Solve : Windows 98 Autoexec being overwritten?

1.	Solve : Windows 98 Autoexec being overwritten?
Answer» I recently reinstalled Windows 98 SE on my old HP tower. My final goal is to get the computer to boot into DOS and run a custom autoexec file. However, everytime I revise the autoexec file the computer overwrites the file to the original upon reboot. I've done this before on two other systems and can't remember having any ISSUES doing it. If anyone has any idea what could be overwriting the file I'm all ears. Any help would be greatly appreciated. -JarrettWelcome to the CH forums. Run us through exactly what you're doing when you amend autoexec.bat Dusty, Thanks. Well, I boot into Win98 and run msconfig. Then I modify the autoexec file. I attempt to change the file to this: SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T2 SET SNDSCAPE=C:\EAPCI C:\EAPCI\APINIT.COM C:\WINDOWS\SMARTDRV.EXE However, windows changes it back to the original file of: SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 T2 SET SNDSCAPE=C:\WINDOWS C:\EAPCI\APINIT.COM C:\WINDOWS\SMARTDRV.EXE As you can see I'm trying to modify the sound so it works in dos with a game program. So it seems either windows is changing it back or the original audio program. I even tried to edit with sysedit and manually doing it by opening up the bat file, but no luck either way. I haven't tried to edit it in dos yet, but I doubt that will have any effect as soon as I boot back into windows it will change it right back. Like I said I'm stumped. I've done this before and was able to modify the autoexec file to my hearts content with no problems.Have you considered renaming your Autoexec.bat to Autoexec.old, then creating your new file and saving as Autoexec.bat.VMD Sound is a sSound Blaster emulator that you could try...it's an MS self extracting utility for Win NT, Win2k and XP...Buscrew, I have already tried that course of action with no luck. I even went as far as to delete all instances of the autoexec.bat file and create a whole new one. The computer still defaults back to the original two lines in the autoexec.bat file. The only way I can get the sound to work in dos is to totally disable the autoexec.bat file from launching in msconfig. Then when I get the C:\ prompt in dos type all the lines in manually. I wouldn't mind doing that everytime, but I need the computer to boot into dos, load the sound config, and run an emulation program. Like I said something keeps restoring this file when I restart the machine. I just need to figure out what program or the like is doing it. It's driving me nuts! BTW, Thanks for the help guys.Some info on defining custom config.sys & autoexec.bat files here http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=138996 scroll down, also have you tried altering the dosstart.bat file to reflect the changes you want in the autoexec.bat file. Can't help on what's changing your file back as I've never COME accross it before, when I made changes to the autoexec.bat file i always did it through sysedit then clicked on File/Save and rebooted to the new file. Obvious question but are you saving the ammended autoexec.bat file and rebooting. Quote VMD Sound is a sSound Blaster emulator that you could try...it's an MS self extracting utility for Win NT, Win2k and XP... Patio, Thanks for the link on the VMD Sound. However, I have the correct dos drivers for my soundcard chipset and the sound works great when I type in all the configuration at the dos prompt. I just need to get this autoexec issue figured out. Buscrew, Thanks for the microsoft link. I'll check it out now and see if it has any info that can help me. I haven't tried altering the dosstart.bat file yet. I actually didn't even know there was one, but I'll do some research and see it that is the SOURCE of my woes. To answer your question, YES I save the file then reboot. Changes it right back even before the next bootup. So it seems like it almost does it before shutdown to tell you the truth.This problem has me dumfounded and very interested. I've never ever come across this. I use the MS-Dos Edit utility to edit text files such as Autoexec and Config.sys and never had any problems provided I don't forget to Save the amended file. No error message about an attempt to amend a Read Only file :-? Hmmmm...Just wanted to update on my progress. The other night I thought about the problem and figured I should just let it overwrite the file. Here is the workaround I came up with.....Since it was overwriting the first two lines in the autoexec.bat and these two lines configured my soundcard I left those in and inserted the next two lines to configure it the way I wanted it. So now my autoexec.bat looks like the one below. It worked like a charm. SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 T2 SET SNDSCAPE=C:\WINDOWS SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T2 SET SNDSCAPE=C:\EAPCI C:\EAPCI\APINIT.COM C:\WINDOWS\SMARTDRV.EXE

Answer»

I recently reinstalled Windows 98 SE on my old HP tower. My final goal is to get the computer to boot into DOS and run a custom autoexec file. However, everytime I revise the autoexec file the computer overwrites the file to the original upon reboot. I've done this before on two other systems and can't remember having any ISSUES doing it. If anyone has any idea what could be overwriting the file I'm all ears. Any help would be greatly appreciated. -JarrettWelcome to the CH forums.

Run us through exactly what you're doing when you amend autoexec.bat

Dusty,
Thanks. Well, I boot into Win98 and run msconfig. Then I modify the autoexec file. I attempt to change the file to this:
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T2
SET SNDSCAPE=C:\EAPCI
C:\EAPCI\APINIT.COM
C:\WINDOWS\SMARTDRV.EXE

However, windows changes it back to the original file of:
SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 T2
SET SNDSCAPE=C:\WINDOWS
C:\EAPCI\APINIT.COM
C:\WINDOWS\SMARTDRV.EXE

As you can see I'm trying to modify the sound so it works in dos with a game program. So it seems either windows is changing it back or the original audio program. I even tried to edit with sysedit and manually doing it by opening up the bat file, but no luck either way. I haven't tried to edit it in dos yet, but I doubt that will have any effect as soon as I boot back into windows it will change it right back. Like I said I'm stumped. I've done this before and was able to modify the autoexec file to my hearts content with no problems.Have you considered renaming your Autoexec.bat to Autoexec.old, then creating your new file and saving as Autoexec.bat.VMD Sound is a sSound Blaster emulator that you could try...it's an MS self extracting utility for Win NT, Win2k and XP...Buscrew, I have already tried that course of action with no luck. I even went as far as to delete all instances of the autoexec.bat file and create a whole new one. The computer still defaults back to the original two lines in the autoexec.bat file.
The only way I can get the sound to work in dos is to totally disable the autoexec.bat file from launching in msconfig. Then when I get the C:\ prompt in dos type all the lines in manually. I wouldn't mind doing that everytime, but I need the computer to boot into dos, load the sound config, and run an emulation program. Like I said something keeps restoring this file when I restart the machine. I just need to figure out what program or the like is doing it. It's driving me nuts! BTW, Thanks for the help guys.Some info on defining custom config.sys & autoexec.bat files here http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=138996 scroll down, also have you tried altering the dosstart.bat file to reflect the changes you want in the autoexec.bat file.

Can't help on what's changing your file back as I've never COME accross it before, when I made changes to the autoexec.bat file i always did it through sysedit then clicked on File/Save and rebooted to the new file. Obvious question but are you saving the ammended autoexec.bat file and rebooting. Quote

VMD Sound is a sSound Blaster emulator that you could try...it's an MS self extracting utility for Win NT, Win2k and XP...

Patio, Thanks for the link on the VMD Sound. However, I have the correct dos drivers for my soundcard chipset and the sound works great when I type in all the configuration at the dos prompt. I just need to get this autoexec issue figured out.
Buscrew, Thanks for the microsoft link. I'll check it out now and see if it has any info that can help me. I haven't tried altering the dosstart.bat file yet. I actually didn't even know there was one, but I'll do some research and see it that is the SOURCE of my woes. To answer your question, YES I save the file then reboot. Changes it right back even before the next bootup. So it seems like it almost does it before shutdown to tell you the truth.This problem has me dumfounded and very interested. I've never ever come across this. I use the MS-Dos Edit utility to edit text files such as Autoexec and Config.sys and never had any problems provided I don't forget to Save the amended file. No error message about an attempt to amend a Read Only file :-?

Hmmmm...Just wanted to update on my progress. The other night I thought about the problem and figured I should just let it overwrite the file. Here is the workaround I came up with.....Since it was overwriting the first two lines in the autoexec.bat and these two lines configured my soundcard I left those in and inserted the next two lines to configure it the way I wanted it. So now my autoexec.bat looks like the one below. It worked like a charm.

SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 T2
SET SNDSCAPE=C:\WINDOWS
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T2
SET SNDSCAPE=C:\EAPCI
C:\EAPCI\APINIT.COM
C:\WINDOWS\SMARTDRV.EXE

Solve : Windows 98 Autoexec being overwritten?

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