• No XMS memory Verify that the section contains this entry:loadsuccess=c:\windows\himem.sysIf not, verify the file and entry in CONFIG.SYS
• Incorrect MS-DOS version (message appears when driver loads) If this error appears when loading drivers or programs that worked before, verify that the section contains this entry:

  loadsuccess=c:\windows\setver.exe.

• Windows 95 doesn't start on a SCSI hard drive Verify that the section contains this entry:

  loadsuccess=c:\windows\dblbuff.sys

• IFSHLP.SYS message occurs Verify that the section contains this entry:

  loadsuccess=c:\windows\ifshlp.sys

• Loading VxDs: Verify the loading, system, and device initialization of all VxDs by checking the section for these entries:

  loading vxd = ios
  loadsuccess = ios

• Cannot access D??SPACE drives Verify that the section contains this entry:

  loadsuccess = c:\dblspace.bin

• Sharing violations occur Might be due to failure of the Vshare VxD to load. The section might contain an entry such as:

  loadfailed = vshare

• System-critical initialization of VxDs: System-critical initialization error occurs Verify that this section contains entries such as:

  syscritinit=ios
  syscritinitsuccess=ios

• Device initialization of VxDs: Verify that the section contains entries such as:

  deviceinit=ios
  deviceinitsuccess=ios

• Successful VxD initialization: Verify that the section contains entries such as:

  initcomplete=ios
  initcompletesuccess=ios

• The following shows the kinds of entries in BOOTLOG.TXT to examine for information about the system startup process.
  • Error = Errors that were logged during startup
  • Fail = Failures that occurred during startup
  • Dynamic load success = Dynamically loaded VxDs
  • InitCompleteSuccess = Loaded VxDs
  • LoadStart = Indication of loading processes
  • LoadSuccess,
  • Loading Device,
  • Loading Vxd
  • LoadFailed = Indication that component failed to load
  • Syscritinit = System initialization actions
  • SysCritInitSuccess
  • Deviceinit = Device initialization actions
  • DeviceInitSuccess
  • Dynamic load device = Dynamic loading and initialization of devices
  • Dynamic init device
  • Initialization actions
  • Initing, Init Success, InitComplete, Init, InitDone
  • Status = Current status indicator

The following shows a sample BOOTLOG.TXT file:

Loading Device = C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
LoadSuccess = C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
Loading Device = C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE
LoadSuccess = C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE
Loading Device = C:\WINDOWS\SETVER.EXE
LoadSuccess = C:\WINDOWS\SETVER.EXE
Loading Device = C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\ANSI.SYS
LoadSuccess = C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\ANSI.SYS
Loading Device = C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS
LoadSuccess = C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS
Loading Vxd = VMM
LoadSuccess = VMM
Loading Vxd = nwlink.vxd
LoadSuccess = nwlink.vxd
Loading Vxd = vnetsup.vxd
LoadSuccess = vnetsup.vxd

For Pinpointing Bootlog.txt errors Boot Log Analyzer (BLA.zip) is recommended. Contact support@vision4.co.uk,

Microsoft Windows 95
Microsoft Windows 98

• LoadFailed = dsound.vxd
• LoadFailed = ebios
• LoadFailed = ndis2sup.vxd
• LoadFailed = vpowerd
• LoadFailed = vserver.vxd
• LoadFailed = vshare
• InitCompleteFailed = SDVXD

• Deviceinitfailed = MTRR
• SysCritInitFailed = JAVASUP
• DeviceInitFailed = MTRR

• DSOUND Many sound drivers are DirectSound enabled. DirectSound is part of Microsoft DirectX, a set of libraries used by most newer Windows-based games. When a DirectSound-enabled sound driver is loaded, it attempts to register with the DirectSound library so that games can use it. If no DirectX-based games are installed on your computer, the DirectSound library fails to load. This is normal.
• EBIOS The extended BIOS driver did not find an extended BIOS, so it does not load.
• NDIS2SUP.VXD The NDIS 2 support driver did not find any NDIS 2 drivers to support, so it does not load.
• VPOWERD The Advanced Power Management (APM) driver determined that your computer does not support APM, so it does not load, or APM support may be disabled. To determine if you have inadvertently disabled APM in Device Manager, follow these steps:
  1. In Control Panel, double-click System.
  2. Click the Device Manager tab.
  3. Double-click the System Devices branch to expand it.
  4. Double-click the Advanced Power Management Support branch. (If this branch does not exist, your computer does not support APM.)
  5. Click the Settings tab.
  6. Verify that the Enable Power Management Support check box is selected.
• VSERVER.VXD Vserver.vxd does not load statically so that it can save memory by loading later in the boot process only if it is needed. For example, Vserver.vxd might not be needed when you start a laptop computer while it is out of its docking station.
• VSHARE If you examine the Bootlog.txt file, you will notice that VSHARE loaded successfully earlier in the boot process. The second copy of VSHARE detects that VSHARE is already loaded and does not load.
• FONT FAILURES After the first boot of Windows 95/98, the Bootlog.txt file may list many font load failures. This is a normal occurrence. When Font Manager searches the hard disk for fonts, it may find them in several folders. After it finds them, it records the information so that future attempts to locate a font proceed more quickly.
• INITCOMPLETEFAILED=SDVXD Windows 95/98 automatically loads a miniature disk cache to increase the speed of the boot process. When the boot process is complete, the miniature disk cache is unloaded from memory. When it is unloaded, the above line is added to the Bootlog.txt file to indicate that the miniature disk cache has been removed from memory. This is normal behavior.
• SYSCRITINITFAILED=JAVASUP The Java Support driver is not needed on your computer, so it did not load. Java is a programming language used on the World Wide Web (WWW). Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 3.0 and later include a Java subsystem.
• DEVICEINITFAILED=MTRR Memory Type Range Registers (MTRR) is a .vxd file responsible for manipulating memory ranges. This file is loaded with DirectX 5.0, however, none of the DirectX core components use the service provided by MTRR. Also, NTKERN and some display drivers do use the service provided by MTRR to change memory ranges.

This is the bootup process for Windows 95 (The Windows 95 Resource Kit pages 195-200)

1. Win95 verifies if your BIOS is P&P or not.
2. Determines which hardware profile you are using. (hardware detection is done here!)
3. Load any real mode drivers. (Old Config.sys/Autoexec.bat stuff)
4. Initialize static VxDs (including dynamic VxD support, the Virtual Machine Manager, and the real mode loader.) (VMM32.VXD!)
5. Loading Protected Mode OS. (This includes Protected Mode VxDs)
6. Loading Kernal32.dll, Krnl386.exe, GDI.exe, GDI32.EXE, User.EXE, User32.EXE, fonts, checking the Win.ini values, shell and destop.

VxD is a virtual device driver for a hardware device that is in the W/S. These are for any cards and system resources built into the Mother Board, and are machine specific. Because of the way the VMM32.VXD is designed, it is dynamic and changes every time your hardware changes. The files that go into this file are contained in the system\vmm32 subdirectory under your windows sub.

To find out when/where the slowdown/stop occurs, F8 at the Starting Windows 95 message and do a bootlog startup. The bootlog.txt is in the root of the startup drive. (Usually the C:\) You can hit the reset button when you get to the slowdown and do a command prompt start from there. Then look at the bootlog to see where it hangs.