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9232
August 10th, 2001 02:00
Windows ME Start-Up Error!! HELP!!!!
I returned home to my new computer after a rainstorm and found it operating in "safe mode." Not knowing exactly how to get it out of that mode, I simply turned off the computer and then turned it back on. Ever since, I have been unable to boot up Windows (ME). The start-up menu comes on and it gives me four choices of how to operate my computer (1=normal, 2=LOGGED.exe, 3=safe, and 4=step-by-step confirmation). Under the four choices, it says, "Warning! Windows has detected a registry/configuration error. Use SCANREG to correct this error." I have tried all four choices and each continue in the following manner: the next screen eventually says, "Registry File was not found. Registry services may be inoperative for this session." Then the blue error screen pops up, saying, "Windows protection error. You need to restart your computer. System halted." After restarting, the same thing happens all over again. What do I do about this?? What registry files is it talking about?? I cannot use any sort of Go-back computer protection program because I cannot get into Windows to do ANYTHING. Please help!
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kamikaasje
196 Posts
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August 10th, 2001 12:00
Unfortionately, microsoft had the un-wisdom to remove DOS from windows ME. That's why you don't have the option to boot to the dos prompt from the startup menu you mentioned. If you had Windows 98 there would have been 3 more options in that menu.
SCANREG is a dos utility, so there is no obvious way for you to run it (since you can't get into dos).
The only possible solution i can think of right now is that you create a bootable dos floppydisk (on another machine), boot your PC from that floppy and start scanreg from there.
First try: SCANREG /FIX
If that doesn't help try: SCANREG /RESTORE
If that too doesn't help, your last chance is to look for SYSTEM.000 and USER.000 in the C:\Windows directory. If you find them, you may be in luck. First use the command ATTRIB to remove the hidden and readonly file attributes from SYSTEM.DAT. Then delete SYSTEM.DAT and rename SYSTEM.000 to SYSTEM.DAT. Then do the same thing with USER.000 -> USER.DAT.
If this works, you'll have to check all software on your system afterwards to make sure everything is still working. If you find a program or device that won't work anymore, you'll have to reinstall the software/drivers again.
If this too didn't help, you'll have no other option then to reinstall Windows.
kamikaasje
196 Posts
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August 10th, 2001 20:00
The second article assumes that the system is still healthy enough to boot into windows using progman. But if the registry is damaged severly, that will probably not be the case.
Still it may be worth giving it a try. I certainly would try it before deciding on a full reinstall of windows.