Unable to run MS-DOS in Windows and DOS properties tabs missing

Suddenly I can not run MS-DOS from the desktop. When I click on it
(or from the Start/Programs menu) I get a message "There are not
enough system resources available to run this program. Quit one or
more programs and then try again". Quitting running programs does not
resolve anything.

File "Properties" for the "MS-DOS Shortcut" or "Command.com" (or any
other DOS file) only shows the "General" tab. The Program, Font,
Memory, etc. tabs are missing. System file checker indicates no
bad/missing files. Properties show correctly if the files are checked
from another computer connected via a LAN.

Any help would be appreciated.

OS is Win98SE.

 

First of all clean out your system:
http://uk.geocities.com/personel44/maintenance.html

*********************************************

Now check for any malware. Download, update and use
*all* of the following:

Spybot Search & Destroy
http://spybot.eon.net.au/
http://www.safer-networking.org/
SpyBot S&D guide
http://www.chem.wisc.edu/~network/spybot/

Ad-Aware
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

Spyware Blaster
http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
http://www.net-integration.net/tools/spywareblaster.html

CWShredder
http://www.merijn.org/cwschronicles.html
http://www.merijn.org/files/cwshredder.zip

*********************************************

Next, check for viruses:

Online Antivirus scanners:
================
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp
http://www.kaspersky.com/remoteviruschk.html
http://www3.ca.com/virusinfo/virusscan.aspx
http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/activescan.asp
http://us.mcafee.com/root/mfs/default.asp
http://commandondemand.com/eval/index.cfm
http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/ [See ****]
http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/licence.php
http://www.drweb-online.com/en/online_check.asp
http://www.pcpitstop.com/antivirus/default.asp
http://scan.sygatetech.com/prestealthscan.html

**** Caveat:
http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/bugtraq/2003-07/0240.html

*********************************************

Now, check your startup programs:
StartupList
http://www.lurkhere.com/~nicefiles/

Startup Monitor
http://www.mlin.net/StartupMonitor.shtml

Startup Control Panel
http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml

WinPatrol
http://www.winpatrol.com/


Check what's necessary and what isn't
http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm
http://www.windowsstartup.com/wso/index.php
http://www.3feetunder.com/krick/startup/list.html
http://www.greatis.com/regrun3appdatabase.htm

*********************************************

Finally, read up on system resources:
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca/tips.htm#resources
http://aumha.org/win4/a/resource.htm

 

Tried everything you suggested without success. Resource Meter shows
System Resources 69% free, User 69% free and GDI 78% free. Any other
suggestions?


°Mike° wrote:
| First of all clean out your system:
| http://uk.geocities.com/personel44/maintenance.html
|
| *********************************************
|
| Now check for any malware. Download, update and use
| *all* of the following:
|
| Spybot Search & Destroy
| http://spybot.eon.net.au/
| http://www.safer-networking.org/
| SpyBot S&D guide
| http://www.chem.wisc.edu/~network/spybot/
|
| Ad-Aware
| http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
|
| Spyware Blaster
| http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html
| http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
| http://www.net-integration.net/tools/spywareblaster.html
|
| CWShredder
| http://www.merijn.org/cwschronicles.html
| http://www.merijn.org/files/cwshredder.zip
|
| *********************************************
|
| Next, check for viruses:
|
| Online Antivirus scanners:
| ================
| http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp
| http://www.kaspersky.com/remoteviruschk.html
| http://www3.ca.com/virusinfo/virusscan.aspx
| http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp
| http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/activescan.asp
| http://us.mcafee.com/root/mfs/default.asp
| http://commandondemand.com/eval/index.cfm
| http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/ [See ****]
| http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/licence.php
| http://www.drweb-online.com/en/online_check.asp
| http://www.pcpitstop.com/antivirus/default.asp
| http://scan.sygatetech.com/prestealthscan.html
|
| **** Caveat:
| http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/bugtraq/2003-07/0240.html
|
| *********************************************
|
| Now, check your startup programs:
| StartupList
| http://www.lurkhere.com/~nicefiles/
|
| Startup Monitor
| http://www.mlin.net/StartupMonitor.shtml
|
| Startup Control Panel
| http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml
|
| WinPatrol
| http://www.winpatrol.com/
|
|
| Check what's necessary and what isn't
| http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php
| http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm
| http://www.windowsstartup.com/wso/index.php
| http://www.3feetunder.com/krick/startup/list.html
| http://www.greatis.com/regrun3appdatabase.htm
|
| *********************************************
|
| Finally, read up on system resources:
| http://onlinehelp.bc.ca/tips.htm#resources
| http://aumha.org/win4/a/resource.htm
|
|
|
| On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 19:09:13 GMT, in
| <[email protected]>
| Don scrawled:
|
|| Suddenly I can not run MS-DOS from the desktop. When I click on it
|| (or from the Start/Programs menu) I get a message "There are not
|| enough system resources available to run this program. Quit one or
|| more programs and then try again". Quitting running programs does
not
|| resolve anything.
||
|| File "Properties" for the "MS-DOS Shortcut" or "Command.com" (or
any
|| other DOS file) only shows the "General" tab. The Program, Font,
|| Memory, etc. tabs are missing. System file checker indicates no
|| bad/missing files. Properties show correctly if the files are
|| checked from another computer connected via a LAN.
||
|| Any help would be appreciated.
||
|| OS is Win98SE.

 

Try booting to DOS -- hold the CTRL key at startup and
choose 'Command Prompt Only'. From the DOS prompt,
type:

scanreg /restore

Pick a date prior to the problem.

<snip>

 

Did a Restore but unfortunately the problem appears to have existed
prior to the earliest restore date. Would you prefer I post this to
one of the MS Windows 98 discussion groups?

°Mike° wrote:
| Try booting to DOS -- hold the CTRL key at startup and
| choose 'Command Prompt Only'. From the DOS prompt,
| type:
|
| scanreg /restore
|
| Pick a date prior to the problem.
|
|
| On Tue, 10 Feb 2004 21:20:41 GMT, in
| <[email protected]>
| Don scrawled:
|
|| Tried everything you suggested without success. Resource Meter
shows
|| System Resources 69% free, User 69% free and GDI 78% free. Any
other
|| suggestions?
|
| <snip>

 

The fact that the properties tab only shows the
Geberal tab, suggests that there is a major problem,
which probably stems from the registry. If you don't
have any registry backups, you are probably looking
at a clean reinstall.