Windows Boots to Command Prompt or States Files Are Missing

• Microsoft Windows 95
• Microsoft Windows 98

SYMPTOMS

When you start your computer, you may experience one of the following symptoms:

• The computer boots to a command prompt instead of the Windows 95 graphical user interface (GUI). If you type "win" at the command prompt, Windows 95 starts.



• When you try to start Windows 95 normally or in Safe mode, you receive an error message stating that there are files missing.

CAUSE

This behavior is commonly caused by an incomplete installation of Windows 95.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, run Windows 95 Setup again and choose the Verify option when you are prompted. The Verify option causes Windows 95 to check all files and replace any that are missing or damaged.

MORE INFORMATION

Windows 95 may also boot to a command prompt if the Msdos.Sys file contains the line BootGUI=0. For more information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Article ID: Q141721
Title : How to Boot to a Command Prompt by Default

Keywords          : win95 winboot win98 
Version           : 95
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb 

Last Reviewed: January 29, 1999