Windows 98 SE System protection error "hell" loop, boot error - how to avoid them, debug them?

[ruthan]

Hello,
probably worst problem with using of Windows 98 SE which i have System protection boot error. Its often also connected with this message:
While initializing device CONFIGMG

 From my experience is caused by HW changes within existing installation..  i cant say hat for 100% of situation, but at least almost everytime.. when i make clean install with same HW, it works fine.

 Sometimes helps to boot in safe mode and remove old not more presented HW within Device manager (Windows 98 for some reason same as Win XP keeps it hidden here even aften HW is removed),
sometime i cant even boot into safe mode, because of this error.

  Main Quetion are simple, how to avoid this error, otherwise that just dont try too much hardware, or to do lots of reinstalling?
1) Which logs to check what is wrong and how to fix it?
2) Which rLoew patches could help with it etc?
3) When i have same device multiple times within Safe mode - which one is newest and oldest, that on top or at the bottom of list? 
4) What next could help? There are some particular windows updates to help with it?

 Some explanations, why its happening..
I) https://www.cnet.com/forums/post/334dbd45-7646-4112-ba31-091cee4f6821/  - but its pretty bad one, this is true and there is not aby advanced log details possibility, its nightmare to debug..
II) https://www.techrepublic.com/article/overcome-common-windows-98-protection-error-challenges/ Other explanation seems to by copy / paste of first one with some more info. There also info that this problem could be generated by Iomega driver on parallel port and how to solve it - its not my case of course.

    
What is know that could help..
A) remove no more present HW from Device manager from safe mode?
b) Remove drivers for no more present HW through Add / Remove programs wizzard..
b) Use System Internals Autorunns - 8.63 and remove all drivers and start up items (leftovers) for no more present HW..
c) System reset could help (thx schwups)- At DOS Prompt (F5) change direction from A: to C:. Type: C:\windows\Command\scanreg /restore , and choose a backup. There are five backups by default listed by date. A backup is user.dat, system.dat and system files like system.ini and win.ini. It's possible to add more by scanreg.ini.

 I would like to make some step by step guide, hint list or something like that and keep main info within this post.

Edited March 30, 2020 by ruthan

[schwups]

A system reset had often helped me out of a tight spot: At DOS Prompt (F5) change direction from A: to C:. Type: C:\windows\Command\scanreg /restore , and choose a backup.
 

[ruthan]

Is there some backup - system restore like date selection, or which backup is used? Its just registry, system setting or files too?

[schwups]

There are five backups by default listed by date. A backup is user.dat, system.dat and system files like system.ini and win.ini. It's possible to add more by scanreg.ini.
 

[ruthan]

I added some articles which trying to explain problem to first post.

 I one of them is this claim:

Quote

If the machine boots correctly in Safe Mode, then your problem is related to a driver file. You can then use the Windows Device Manager to disable all of the devices on your system that aren’t absolutely essential...
    ..
    If the system still doesn’t boot correctly in Safe Mode, then a driver probably isn’t to blame. You more likely have a corrupted low-level system file, or you might have a virus. Another possibility is a serious hardware problem..

   Its better than nothing but. If you know that driver file is ok and working with other machines.. there is probably some 2 drivers conflict or incompatibility..  it would be nice to be able gain more data.. I usualy know which hardware i added and that drivers is fine, so i want to actually solve it.. than say ok this machine and this new card arent compatible they will never work together - end of story.. Its not simply true, because this ever is often generated just by some old drivers history.. and new clean install is solution.

Edited March 30, 2020 by ruthan

[ruthan]

Someone MSFN success story, but im not really sure if all these steps are needed, or you really need only some of the:

Here:

1. Remove all devices from device manager in Safe mode.
2. Set specific settings in System.ini  Go to Start -> Run -> MSCONFIG -> SYSTEM.INI -> [386Enh] MaxPhysPage=1EBFF (492MB RAM); [vcache] MinFileCache=65536, MaxFileCache=262144 and ChunkSize=1024
3. Replace lots of files in system with them one from install CD.

MrMateczko claims that solutions is much more simple:
MaxPhysPage=20000 is all you need for get rid of this message, no need to destroy the OS.  // But is not true, or at least on only reason of this problem, 512+ MB has to be solved for sure, because i had this error with machine which 512MB ram - its virtual one, so i can select it exactly to 512 MB. So im also quite sure that ram sticks are fine, because they are virtualized:) Its is also not MB capicator or PSU, there is lots urban legends about this error..

 

Edited March 30, 2020 by ruthan

[pangoomis]

I think I only saw that error when having too much RAM...that's why I wrote what I wrote

Sadly, I do not have much experience with switching hardware on a Windows 98 SE installation, I remember switching between ATI and NVIDIA GPU's without such errors though.

What hardware do you switch the most that causes the CONFIGMG error?

 

[ruthan]

Well im notorious Win98 hardware tester.. So i saw this error lots of times, now im trying to make Geforce 6600GT 128MB GV-NX66T128D Gigabyte working, on system when Geforce 6600LE is working fine.. Details: 

  I even tried clean install, but im getting exactly the same error.. and really dunno how to debug it, otherwise that disabling devices as is written above.. any help would be fine, i dunno if some windows udates could be improve that etc. Autopatcher or Unofficial updates packs are too aggressive for my taste.. If there would be some pack of official updates only i would try it.
  

[pangoomis]

Does this error happen on KVM or on real hardware as well?

[ruthan]

On KVM, but made same card working with VIA880 and fully updates USP3 system.. but its not same thing, i saw these error zillion times on real systems too. I would be really carefull to search error within KVM its easy..
  I made other Geforce 6 card working, i made other Nvidia  PCI card working, i made 3Dfx/Matrox cards working, so why this one should be so special? But if someone would give some checking utility to check if all needed emulated things for videocards are working fine with emulation, i will test it.. so far i dont know anything like it.

Edited April 1, 2020 by ruthan

[pangoomis]

Have you tried flashing/modifying the BIOS of that card? Try messing around with this BIOS editor: https://www.guru3d.com/files-details/nvidia-bios-editor-download-nibitor.html

I have a GV-NX66T128D card and it worked fine on my ASRock H110M-DVS R3.0 motherboard on 98SE as well as Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3L using 98SE as well, using 82.69 drivers.
I do not recall messing around with BIOS of that card to get it working.

Also, on a side note, have you tried this card with Windows 98 First Edition, or Windows ME?

[0dium]

On 4/1/2020 at 11:36 PM, ruthan said:

I made other Geforce 6 card working, i made other Nvidia  PCI card working, i made 3Dfx/Matrox cards working, so why this one should be so special? But if someone would give some checking utility to check if all needed emulated things for videocards are working fine with emulation, i will test it.. so far i dont know anything like it.

I had this error when installing drivers for 6600. If irc I disabled onboard audio in bios, installed video drivers and then enabled audio back. Go figure. Well I might be wrong, it was a few months ago.

[ruthan]

Quote

Have you tried flashing/modifying the BIOS of that card? Try messing around with this BIOS editor: https://www.guru3d.com/files-details/nvidia-bios-editor-download-nibitor.html

   No so far, without any logs its fine needle in haystack. Its this card:
https://www.gigabyte.com/Graphics-Card/GV-NX66T128D#ov  // Update fixed link.

   I have to check if bios is last one, for sure.

Quote

Also, on a side note, have you tried this card with Windows 98 First Edition, or Windows ME?

   No , do thing that it could help with investigation? Because i dont plan in long term to use this OSes, for games compatibility is ME no way, First edition maybe is..

Quote

 I had this error when installing drivers for 6600. If irc I disabled onboard audio in bios, installed video drivers and then enabled audio back. Go figure. Well I might be wrong, it was a few months ago.

   Thanks, it good too see that someone else was affected by this too. I will try to disable AC97 controller, its in line with general System protection error hints.. I wonder what so special is happening during first boot with new video drivers, that after is sound card re-anabled is still working?

Edited April 4, 2020 by ruthan

[0dium]

Well I'm not an expert, also, I might be mistaken, but I sure remember disabling and re-enabling audio during driver installation.

[pangoomis]

On 4/4/2020 at 9:43 PM, ruthan said:

No , do thing that it could help with investigation? Because i dont plan in long term to use this OSes, for games compatibility is ME no way, First edition maybe is..

Well, if the card would work on Windows ME, then it would mean that there is a problem with Windows 98SE, not the motherboard, or the GPU.