vmm32.vxd Missing/cannot be accessed at first boot

[dcourtright-dev]

Checklist

• I have searched the issue tracker and was unable to find an open or closed issue matching what I'm seeing.
• (If the issue occurs AFTER or DURING Windows 9x's hardware detection phase) I have tried to install with Skip legacy non-PnP hardware detection phase to [OFF] and the issue still occurs.
• (If the issue occurs AFTER or DURING Windows 9x's hardware detection phase) I have tried to install with the integrated driver library set to [OFF] and the issue still occurs.
• I understand that support is provided voluntarily for free, and that the author is not Microsoft and can/will probably not fix bugs in the operating system code itself. I also understand that it is impossible to support every single hardware combination out there.

What happened?

I went through the install process normally, selected these:

YES write MBR and activate partition
YES format target
YES write boot sector
tried both YES and NO Skip legacy non-PnP hardware detection
tried both YES and NO Integrated driver library
YES Copy driver.ex
YES copy extras
tried both YES and NO install CREGFIX
NO 64-bit LBA
NO UEFI

It booted fine, but it stayed at the logo screen with the progress bar moving fairly quickly, so I pressed escape and saw a message saying:

C:\WINDOWS\system\vmm32.vxd: Missing/unable to load.

It didn't boot further, I tried a different USB drive, changed boot order, etc and still nothing. I did also try v1.0.0 of the USB image with everything in the install configuration except 64-bit LBA and UEFI support, but instead i got no boot and no error message.

EDIT: I tried on another machine (Dell Latitude E7440) but it still didn't get to the desktop, just stayed at the splash screen and when I pressed escape no message was there

Linux dmesg output

No response

Target Motherboard, CPU and RAM

HP 14-DF0023CL, Intel Core i3-8130U, 4GB DDR4

Target GPU and Sound card(s)

Intel UHD Graphics 620 (Integrated), motherboard sound card

Target Storage Devices

128GB Samsung M.2 SSD

Boot method

USB key

Reference image

Windows 98 SE Stock

Additional context

Used Rufus to write the image to the USB stick

[LordOfMice]

Get MBR sector of boot drive and put it somewere to download.

[dcourtright-dev]

Get MBR sector of boot drive and put it somewere to download.

Here's the gist link for the .hex

fdisk -l in SystemRescue outputs this:

`Disk /dev/sda: 119.24 GiB, 128035676160 bytes, 250069680 sectors
Disk model: SAMSUNG MZNLN128
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sda1 * 2048 4196351 4194304 2G c W95 FAT32 (LBA)`

[LordOfMice]

1. Check you can really access %windir%\SYSTEM\VMM32.VXD in DOS mode (F8->Command Prompt) like copy it somewere.
2. Check C:\MSDOS.SYS:[Options]->DoubleBuffer. Set it to 1 if it is 0 or absent. Then reboot.
3. Check you can boot in DOS mode with EMM386 in config.sys (device=%windir%emm386.exe noems novcpi)

[dcourtright-dev]

1. VMM32.VXD was able to be copied to root FS (C:)
2. Doublebuffer was already set to 1, didn't change
3. Added device=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE noems novcpi to CONFIG.SYS but outputs "EMM386 not installed - XMS manager not present" and doesn't get to the desktop

I should note that I tried the same image and same options in a Virtualbox VM and it worked fine without any modifications

[LordOfMice]

Added device=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE noems novcpi to CONFIG.SYS but outputs "EMM386 not installed - XMS manager not present" and doesn't get to the desktop

Add device=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS before device=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE, of course.
P.S. And add dos=high,umb to config.sys too.

[dcourtright-dev]

Added himem & DOS to config.sys (Himem > EMM386 > DOS in line order) and now it spits out a different error message:

`EMM386 not installed - incorrect machine type.

Press any key when ready...`

And nothing happens when I press a key, just a blinking cursor

[LordOfMice]

EMM386 not installed - incorrect machine type

One of the most wanted errors for me as I never met it...
Show me output of HIMEM395.EXE from
http://sweetlow.orgfree.com/download/himem395.zip
(paste this link second time in address line for Google derived browsers if you will get error on the first access)
under DOS (without EMM386, of course).

[dcourtright-dev]

I tried that instead of regular HIMEM for CONFIG.SYS, removed the EMM386 line (DOS still stayed) and now it hangs at the splash screen

[oerg866]

"Show me output" probably means show him what happens if you type HIMEM395.EXE in DOS

[dcourtright-dev]

At the F8 menu, trying to get into DOS it doesn't get to the C:> prompt, it just stays at a blinking cursor after the "Enter a choice" selection.

Also tried safe mode with command prompt only and the output was 'No XMS driver' for HIMEM395.EXE

[LordOfMice]

At the F8 menu, trying to get into DOS it doesn't get to the C:> prompt, it just stays at a blinking cursor after the "Enter a choice" selection.

1. without EMM386, of course

2. stays at a blinking cursor after the "Enter a choice"

and

VMM32.VXD was able to be copied to root FS (C:)

are mutual exclusive.

P.S. Comment DOS=HIGH,UMB too.

Also tried safe mode with command prompt only and the output was 'No XMS driver' for HIMEM395.EXE

It's normal. Safe Mode Command Prompt does not load any additional drivers including HIMEM.SYS

[dcourtright-dev]

Sorry, I meant I was able to copy it from a live Linux ISO (Systemrescue), I should've tried it with DOS. That said, trying DOS (even in safe mode) disables USB support. I'm using a USB keyboard because this machine's keyboard doesn't work well (likely due to water damage). The machine is the machine mentioned above, an HP 14-df0023cl.

I'll try it on a better suited and working condition machine (a Dell Latitude E7440) and report back to you on it. Here are the specs of the Dell:
1x8GB DDR3 (I can change to 1x4GB or 2x4GB if needed)
128gb mSATA SSD
Intel i5-4310U