Missing or Damaged Vmm32.vxd File in OSR2.1 Setup (167889)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2.1
This article was previously published under Q167889

SYMPTOMS

When you set up OEM Service Release version 2.1 (OSR2.1) over OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) and restart your computer, you may receive an error message stating that the Vmm32.vxd file is missing or damaged, or you may not be able to boot Windows.

CAUSE

These errors can occur if either of the following conditions exists:
  • The Vmm32.vxd file was not rebuilt properly or was damaged, resulting in an error message stating that "Vmm32.vxd is missing or corrupt."
  • The addition of Universal Serial Bus (USB) support is causing a conflict with the system and Windows 95 is unable to boot normally.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use the appropriate method:

Vmm32.vxd Missing or Damaged

If you receive an error message stating that the Vmm32.vxd file is missing or damaged, the rebuilding of the Vmm32.vxd file was unsuccessful, preventing Windows from booting properly and processing the RunOnce section of the registry.

You must uninstall OSR2.1 using the OSR2.1 real-mode uninstall tool (Rem.pss) on the installation disk. To use the uninstall tool, follow these steps:
  1. Restart your computer.
  2. Press the F8 key when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu.
  3. Copy the Rem.pss file to the root folder of the boot drive as Remusb.bat (do not copy it to Rem.bat; "Rem" is a reserved command and it will not function).
  4. Type remusb to restore the original files that were renamed with an .o20 extension.
  5. To complete the uninstall process, restart your computer and use the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel to remove the program "WDM/USB Supplement."

    NOTE: This program may not be listed in the Add/Remove Programs tool. If it is not listed, skip this step.
  6. Delete the Remusb.bat file from the root folder of the boot drive.
NOTE: The Rem.pss file has only been tested when the first reboot does not succeed. Failure to boot at any other time may not be resolved by the Rem.pss file process.

Windows 95 Cannot Boot Because of a Conflict

If Windows 95 cannot boot because of a conflict, use the following steps:
  1. Restart your computer.
  2. Press the F8 key when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, and then choose Safe Mode from the Startup menu.
  3. Rename the Detroit.bat file to Autoexec.bat. The Detroit.bat file is your original Autoexec.bat file that was renamed by OSR2.1 Setup.

  1. Troubleshoot using standard Safe-mode troubleshooting.
For information about how to troubleshoot Windows using Safe mode, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

156126 Troubleshooting Windows 95 Using Safe Mode


Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:12/17/2000
Keywords:kbsetup KB167889
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