Error Message: Windows Setup Requires Largest Executable Program Size to Be at Least 4,442,368 Bytes (289727)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
  • Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
  • Microsoft Windows 98
This article was previously published under Q289727

SYMPTOMS

When you run the Windows Setup program, you may receive the following error message:
Windows Setup requires the largest executable program size to be at least x,xxx,xxx bytes
The number that is reported may be 4,442,368 or 442,368 bytes.

CAUSE

This issue can occur in the following scenarios:
  • The amount of space on the hard disk has been reported incorrectly.
  • You installed drive overlay software, but you did not follow the correct installation sequence. For example, you may have to press the SHIFT key or use a similar keystroke combination to start your computer when you use a disk.
  • The computer has a virus.
  • The computer has failing or faulty hardware.

RESOLUTION

Before you start the resolution procedure, follow these steps:
  1. Use backup software (or some other means) to back up critical data.
  2. If you are using drive overlay software, follow the instructions on the screen to restart your computer from a disk.
  3. Perform a scan of your hard disk using current antivirus software to find and eliminate any viruses that may be present.
  4. If you do not have access to your CD-ROM at the MS-DOS prompt but you have access using Windows, start Windows, and then copy the Windows Setup files from the CD-ROM to a folder (known as the Flat folder) to your hard disk.
To resolve this issue:
  1. Start Microsoft Windows Explorer, click the C drive (or another drive that has a lot of free disk space), create a new folder, and then name it "Flat".
  2. Locate and click the Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows 98 Second Edition folder on your CD-ROM.
  3. Click any file in the right pane, and then click Select All on the Edit menu.
  4. Click Copy on the Edit menu.
  5. Open the Flat folder that you created in step one.
  6. Click Paste on the Edit menu.
  7. Create a Startup disk and ensure that it is virus-free. For additional information about how to create a Startup disk, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    271823 How to Create a Windows Me Startup Disk Manually

    267287 How to Create a Startup Disk in Windows Me

    186300 How to Create a Windows 98 Startup Disk from MS-DOS

  8. Start your computer from the newly created Startup disk, and then type scandisk c: at the command prompt to run a thorough ScanDisk procedure. If ScanDisk reports any errors, allow ScanDisk to correct them.
  9. If no errors are reported, run Setup.exe from either the Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows 98 Second Edition folder on the Windows CD-ROM, or the Flat folder on the hard disk.
  10. If the error message still occurs, run Setup again using the following command:

    setup /is

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

186111 Description of the Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me Setup Switches



Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/14/2006
Keywords:kbprb kbsetup KB289727
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