT here - ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/softlib/for a comprehensive list of other Updates in MSLFILES.)