Windows XP SP3: Missing ASMS file

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Hi,
I ran a Spybot scan the other day on my Win XP Sp3 desktop, this identified about half a dozen problems. Instead of looking at the report on each one I foolishly clicked to get rid of them all. One was a System32 file and now I can’t get into my desktop at all. The message which showed when I first booted up after the Spybot scan was:
“C:WINDOWSsystem32Command.com – The parameter is incorrect”.

Having searched for a solution on my netbook I found advice to reinstall the OS from my CD which I did but partway through was presented with a screen telling me that the file “asms” on Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2CD was needed, and to type the path where the file is located, which was shown as GLOBALROOTDEVICECDROM01386 then click OK. This I did but nothing happened and no progress was made.

I went back online on my netbook and asked for assistance on a forum, receiving two suggestions, the Microsoft article 311755 and the method on the oldergeeks.com web site. The Microsoft method was to copy the required file from a Windows 98 SE disc which I no longer have. The oldergeeks method involved deleting both upper and lower filters from the registry, which I did and clicked the Cancel button on completion as instructed, only to receive the following message: “Fatal Error: One of the components that Windows needs to continue setup could not be installed.
The operation was cancelled by the user.”

At some point during my efforts to boot up I received the following message but I cannot pinpoint exactly when this was –
“STOP: c000021a (Fatal System Error)
The Session Manager Initialization system process terminated unexpectedly
with a status of Oxc000026c (Ox00000000 Ox00000000)
The system has been shut down.”

So I’m afraid it’s still status quo. Maybe I will have to buy a Win98 SE disc, but, surprisingly, they are still quite expensive. I was hoping someone would still have one and would be willing to copy the file for me.

I hope I have given you sufficient information – if not I’ll try to provide more.

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Having searched for a solution on my netbook I found advice to reinstall the OS from my CD which I did but partway through was presented with a screen telling me that the file “asms” on Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2CD was needed, and to type the path where the file is located, which was shown as GLOBALROOTDEVICECDROM01386 then click OK. This I did but nothing happened and no progress was made.

pompey,

Hello…On that path that you gave are you sure that it’s not i386? If so check and see (Safe Mode) if it’s (i386) on your PC See screen shot Should be C:>Windows> Driver cache… If so try running ( from “Safe Mode” Keep Tapping F-8 when trying to boot)…system file checker from an “Elevated Command Prompt ” …”sfc /scannow” I’m not positive on XP it might be ” SFC .EXE /SCANNOW” ( no quotes space after sfc ) :cheers: Regards Fred

PS: On my PC doing this… asks for an XP Pro disk to retrieve the i386 folder.

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Many thanks, PlainFred, for your response. I would think it quite possible that I have mistaken the “i” for a “1”. I will check that in the morning and come back to you.
Pompey33

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Hallo again PlainFred, I have tried to get into Safe Mode but the screen which appears is one I’ve never seen before. If I just click on it it takes me straight back to the XP OS installation even though I have removed the disc from the DVD drive. I’ve taken a photo of the Boot Menu as I can’t PrintScreen, hope it’s all right to attach it. Also I’ve taken a photo of the missing file screen, you will notice that the CDROM0 has changed to CDROM1, and that the i386 does appear to be 1386 although the “1” is different just a straight line.
Not sure if the photos have attached, plase let me know if not.

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I have tried to get into Safe Mode but the screen which appears is one I’ve never seen before.

pompey,

Hello… I have just used my XP-OS and booted into “Safe Mode” Just to be clear i will explain how.

1. Do not have any media (CDDVD’s Floppies) connected.

2. Start your PC and immediately keep tapping the F-8 key.You may have to select an Administrator account …

3. You then should see a black screen with about a dozen choices

4. The first one is Safe mode … down the list is “Safe Mode with Command Prompt” I would try the “Safe Mode” Option first , and see if it will boot up..

5. If you can boot into Safe Mode …have a look for the i386 folder, If its there try to run the “sfc /scannow”

6. If not ..try the “Safe Mode with Command” prompt option ..and run the “sfc” command from there.. :cheers: Regards Fred

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Sorry, PlainFred, the only screen which appears is the Boot Menu as shown above – no sign of Safe Mode

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Sorry, PlainFred, the only screen which appears is the Boot Menu as shown above – no sign of Safe Mode

pompey,

Hello… “Boot menu” is a choice along with “BIOS configuration”… both are not what you are looking for …On some OS’s you enter these by hitting “ESC” or F-11, or some other “F #” key… You enter “Safe Mode” after the BIOS Screen makes it’s appearance.. Then start hitting the F-8. Sounds like you enter your BIOS with the F-8 …never heard of that …can’t say why …One other question …What happens when your in the “Boot Screen” if you choose the HD option and hit enter? Regards Fred

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Seems it matters if the drive is formatted FAT/FAT32 or NTFS. Assuming your system is NTFS, the Microsoft KB article excludes older OS CDs (they are for FAT/FAT32).

Upper and lower registry deletions are part of Method 1 but there are a few additional things to do and I think these methods pertain to the time of the initial cannot find file error so I’m uncertain as to the veracity of the methods now but, here they are:

Hard disk formatted with NTFS file system

If the hard disk is formatted with the NTFS file system, use one of the following methods.
Method 1

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322756 How to back up and restore the registry in Windows
When you receive the error message, press SHIFT+F10 to start a command session.
Type regedit.exe, and then press ENTER.
Click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
On the File menu, click Load Hive, and then load %Windir%System32ConfigSystem.sav.
When you are prompted to specify a name, type Test.
Locate and then click the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINETestControlSet1ControlClass{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Delete the UPPERFILTERS and LOWERFILTERS registry keys.
Repeat steps 6 and 7 for the other ControlSet# keys under the Test hive.
Click File, and then click Exit to quit Registry Editor.
If the path in the error message is the correct drive letter for the CD-ROM drive, click OK to continue the Setup program.
If you receive the error message again, the Setup program cannot correctly read from the CD-ROM drive, or the path information is incorrect. In this case, restart your computer and let the Setup program resume.
Method 2

If you cannot start Regedit.exe at the command prompt, and there is another available partition where you can install Windows on the hard disk, follow these steps:
Install Windows in the other partition.
Start the new installation of Windows, and then start Regedit.exe.
Follow the steps in method 1, but load the System.sav hive from the original Windows folder.
Method 3

If you are not using a retail Windows XP CD-ROM with a hologram (for example, if you are using a burned CD-ROM), try to run the Setup program from a retail CD-ROM with a hologram. To verify this, start the computer by using Recovery Console, and then check the C:$win_nt$.~ls folder. Look for the Asms folder. If the folder is missing or the files that it contains are zero bytes, the CD-ROM was not burned correctly.

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Seems that the images were too large, trying again34501-CIMG256134502-CIMG2560alt

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Hi Fred, If I choose the HD option, the selection slips down to Ch2 M. ST3160812AS. I didn’t think the Bootable Add-in Cards was relevant, so clicked on Ch2 M. etc and this just went back to the XP OS installation setup complete with the missing file screen even though there is no CD in the tray. I feel if I could cancel this operation we might get somewhere.
Incidentally I have found the way into BIOS is to use the delete button, don’t know if that’s any help.
Is it possible to get into Safe Mode via a command prompt?
I found an interesting Spybot forum last night –
forums.spybot.info/showthread/?31907-After-scan-reboot-returns-c-windows-system32-command-com-the-parameter-is-incorrect
You probably already know about this, Fred, but if not it makes interesting reading. It seems there are lots of others with my problem. It starts in 2008 but ends last year so quite modern. On page 3 it mentions reinstalling XP but doesnt say if they had the missing file problem.

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I have found the way into BIOS is to use the delete button, don’t know if that’s any help.
Is it possible to get into Safe Mode via a command prompt?

pompey,
Hello… You need to get into Safe Mode at boot time ..I know of no other way … you then can choose from the selection using the UpDown arrows “Safe Mode with Command Prompt”. I have seen (some PC’s) that you have to choose an administrator account to enter “Safe Mode” Either way, once in there are about a dozen options….Regards Fred

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At last – it’s F5. I phoned Medion the computer builder and was told that if F8 doesn’t work, to try F5, and that has worked. I clicked on Safe Mode which produced a long list of System32 files, but there’s more than will fit on one screen and I cannot scroll using the up/down keys to see if i386 is there. That then disappears and another screen appears with details of the XP OS across the top (curiously this quotes SP2 whereas I have SP3 installed). In the centre is another message which reads “Windows XP Setup cannot run under Safemode. Setup will restart now.”
This then goes into the same installation operation with the missing ASMS file.
I have also tried Safemode with Command Prompt with excatly the same result.

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pompey,

Hello… sorry but I’m out of ideas.. If i can think of anything else i will post back…Regards Fred

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If you are still missing the ASMS file, I have a copy of Windows 98 SE and I will copy it for you.

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Hallo jimbr1111, thank you so much for your kind offer, I seem to be completely stuck without that file and it would be a great help if you could let me have a copy. What form would it be in?

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I cannot upload them via the forum – you will need to PM me with a real email address so I can send you them.

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Files sent – I hope you have success

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Fred, I really appreciate the trouble you have gone to to try to help me with my problem. Thank you very much. It seems I may now be able to get a copy of the missing file.

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Virustotal.com should be your first port of call to check any files from other computers.

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Just to let you know what has happened re my missing file, I was getting rather frustrated at not being able to solve this problem due to not being able to get into the computer and on Tuesday I took it into a pc repair shop. They were able to get in and reformatted it for me. I collected it yesterday all done and dusted and working perfectly. Thanks to all who tried to help.

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