The BOOTLOG.TXT file contains a record of the current startup process for starting Windows 95. This file is created during Setup when the Windows 95 operating system is first started from Windows 95 Setup. This file shows the Windows 95 components and drivers loaded and initialized, and the status of each.

When you use the F8 option for interactive system startup, you can choose to create a boot log during system startup. You can also use the /b switch to create a boot log when running WIN.COM from the command line to isolate configuration problems. For information, see General Troubleshooting. The information in BOOTLOG.TXT is written in sequence during startup, in roughly five major sections. Depending upon a specific error condition, you might need to examine multiple sections. Notice, however, that a loadfailed= entry means only that the related VxD refused to load.

For example, loadfailed=ebios indicates that the EBIOS driver did not detect EBIOS in the computer and so reported that it should not be loaded. The following table shows the sections to examine, and describes the possible errors and methods for correcting those errors.

In both Windows 95 and 98 the file is written to the root, normally C:\. In Windows 98 it is a hidden file.

By creating a Bootlog.txt file, it is possible to see which drivers or programs failed to start when Windows starts up. Similarly, it is possible to see which drivers or programs failed to close correctly during the Windows shut down procedure.

Creating a Bootlog.txt file:

1. When "Starting Windows..." appears during startup, press F8. The Windows Start Menu will appear.
2. Choose the "Step by Step" option from the menu.
3. Choose "Yes" for every option.
4. Shut down the computer. During the startup and shutdown every process that occurs will be written to Bootlog.txt.
5. Restart the computer.
6. Bootlog.txt is a hidden file. To make it visible,
7. open up My Computer. Click the View menu,
8. click Options, click Show all files, and then click OK. Open Bootlog.txt with a text editor.

To isolate shutdown problems, look at the entries at the bottom of the file. In a number of cases the last line will be TERMINATE=KERNEL. Look for all lines beginning with TERMINATE=, as these lines show what process is being ended. All TERMINATE= entries should have a corresponding ENDTERMINATE= entry. If you see a TERMINATE= entry without a corresponding ENDTERMINATE= entry, this means that this process has not shut down correctly and is probably causing the system to stop responding during shutdown.

The problem with Bootlog.txt is that the problematic driver or program will not be named directly, just the type of device it is. This table will help you determine what type of device is causing the problem:

• Further Bootlog Analysis