Win98 won't come up. Scandisk hangs at 85% completion, then after (hours) will SHOW corss-linked clusters ; I then request 'fix' option.. next it goes into 'checking for cross linked files'.. and repeats the last two steps over and over..long time , little progress.
 1)Is there a way to get around this auto-invoked scandisk?
2)  I would like to avoid re-install if possible (CD drive is down too !).
3) If I have (windows) CAB files on C drive, can I install from there? ..
Thanks
Hal (not the computer)
You can normally stop scandisk at start-up by pressing the key it says on the screen ('Esc' or 'X', I can;'t remember off-hand).  If it won't let you then you have more serious problems.

Start by downloading the specific hard-drive analysing tool from the manufacturer's web-site - they all have them & they are best for checking for physical problems which you may have.  If you have the option, slave the drive to another machine and run scandisk from there.

If the .cab files are all in the same folder with the rest of the setup files for Windows (I usually put them in a folder called Win98) then you can install from there.  It's a standard method of installing Windows from scratch to a) speed things up & b) avoid having to re-insert the Windows CD when hardware/software is changedinfo >http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q287914   or locate the pws folder and you should find an icon called setup click this this should re-install win98 without losing any files...Thanks for the replies.
Of course, without windows I doub't I
'll be seeing icons, but perhaps I can get the setup.exe to run.
THanks again
HalCan you not cancel Scandisk? Hold F8 on boot and attempt to start from Safe Mode.Thanks.
 I have no problems going into safe mode;
 'Win' command automatically forces a scandisk.
 Manually invoked scandisk , of course, has same result.

If I could tell the windows command not to do a scandisk, (by hook or by crook), I would try that to see what errors MIGHT occur.
Hscandisk info>http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=273017 Merlin,
Thanks for the references -
I learned a bit from them..
 Like how to indicate 'no auto scandisk' and a couple of things about hidden , read-only files and the attrib command, along the way.
 Probably, the cache did not get written, leaving the file system on the C drive quite a mess (although I can access files via DOS) .
  I shall preserve files on peripherals as I am able, and
will have to re-install windows, after I have installed a new CD-rom.

Regards,
Harold
in msdos a:\prompt   type

cd windows enter

c:\prompt type  scanreg/restore
and chose the last good cab file...and if you do this..it should take you back to windows...Tried the scanreg /restore.
It worked, but windows only goes as far as the windows logo screen (i..e. no change).
Scandisk /checkonly mentions long file names, then in checking the  filesys, shows error 'directory entry had an invalid FAT chain..did not correct'.            
for c:progra~1\online~1\compus~1\L1keyF.02L  -
The WHOLE directory is junk, but when I try to erase (replying Y to the prompt) the whole thing, it fails with message'file not found'.
Further more, the DIR /s command can't find the file, either.

Ideas ae appreciated.
TheL1keyf file looks like some kind of registry data.
Regards,
H