(IDG) -- Microsoft has owned up to the latest bug in Windows 98, acknowledging a flaw in the System File Checker -- a program designed, ironically, to keep a PC running smoothly -- that could render the system unbootable.

According to Microsoft's Personal Support Center Web site, the behavior occurs because of incorrect information about the source cabinet locations for some Windows 98 system files. As a result, the System File Checker cannot locate the necessary files and consequently fails to reboot.

John Schultheiss, an executive at BigFix, a software business that identifies PC issues, says that users are being encouraged by PC companies to run the System File Checker whenever possible, but should actually avoid it until the bug is corrected.

Microsoft recommended that users restart their computer with the Windows 98 start-up disk, choose Start Computer With CD-ROM Support from the Windows 98 Startup menu, and re-extract the affected file at a command prompt using the Extract.exe tool.

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Information page about the System File Checker bug
Microsoft Corp.
BigFix Inc.

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