I am running Windows ME and attempting to install SoftICE v.4.05, which is not totally a breeze. Anyway, I run through the SoftICE installer and tell it NOT to modify "autoexec.bat". Before restart, I move "winice.exe", "winice.dat", and "siwvid.386" to "c:\windows". I obtain the most recent SoftICE "debugger.exe" from the NuMega website:

ftp://ftp.compuware.com/pub/numega/drivers/outgoing/utility/debugger.exe

... and move it to "c:\windows". Also get the Microsoft Windows ME DDK from their website:

http://www.microsoft.com/ddk/debugging/download/winmeddk.exe

... rename "winboot.sys" to "io.sys" and move it "c:\". Upon reboot, the debug version of io.sys takes over and initializes. Then SoftICE begins to load. It is during the loading of SoftICE on boot that I am having problems. Basically, my computer screen blanks and all I have is a blinking cursor in the top left-hand corner. When this happens and I press any key on my keyboard, a SoftICE messages flashes on my screen for a fraction of a second (not long enough to read), and my computer is auto-rebooted. I have attempted to use the Pause/Break button on my keyboard to read what SoftICE is telling me, but pressing it does not pause anything. Instead, my computer just reboots as described above. Now, unless I swap the debug version of "io.sys" with the original (non-debug) version, this is an endless loop of SoftICE error to reboot and back again.

From what I can read of the SoftICE error, it goes something like this:

---------------WINICE(01)+F0F7---------------
Macro: initialized 32 Macro entries.
INT0E FAULT CODE=BC03BBCC

... Of course, there is more to it, but this is a rough guess as to what it is saying. Does this make any sense? What is an "INT0E Fault"? If it is of any help, my "winice.dat" reads:

PENTIUM=OFF
NMI=ON
ECHOKEYS=OFF
NOLEDS=OFF
NOPAGE=OFF
SIWVIDRANGE=ON
THREADP=ON
LOWERCASE=OFF
WDMEXPORTS=OFF
MONITOR=0

PHYSMB=512
SYM=1024
HST=256
TRA=8
MACROS=32
DRAWSIZE=2048

INIT="X;"

F1="h;"
F2="^wr;"
F3="^src;"
F4="^rs;"
F5="^x;"
F6="^ec;"
F7="^here;"
F8="^t;"
F9="^bpx;"
F10="^p;"
F11="^G @SS:ESP;"
F12="^p ret;"
SF3="^format;"
CF8="^XT;"
CF9="TRACE OFF;"
CF10="^XP;"
CF11="SHOW B;"
CF12="TRACE B;"
AF1="^wr;"
AF2="^wd;"
AF3="^wc;"
AF4="^ww;"
AF5="CLS;"
AF8="^XT R;"
AF11="^dd dataaddr->0;"
AF12="^dd dataaddr->4;"
CF1="altscr off; lines 60; wc 32; wd 8;"
CF2="^wr;^wd;^wc;"

I am running an AMD K6-3 450 with 512MB RAM. Any and all help is much appreciated. TIA.

Was finally able to transcribe the error message, and it looks like this:

---------------WINICE(01)+F0F7---------------

MACRO: MEMORY ALLOCATED FOR 32 MACRO ENTRIES
INT0E FAULT IN SOFTICE AT ADDRESS C0032A6C OFFSET 00002538
FAULT CODE=BC03BBCC
DS=0030 ES=0030 FS=0078 GS=0030 ESI=C003CA98 EDI=C036FBCC ESP=C003CA58
EAX=00000400 EBX=0000001A ECX=00000000 EDX=C036F0EC EBP=C003CB78

C003CB78 C0008CAC WINICE(01)+E108
EAX=D0000400 EBX=0000001A ECX=0000C003CAFD=C036F0E000025C903CB783CB78
DS=0030 ES=0030 FS=0078 GS=0000 ESI=00000010 EDI=C036FBCD ESP=C000C9A8
EAX=C00157EC EBX=C036FB50 ECX=00000014 EDX=C036FCEC EBP=C000C9E0

C000C9E0 0000000D WINICE(01)+E259

Hi:

INT 0E is a pagefault interrupt. It happens when a page fault occurs in a program. I'm sorry but this is as much I can help

Signed,
-- FoxThree

foxthree, thanks for the insight. I am a newb to all this, but trying to learn.

A page fault is an interrupt that occurs when a program (in this case, SoftICE) requests data that is not currently in real memory. I read that this usually happens when the virtual memory area, or the table that maps virtual memory addresses, becomes corrupt.

I am wondering what data is being requested. ?? What purpose is served by the "drawsize" line in "winice.dat"? I notice in the error generated (see above) that it processes the macro line, and the error occurs immediately thereafter. Since the "drawsize" line follows the "macro" line, could it be something with that setting?

Like I said, I am newb to all this. My suggestions probably give me away though, but I cannot learn SoftICE if it's inoperable.

Seriously, all thoughts and suggestions are welcome. TIA.

hi there,
check out your winice.dat
INIT="X;wl;code on; altscr off; lines 25; wc 36; wd 4; wr; faults off;"
Hopes this helps

esther, thanks for the help. Unfortunately, I still get the same error. Obviously, with your recommended changes to my "winice.dat" file, SoftICE takes longer to initialize. As a result, it appears to fully process "winice.dat". So, I am not sure that is my problem anymore.

I guess I will just have to install what I got on my other machine running Windows ME and see if I get the same error. Maybe it is a particular setting in my CMOS that is the source of my troubles. Maybe not.

I sincerely appreciate your help, though. Again, any and all thoughts or suggestions are welcome. TIA.

Another thought...
download the patched which the faq suggest and try it out
http://icedump.tsx.org

best regards

esther, thanks again for your help. I had previously read the FAQ and have tried the loader. I receive the same error regardless of whether I use it or the debug version of "io.sys". I have also tried different memory settings configurable through the BIOS, but no luck there either. I have another computer. Though it boasts a slightly different hardware configuration, both software and BIOS configurations are identical. That is, both machines are running Windows ME and tweaked the same. Odd thing is that SoftICE is functional on my alternate PC. It loads SoftICE and boots into the OS without issue. So, I feel like I'm all out of options. Though I can do my work on the second box, it would be convenient to get the other working with SoftICE. Oh well.