Err Msg: Error Loading GDI.EXE. You Must Reinstall Windows

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DIANE - 28 Oct 2004 22:08 GMT

Okay, this happens when you move the Fonts folder from Windows to any other
folder. I had no idea it would happen, and besides, I didn't choose "move"
but "copy."

MS has a reasonable-sounding fix:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=146904

BUT.....

What if neither your floppy drive nor your CD drive work, so you can't
insert the Win98 disk and get the *.cab files from it?

Is there a way I can do this in DOS?

I have a ZIP drive and have the *.cab files on that. Can I trick my computer
into thinking that is my A drive?

I can't enter Setup by pressing "delete" like I usually can. Is there
another way to get into Setup so I can reassign drive letters?

Why didn't Win98 just give me an error message when I was trying to copy the
Fonts folder? I didn't MOVE it; I chose "copy to new folder," but apparently
Win98 doesn't obey ME.

I'm dead in the water here, unable to continue my work.

HELP!

DIANE

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Jeff Richards - 28 Oct 2004 22:42 GMT

When you are asked to insert the installation CD, nominate the ZIP drive
letter.

If you CD is accessible from a boot to DOS, you could copy the CD to the
hard drive, but this would effectively be the same as having it available on
the ZIP.

Press DEL to enter setup is a feature of the hardware and BIOS on the
machine and is not related to Windows. There is no common error or fault
that prevents this working. Perhaps the keyboard isn't functional for some
reason, or you aren't pressing it quickly enough, or you are pressing some
other key first.

Signature

Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)

> Okay, this happens when you move the Fonts folder from Windows to any
> other
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
>
> DIANE

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DIANE - 29 Oct 2004 03:33 GMT

Thanks for the information, Jeff. I didn't know about the "del" to enter
setup thing. I will try again.

The other suggestions won't work for me because I am never asked to insert
the installation CD. That information came from the MS fix page
online--getting the *.cab files from the CD.

It's weird, because it won't even boot in Safe Mode. It won't boot at all.
It goes through the motions, never getting to the Desktop, and then returns
to the screen with the various "start" options, and above all the other text,
the error message appears, and the computer shuts down.

I CAN get a command prompt, however.

Is there any way anyone can tell me to get to the Setup or reassign drive
letters from DOS?

TIA,

Diane

> When you are asked to insert the installation CD, nominate the ZIP drive
> letter.
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> reason, or you aren't pressing it quickly enough, or you are pressing some
> other key first.

Reply to this Message

Jeff Richards - 29 Oct 2004 04:00 GMT

You don't need to be prompted for the installation CD in order to be able to
insert it. In your case, simply insert the ZIP drive with the CAB files at
the point in the process where you are asked to insert the CD, and access
the files from the ZIP instead of from the CD. Use the ZIP drive letter
where the instructions tell you to use the CD drive letter. There is no
need to change drive letters.

Signature

Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)

> Thanks for the information, Jeff. I didn't know about the "del" to enter
> setup thing. I will try again.
[quoted text clipped - 34 lines]
>> some
>> other key first.

Reply to this Message

DIANE - 30 Oct 2004 19:42 GMT

Let me try again:

My computer will not boot up, even to Safe Mode.
My A:\ drive doesn't work. It is broken. Since this is a laptop computer, I
have no idea how to install a new floppy.
My CD-ROM drive doesn't work. Again, I have no idea how to replace it.

Only my C: drive works, and as I already explained, it won't boot.

I CAN get a command prompt. When I do, and when I review my drives, I see
that I have A: and C: drives. However, my floppy drive is already using the
A: name, so I can't use it.

I need to reassign that A: drive to my ZIP drive, which I have plugged in to
my serial port.

The only way I know how to do this is to get into Setup and swap drive
letters.

I can't get into Setup for whatever reason.

My question is, Can I do anything from the Command prompt that will make a
difference? I need to get *.cab files from my installation disk and transfer
them to this laptop. That is not possible unless I can make ONE drive work.

I can't email the files to myself because the computer won't boot.

I can't put them on a floppy because the drive is broken.
I can't put them on a CD because that drive is broken.
I can't make the computer recognize any other drives besides A and C so I
can't use my ZIP drive unless I can reassign A to my serial port, which I
can't do because I don't know how.

I could do it if I could get to Setup, but I can't get to setup, ever.

I know this is confusing, and I know my old Pentium II sucks, but it's all I
have, and right now valuable documents are locked up there.

I am sure the Windows fix will work as soon as I can figure out how to feed
the *.cab files to the C:\Windows\Fonts folder.

> You don't need to be prompted for the installation CD in order to be able to
> insert it. In your case, simply insert the ZIP drive with the CAB files at
[quoted text clipped - 40 lines]
> >> some
> >> other key first.

Reply to this Message

PCR - 30 Oct 2004 20:20 GMT

Enter BIOS Setup, &... I don't know what you intend to do in there.

You must press a key at boot to enter BIOS Setup. If you don't know the
key to press, try "Esc" at the manufacturer's logo. Then, the key to
press to enter BIOS setup will show up. Quickly press it. For this
Compaq, it is F10.

In BIOS, use TAB & the arrow keys to navigate, & ENTER to select. (Well,
there may be a legend showing your keys are different.)

Here is all I can do with A:...
(a) Find the "Boot Order" menu, & set it to boot the floppy first.
(b) Hit ENTER, or whatever key shows in the legend to enable.
(c) Find & select "Accept changes & Exit" in the menus.

While in there, you'd better go through all the menus & jot down the
settings. If they are not set to defaults, and somehow, someday, they
are cleared, all these settings will have to be input again.

......Start.....something from Candlin about it........
Usually DEL, but F1, F2, F10 are also common.

Other keystrokes which might work are:

AMI BIOS: Del key during the POST
DTK BIOS: Esc key during the POST
Award BIOS: Ctrl-Alt-Esc
Misc BIOS: Ctrl-Esc
Phoenix BIOS: Ctrl-Alt-Esc or Ctrl-Alt-S
IBM PS/2 BIOS: Ctrl-Alt-Ins after Ctrl-Alt-Del

If all else fails, shut down, power off, unplug the keyboard,
and power up again, as some older systems will default
to the CMOS Setup if a keyboard is not found.
......End...............................................................

Signature

Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR
pcrrcp@netzero.net

| Let me try again:
|
[quoted text clipped - 81 lines]
| > >> some
| > >> other key first.

Reply to this Message

Bill Blanton - 30 Oct 2004 22:13 GMT

> I need to reassign that A: drive to my ZIP drive, which I have plugged in to
> my serial port.
>
> The only way I know how to do this is to get into Setup and swap drive
> letters.

You don't need to assign A: to the zip drive. You need to load the DOS drivers
for the zip drive. Then DOS will assign it a letter. Search Iomega's site or your
zip install CD. IIRC, one file needed (mabey the only one needed) is
guest.exe...

Reply to this Message

Jeff Richards - 30 Oct 2004 22:46 GMT

That's a much more serious problem. You had mentioned that the A drive and
the CD weren't working, but I had assumed you were talking about the ZIP
because it was the only thing still working. You don't get access to the
ZIP drive by changing settings in BIOS.

I would recommend getting the A drive to work. That way you can boot to a
floppy so that the CD drivers can be loaded and the CD drive will work.
Then you can access the CD drive directly to find the files needed to repair
Windows. Or, you could build a boot floppy with ZIP drive access like Bill
mentions.

What do you know about the A drive problem and why it won't work? What have
you tried so far to get it to work. What happens when you try to boot using
a boot floppy in the A drive (such as a floppy you could create using a
utility you get at www.bootdisk.com)?

Signature

Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)

> Let me try again:
>
[quoted text clipped - 43 lines]
> feed
> the *.cab files to the C:\Windows\Fonts folder.

Reply to this Message

Hugh Candlin - 31 Oct 2004 06:08 GMT

> Let me try again:
>
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
> I am sure the Windows fix will work as soon as I can figure out how to feed
> the *.cab files to the C:\Windows\Fonts folder.

Have a look at this

http://www.computing.net/windows31/wwwboard/forum/10727.html

Reply to this Message

PCR - 29 Oct 2004 04:39 GMT

Better stick with Richards, as I have little/no understanding of the
implications to A:\ of your ZIP drive. It may have been co-opted.
Nevertheless...

Are you Win98 Standard Edition. In Win98SE (Special Edition), the fonts
are in different .cabs, & you must seek a different Article. Anyway...

What happens when you boot a Startup Diskette?
Get a Startup Diskette from
http://www.bootdisk.com/ , if you don't already have one from "Control
Panel, Add/Remove Programs, Startup Disk tab". Test the Startup
Diskette. Boot it, put in a CD and "DIR" the CD. It will say which
letter is the CD. (Otherwise, it is likely one letter higher than
normal.)

(a) Did it boot?
(b) Well, did the Startup Diskette say which letter was the CD-ROM?

Then, use that letter instead of "d:" in the following instructions, IF
you are Standard Edition...
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=146904
Err Msg: Error Loading GDI.EXE. You Must Reinstall Windows
....Quote.................
Windows 98

md c:\windows\fonts
attrib +s c:\windows\fonts
extract /a d:\win98\win98_22.cab *.fon /l c:\windows\fonts
extract /a d:\win98\win98_22.cab *.ttf /l c:\windows\fonts

Reboot the computer. If the Fonts folder exists, just use the extract
commands to extract the fonts into the folder.
....EOQ of Article.......

Signature

Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR
pcrrcp@netzero.net

| Thanks for the information, Jeff. I didn't know about the "del" to enter
| setup thing. I will try again.
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
| > reason, or you aren't pressing it quickly enough, or you are pressing some
| > other key first.

Reply to this Message

PCR - 29 Oct 2004 05:12 GMT

Uh-oh, sorry! Those instructions actually DO seem to WORK even in
Win98SE. Oh, boy.

Well, stick with Richards, I said!

Signature

Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR
pcrrcp@netzero.net

| Better stick with Richards, as I have little/no understanding of the
| implications to A:\ of your ZIP drive. It may have been co-opted.
[quoted text clipped - 76 lines]
| pressing some
| | > other key first.

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