DescentBB

I/O error computer won't start

A friend deleted some files from her computer and had about 40 viruses on her computer. The viruses have been removed.

Now she get's the following error:
"While initiating device IOS:
Error an I/O subsystem driver failed to load.

Either a file in the .\iosubsys subdirectry is corrupt or the system is low on memory."

All is still in the Recycle Bin. Is there something I can restore from the recycle Bin?

Totally not starting windows? Restoring through DOS sounds tough. . .

40 viruses is a lot. A format and fresh install would be in order.

If you have a free ribbon cable (slave) on another computer, you could copy off her files and backups.

Some programs, i.e. AVG from Grisoft, attempt "healing" i.e. not entirely deleting. Sometimes it works, sometimes not, depending on if it can figure out viral integration sites well enough to delete them.

If she is poised to lose a lot of her files you could restore everything, get the computer bootable again (maybe), and carefully make a ZIP or CDR which you would carry with tweezers to another computer for analysis (starting with a virus scan).

I feel your pain.

sounds like one of those viruses corrupted the I/O SubSystem driver file.

Now what?

do you have your windows CD? re-install windows over the messed up copy.

or, if it is Win2k or XP, run the repair console and it will find the missing/corrupted files and reinstall fresh ones.

you will probably have to run WinUpdate after doing this to restore the newest versions of some files.

This is Win 98 running on a Compaq machine.

Do you know if I can use any Win98 CD? I now Compaq has a "Save" drive and a "Quick Restore" that deletes all data.

yeah, any win98 cd will work.

Thanks, I'll give it a try and post back. May be a couple of days.