Problems with Win 95 and Compaq Shell

[Jo_24]

I have Win 95 on a Compaq Presario 4760. I recently downloaded a new virus checker, and it told me that I had two viruses - one called mscsd.exe at c:\windows\options and the other called sointgr.exe at c:\windows. I deleted both of these files.
I am now getting a message that is worrying me a little every time I turn the computer on:
"Compaq Environment. Your system shell has changed. The Compaq software will work with your new shell, but the new shell will not work with your Compaq software. Do you wish to keep your Compaq software working?"

Have I inadvertantly deleted some important files in removing the 'viruses'? If not, then how do I sort out the system shell problem? Aside from installing the new virus checker, I haven't done a great deal to the computer recently. I don't want the computer to crash at the moment, as I am currently in the middle of my dissertation!

[Norman_21]

OK Jo,

Goto Start>Programs>Startup
and post the results here. Also, look at the very bottom right corner of the screen when Win95 Start. Do you seen any icons sitting at the task bar. Try disabling them and set them not to load when Windows start.

Please keep us updated.
Thanks and good luck.

[Jo_24]

Ok - When I do Start, Programs, Start up, I get: AntiVirus & Trojan (the new program I installed), Compaq VideoCD Watcher, Microsoft Office and Norton Program Scheduler.

On the task bar, I have the Norton Anti Virus, No-Ads (a pop-up blocker) and the Program Scheduler (along with the Compaq Easy Access Buttons, the Home Base and the Volume button) How do I stop any of these loading at start up?

[Norman_21 · Accepted solution]

Hi again,

Sorry for the delay. I think you gonna have to leave the Norton Anti-Virus.
Try right click on the Compaq software icons that is in the task bar, then look for properties to disable windows to load it at startup. The more Windows load programs at start the lower performance you get. However, if you didn't find any option to trun it off, goto the Control Panel> Add/Remove Programs and see if you can remove it from there.
To remove the programs from The Startup option:
Start>Settings>TaskBar & Start Menu.
Click on the Advanced Tab>Click Remove>Select StartUp and then delete all of them.
Note:
Deleting the programs from the StartUP will not delete the programs, it'll just prevent those programs from loading at startup.

Hope this help.

[Jo_24]

Cheers - I've kept Norton appearing at Start up, but got rid of the rest. I've also got rid of the new anti-virus program - and the computer seems to be behaving itself, although it still crashes fairly regularly - problem with 95 as a whole I think! :)

[Jon Finley]

Some general cleanup tips with Windows 95

Monthly:
1. Look for and remove any temporary files you find. These will be files that start with the '~' character, and or end with '.tmp'.

2. Run scandisk and defrag.

3. Make sure that you have at least 30Meg of disk space free for 95's dynamic swap file.

Add memory. Windows 95 LOVES to have 64Meg of RAM or more. If you are running current versions of software, then look at 128Meg of RAM.

Windows 95 is VERY dependant on the first 640K of RAM, and wants to see at least 540K free at startup (at your desktop).

To check, click on Start, then Run, type 'COMMAND' and press enter. Type 'MEM /C/P' press enter, and look for the convensional memory free value.

If it is less than 540K free (or if you just want to attempt to optimize it further), then do the following.

while still at the DOS prompt,
enter the following commands:

copy c:\config.sys c:\config.old
copy c:\autoexec.bat c:\autoexec.old

sysedit

Within the System Editor, locate the CONFIG.SYS window.

Use the following as a template:

C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS
FILESHIGH=99
BUFFERSHIGH=10,0
LASTDRIVEHIGH=Z
DOS=HIGH,UMB


(Note that the above lines should be the first lines in the CONFIG.SYS file.)

Any additional lines that start with 'DEVICE=' can be changed to 'DEVICEHIGH'.

Save the changes by clicking on File, Save.


Find the AUTOEXEC.BAT window. Any line entry that launches a TSR (Norton, DOSKey, CD-ROM, etc.) can be changed so that the command line starts with 'LH' or 'LOADHIGH'.

Again, click on File, Save to save the changes.

Last, close the open windows, and re-start windows 95.

To check the results, run MEM /C/P as outlined above.

If this is too technical, post a copy of your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files here, and I'll post what the changes should be.

Jon

[Jo_24]

Hi Jon,
I've got as far as sysedit, but I get bad command or file name come up. In Dos I am working under the line C:\WINDOWS\Profiles\Jo\Desktop
should I have gone back to just C:\WINDOWS?

[Norman_21]

Hi Jo again,

To run the sysedit, go back to the Windows GUI and Click Start>Run then type sysedit and press Enter Key.

To find about your path configuration, just type path at the command prompt and see if Windows has the correct path that you get when you are at the command prompt.

Hope this help.
Good tips from Jon Finley.

[Jo_24]

Cheers guys! :) It's not freed up a lot of memory - but it gives me a little more space to play around with!

With regards to the system config - you said that the lines you posted should be the first in the file. I've only added in the LASTDRIVE HIGH line, and made the DEVICEHIGH etc changes you suggested. After adjustment, mine now reads:

DEVICEHIGH=C:\Compaq\Support\dfilter.sys
DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF
DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS I=E800-EFFF
DOS=HIGH,UMB,AUTO
DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\CPQIDECD.SYS /D:IDECD001
FILESHIGH=99
BUFFERSHIGH=10,0
FCBSHIGH=10
SWITCHES=/F
LASTDRIVEHIGH=Z

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\DISPLAY.SYS CON=(EGA,850)
Country=044,850,c:\windows\COMMAND\country.sys

Should I change the order of the lines so that they match yours, or are they ok as they stand?

[Norman_21]

Jo again,

Here is the update. If you have any error or problems, please drop a line:

@echo off (this will hide the following during boot up)
DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:ON (Turn the Test Memory to ON)
DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS I=E800-EFFF
DOS=HIGH,UMB,AUTO
rem DEVICEHIGH=C:\Compaq\Support\dfilter.sys (Remark this line so it will be ignored during bootup time, it's just a driver which I assume that you removed from the startup, if you get any error remove the "rem").
FILESHIGH=99
BUFFERSHIGH=10,0
LASTDRIVEHIGH=Z
DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\CPQIDECD.SYS /D:IDECD001
FCBSHIGH=10
SWITCHES=/F

Good luck.