Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Fineus on September 12, 2002, 10:46:57 am

Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Fineus on September 12, 2002, 10:46:57 am
Ok, for some strange reason I've got a major problem with my computer... it won't even get as far as windows - here's what happens.

Initial startup is ok - as far as the windows 98 splash screen. Following this it takes about five minutes to load the next screen, which says the following:

Quote

Error initializing device VKD

Windows error: Please restart your computer.

Press any key to continue.

Now I've no idea what device VKD is, or what it's broken - the system was fine this morning, I went into college and on arrival home it's coming up with this message at each attempt to start up. Safe mode has no effect and changing the BIOS settings back to their safety defaults also doesn't seem to do anything.

This is really important, if anyone has any idea of what can fix it short of a disk wipe I'd love to know - perhaps re-installing windows 98 over the original install but I've never done that before so I'd like someone to say it'd be a good idea before I actually go ahead and screw things up anymore than they already are. Nothing on the internet sheds any light on this - so this is my only chance short of formatting the drive and loosing a shed load of data.

So.. ahh.. help! :shaking:

Edit: And just incase anyone was wondering I'm using my dads computer now...
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Stealth on September 12, 2002, 10:51:32 am
try this:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;q263318&


EDIT:
Quote

While initializing device vkd error
Added 6/22/01

If you get the error:

While initializing device vkd -- Windows Protection Error -- You need to restart your computer

while booting your computer, try replacing the keyboard


EDIT 2:  yeah, various sources say replace your keyboard

http://www.aumha.org/kbewpe.php
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Warlock on September 12, 2002, 10:52:24 am
Re-install win

VXD is a virtual device driver ,... Keyboards and such have them....One time I got this error I happened to have ghosted a spare install of Win98 onto a different HD so I just booted with that and deleted then replaced ALL my vxd files on the main drive.

I've also gotten this a few times that merely pulling the power for 5 minutes did the trick. (as in unpluggin not just shutting down)

But worst case ... you'll just have to reinstall your OS and it'll be find. You might get away with a scandisk repair from the boot disk.
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Warlock on September 12, 2002, 10:53:57 am
Quote
Originally posted by Stealth
While initializing device vkd -- Windows Protection Error -- You need to restart your computer while booting your computer, try replacing the keyboard



This will work if the error IS the keyboard itself going bad vs the VXD files being corrupted.
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Stealth on September 12, 2002, 10:54:06 am
Quote
Originally posted by Warlock
Re-install win



that's CRAP... never just install windows or format or anything... rather LOOK for help!  look at my previous post Thunder
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Stealth on September 12, 2002, 10:54:42 am
Quote
Originally posted by Warlock



This will work if the error IS the keyboard itself going bad vs the VXD files being corrupted.


we're not talking VXD, we're talking VKD


A windows protection fault means that a program (in this case the Virtual Keyboard device driver i.e. VKD) tried to read or write a part of the system memory that is off limits. This mechanism is supposed to protect the system from crashing.

Unfortunately a low level device crash like what you're having is bad news and involves reinstalling Windows
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: an0n on September 12, 2002, 10:56:30 am
What've you got plugged into yer PCI's?
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Warlock on September 12, 2002, 10:56:44 am
Quote
Originally posted by Stealth


we're not talking VXD, we're talking VKD


A windows protection fault means that a program (in this case the Virtual Keyboard device driver i.e. VKD) tried to read or write a part of the system memory that is off limits. This mechanism is supposed to protect the system from crashing.

Unfortunately a low level device crash like what you're having is bad news and involves reinstalling Windows


Christ relax ,... I've had this happen before and this was how I fixed it.

And umm ... vKd is A vXd file. Hence why I typed it.
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Fineus on September 12, 2002, 11:03:06 am
Unfortunately the solutions they've offered isn't working, although I agree that you seem to have found the right error... disconnecting then reconnecting the keyboard does nothing, using a different keyboard also does nothing.

And for what it's worth both keyboards work as I was able to choose between normal and safe mode at the option screen....
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: an0n on September 12, 2002, 11:09:44 am
Try putting the keyboard on another machine, finding the driver files it makes/downloads/gets/has for that keyboard. Copy them to a disk. Boot into DOS. Copy the driver into /windows and /windows/system (and maybe system32).
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Warlock on September 12, 2002, 11:10:12 am
Then I'm betting it's most likely the vkd file itself has been corrupted.

Have you tried booting with a boot disk or the win-whichever-version CD and running scandisk ?
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Warlock on September 12, 2002, 11:13:31 am
it'll be in the :windows\system32\drivers folder.

Prolly listed as hidvkd.sys,... I'm not 100% but I think the vkd file is standard to Win not to each keyboard.
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Stealth on September 12, 2002, 11:27:30 am
:: screw it ::
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Stealth on September 12, 2002, 11:30:27 am
:: screw it ::
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Nico on September 12, 2002, 11:33:17 am
man, you really need to cool down. VKD stands for keyboard as you say, X stands for non specified if you want, it's a generic name to design various extensions of the same kind, same as mpeg groups mp3, mp4, etc etc.
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: an0n on September 12, 2002, 11:35:30 am
Right! That's it Stealth: No Disneyland for you.
Warlock: No Strip-club for you...........unless I can tag along. Hehe
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Stealth on September 12, 2002, 11:36:42 am
yeah, but warlock's being a fag
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: an0n on September 12, 2002, 11:37:32 am
Quote
Originally posted by Stealth
yeah, but warlock's being a fag
Eh? Are you stoned? Far as I can tell he's mostly ignored you.
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Warlock on September 12, 2002, 11:43:27 am
*sigh* Stealth ... ease off the coffee buddy.

One ... If you "read" what I've said ... I stated it happened several times to me and EACH time was a DIFFERENT method to fix it.

First time: I swapped IDE cables between my primary and secondary HDs and booted from a clean backup install of Win98 ...copy and pasted the ENTIRE vXd (ANY file with a V _INSERT LETTER_ D in it) into the original windows set up folder and it was up and running

Second time : I just unplugged the system and 5 minutes later it worked fine

Third Time : I ran scandisk from my bootdisk ....which performs a registry and system filke check ....then it repaired the corruptted file.

Fourth Time I just hit the reset button and walked off because i was tired and in a crap mood and the next morning Windows was completely loaded and my screensaver running.

But I didn't think Thunder needed a step by step walk through since he's smart enough to understand what I had said.


Anon : Bro I don't do strip clubs anymore ..... why pay to look but not touch and play  ? :p

So let's road trip to Nevada instead! :lol:
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: an0n on September 12, 2002, 11:45:05 am
Quote
Originally posted by Warlock
Anon : Bro I don't do strip clubs anymore ..... why pay to look but not touch and play  ? :p

So let's road trip to Nevada instead! :lol:

Fine. State-line brothel it is then.
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Warlock on September 12, 2002, 11:45:17 am
Quote
Originally posted by Stealth
yeah, but warlock's being a fag



:wtf:


*sigh*

**goes off in search of a V bulltetin Iggy button**
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Warlock on September 12, 2002, 11:46:41 am
Quote
Originally posted by an0n

Fine. State-line brothel it is then.


Just don't tell Stac,...she'd kill me :D


Man ... I gotta get used to a GF that's not as into chics as I am :|

It's ,...different :lol:
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: CP5670 on September 12, 2002, 11:56:12 am
I think I remembering getting this thing a long time ago; what oprating system is this? If it lets you load up DOS, you can probably try replacing the corrupted file with the one on the windows CD.
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Fineus on September 12, 2002, 03:17:13 pm
I'm on 98 at the moment - and still no luck, although I've not tried to copy the file over from the CD to the system... can anyone tell me exactly what I'll need to type given that my windows install is C:\Windows and my CDROM is E:\ ? That'd be great - and the last hope I've got before dad takes it to some shop tomorrow to get them to fix it (it's desperate you see... important coursework stuff).
Title: OT: what's that
Post by: Thor on September 12, 2002, 03:20:21 pm
What's that new avatar for?  And what about the mystery site, will it be ready soon?  Sorry for being no help.
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Warlock on September 12, 2002, 03:24:26 pm
Ok I'm NOT up on my DOS commands but I THINK it's xfer

You should be able to find out online as far as which command it is to transfer a file in dos but the file directorywithin Windows is

C:\Windows\System32\Drivers

as for on the CD .... no clue ... WIN98 is all done in .cab format.

But seriously,...reinstalling win98 is going to be ALOT cheaper than paying some tech to take a little time to replaces one file within your windows folder. Reinstalling Win98 won't affect your other data .... you'll only need to reinstall drivers again.
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Fineus on September 12, 2002, 03:41:13 pm
Thanks but I'm afraid I've been there and done that (trying to install windows over itself again that is). Having gone ahead with it even though it says it was meant for a fresh copy I get as far as it finishing scandisk and saying it fixed stuff (this didnt fix it BTW) then trying to proceed with the install at which point it hangs... so no luck there. This has been tried three times so don't think I was being negative about it first go! Transfering the files is the only way (although if anyone can get them onto the net for me I can chuck them on a floppy and work out the transfer command myself I think.. might be easier than messing with windows .cab files).

As for the avatars, the first is HLP - go figure. The second is for COL - something I'm working on which isn't that amazing but it's mine. And the lightsaber is there because I wanted one.. again, go figure ;) Although if you want to talk about my avatars PM me, this thread is more important on topic and I'll lock it if it goes OT.
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Warlock on September 12, 2002, 03:45:22 pm
Hmmm.

Well I can email you my HIDVKD.sys file and see if that helps.

Sorry the scandisk/ reinstall didn't work, not sure why it'd say it fixed files then still be flawed :confused:
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: saturn114 on September 12, 2002, 04:58:20 pm
lol whats a avatar?
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Sandwich on September 12, 2002, 05:04:50 pm
Thunder: install Win2k. :D


Barring that, uhm.... all my suggestions have been made already.
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: saturn114 on September 12, 2002, 05:07:30 pm
lol whats a avatar?
Title: Major problem - Need urgent help!
Post by: Sandwich on September 12, 2002, 07:50:09 pm
No need to post twice. :doubt:

<---- that pic of me with a BFGun is an avatar. So's all the pics below people's names on the boards.