Still running Windows 95 at work. Afraid to let IT touch the machine. Windows won't come up in the normal mode, but I can bring it up in safe mode. If from a DOS promt I type "win safe mode" it tells me it can't find HIMEM.SYS in the windows directory. However it's there when I look. What is HIMEM.SYS and can I just recopy it on the machine from another system? I don't want to give up the box.

John,

Himem.sys is a memory manager. In DOS it gets loaded in config.sys. If you have a DOS upgraded system it may still load it that way. If it's a win95 install (not upgrade) you will find a call for it in the regestry under MS-Dos Options (May not have that path 100%) run regedit and do a edit/find for himem.sys.. The call may be something like %windir%\himem.sys or %sysroot%\himem.sys (again examples may not be exact path) anyway it's a variable incase windows is installed in a different directory than the default. Make sure what ever directory it's in is where windows is installed.

You should be able to replace the file with one from a like machine, be sure to save the old file just incase. Rename it to himemsys.old or something you can find later if needed... Lockup and shuting off the power without shuting down can clobber a file from time to time...

Hope this helps,

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...Dennis
The '69 (http://chevelles.com/showroom/fine69_03.jpg) & the '96 (http://chevelles.com/showroom/fine69_02.jpg)
Team Camaro (http://www.camaros.net)
Camaros Limited (http://www.camaroslimited.com)

Well..
Just for knowledge..

Himem.sys is an extended memory driver which is included with DOS, Windows 3.1 and Windows 95. Windows 95 automatically loads himem.sys during start-up. With older versions of Windows, and with DOS, himem.sys must be explicitly loaded by placing a command in config.sys

Now for your question..
You can try and copy the himem.sys file from another computer with win95 on it..
But it is not sure to fix the problem..
What you can do if it doesn't fix it..

just edit the config.sys and delete the himem.sys line...

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1972 Chevelle Malibu custom 4dr (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/chaosmalibu1.jpg)
Restoration started: February 10th 2001
Pic 1 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/chaosmalibu2.jpg) , Pic 2 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/chaosmalibu3.jpg) , Pic 3 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/chaosmalibu4.jpg) and Pic 4 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/chaosmalibu5.jpg)
TC member #1278

I would be curious about when did this start ?? What happened just prior to this starting, or what was changed? Also, you can follow the troubleshooting tips here: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q116/2/53.asp?LN=EN-US&SD=gn&FR=0&qry=himem.sys&rnk=2&src=DHCS_MSPSS_gn_SRCH&SPR=W95
Geez John, let your poor IT folks give you a new computer. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif

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Bob McCormick
69 Malibu project

Thanks All
This occured during the weekend. I usually leave the machine up for share file access. Exactly what happened who's to say.
Well around 2:00pm today the PC Lab techs showed up and took the machine to the infamous black hole. My boy worked over there for 4 years (left a couple of years ago). Always said, don't let them take the machine. You have no idea what goes on in there. I know he dropped at least one.
They promised me a new machine. I only care if my data lives. Maybe I'll get lucky. Son still parties with a couple of them. Maybe I have a chance. Maybe no french fries will end up inside. Thanks again.
John