DescentBB

I've got a Compaq Armada M300 laptop-
Windows 98se has been giving me a VxD error on Device 3 service B...

Windows does not boot - (I've tried a fresh install, worked for a bit, but the next morning, same error)

Anyone know what this is?

This article was previously published under Q306482
SYMPTOMS
When you attempt to start your computer in any of the Windows operating systems listed at the beginning of this article, you may receive the Windows splash screen, and then the computer restarts. Next, the Startup menu appears, with Safe Mode selected. If you select Normal Mode, you may receive the following error message:
Invalid VxD dynamic link call to device 3, service B. Your Windows configuration is invalid. Run the Windows Setup program again to correct this problem.
The computer shuts down. You can start in Safe mode without problems or error messages.
CAUSE
This behavior can occur if the System.ini file is blank.
RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, extract a new copy of the System.ini file to your hard disk. To do this, follow these steps.

NOTE: Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

1. Restart the computer, and then, when prompted, select Safe Mode.
2. Browse to C:\Windows. If no files are visible, click Show Files.
3. On the View menu, click Folder Options.
4. On the View tab, click to clear the Hide file extensions for known file types check box, and then click to select the Show all files check box.
5. Click OK. If no files are visible, click Show Files.
6. Right-click System.ini, click Rename, type System.old, and then press ENTER.
7. Double-click the Sysbckup folder in the same directory.
8. On the View menu, click Details, and then click Name to sort the files by name.
9. Find the most recent rb*.cab file from before the date and time that the problem started. Double-click this file.
10. Right-click System.ini, and then click Extract.
11. In the Choose a Folder in which to save the files box, browse to C:\Windows, and then click OK.
12. Close the .cab file, and then browse to C:\Windows.
13. Double-click System.ini. If System.ini is blank, repeat steps 9 through 12, using the next most-recent .cab file.
14. Close System.ini, and then restart the computer.NOTE: With Windows 98 it is also possible to replace the System.ini file by restoring to an earlier registry. One of the files that is replaced with an earlier version is the System.ini file. For additional information about how to restore to an earlier version of the registry, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

But the system.ini file is not blank? And I get a windows protection error in safe mode, windows won't boot at all except to dos prompt.

When you re-installed, did you reformat the hard drive or just re-install ontop of the old install?

formatted clean - had a hell of a time getting it to reinstall - kept just shutting out of setup, no errors, tried 2000 Pro - installed, but crashed on startup every time. reformatted again, win98 finally installs, boots up, I installed network drivers, zonealarm and went to windows update, installed one of the updates (ie6sp1 or something) rebooted, working fine, tired, turned off laptop, went to bed, woke up next morning, turned on laptop, VxD error. =\

That sounds more like a memory problem. Either a bad spot on the HDD where the swap fiile is located or the chip itself.

Hmm, the hard drive did show some bad sectors when I reformatted it, those are marked and stay unused tho, right? There wasn't very many of them

Yeah, but if it's got bad sectors, more will probably start appearing.

Yeah, if bad sectors start showing up, more than likely the drive is going south. You can try low-level formatting the drive, but 9/10 that won't solve the problem. Time for a new hard drive for the laptop dude.