Errors when starting and installing ME

[StevenMe]

When starting Windows ME it comes up to the desktop background (without the icons) and the an error message pops up, "Error loading Explorer.exe You must reinstall windows." Then you click the only option "0k" and it shuts down windows. So I load up the Windows CD and install windows, it gets 65% done copying the files and an error pops up:

SUWIN
An error has occured in your aplication. If you chose to ingnore, you should save your work in a new file. If you chose close, aplication will terminate.

When I click ingnore it does nothing, but if I click close it closes the error message and says:

Aplication Error
SUWIN caused a general protection falt in module VERX.DLL at 0002:24AE

And your only option is to click close, which shuts down windows. Do I have a virus? Help!:confused:

[GretaP]

Hi StevenMe,

That is a common error message when doing an "over the top" install when you have Windows Media Player 9 installed.

Boot from a startup floppy disk and delete or rename the file wmploc.dll in the C:\windows\system directory, and then try reinstalling WINME.

[StevenMe]

Ok, I did that and it alowed the installation to complete. But then after it restarted and was updating system configuration it had an unspecified error and then a database corruption error. The install kept on going though. After that was done and it loaded up the desktop icons and everything, it had a "Cannot access Task Scheduler - Class not registered". I see all of our folders but when I try to open a folder it says "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the Folder Options control panel"
But I cant click My Computer or the Start button, the only thing that works is Internet Explorer. I can type in file locations in the address bar but it wont let be open any files there. What do I do?

[GretaP]

The problems that you are having now most certainly must be due to whatever errors occurred during the reinstall (the unspecified error and then the database corruption error), but I'm sure you've come to that conclusion yourself.

When you did the reinstall of the operating system, did you ensure that it was installed to the same folder as the original installation was installed (usually C:\WINDOWS folder) or did it install to a different folder (say, C:\WINDOWS.001, for example)? If it was reinstalled to a different folder than the original installation, then that can cause problems.

When you try to open My Computer or click on the Start button, do you get any error messages?

[StevenMe]

Yes, I did install it in C:/Windows. And no, I do not get error messages. When I click the start button it sinks in but does not pop back up.

[GretaP]

Sorry, Steven, but I have been trying to research possible solutions to your dilemma, and am coming up empty-handed......I can't find anything related to ""Cannot access Task Scheduler - Class not registered" nor anything related to the Start button not working, My Computer not opening, etc.

I'm gonna put out a couple of "lines" and see if I can find anyone who has any possible solutions to these problems.

[PostCode]

Before you installed Windows over the top of itself, did you rename any file(s) within the windows or windows\system directory?

Did you have any programs running at startup before you did the install? You may not remember all of them, but if can, try to list any that you can.

Due to the fact that you have extensive file association damage you may be looking at performing a clean install. Can you right click on My Computer ont he desktop and access the Properties feature? If so, check to ensure that no hardware has become an issue. Look for any red X's or yellow question marks/exclamation points. If you find any let us know.

What happens when you double click on an icon on the dekstop, like My Computer or My Documents?

What have you tried to open and have failed at? Like a .doc , .txt, etc... What does and does not work?

[StevenMe]

I reinstalled windows again and everything is working fine. Thanks for all of your help!:D

[PostCode]

Did you do a clean install or an install over the top?

[GretaP]

Hi StevenMe,
I was waiting for you to get back with further information (i.e., responses to PostCode's queries), but I'm glad that you came back to state that everything's working fine again. Strange what happened after that first reinstall.

Now that everything is working fine again, if you are faced with that "Error loading Explorer.exe You must reinstall windows." error again, you may not need to reinstall Windows, as the error message leads you to believe. While I was seeking out possible solutions to the problems that you incurred after the reinstall, I came across this MSKB article (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=299313).

[StevenMe]

Thanks for telling me about the MSKB article, I will try that if that problem happens again. I had to reinstall a few programs to get them working again, but other then that I'm up and running fine!
Thanks again for all of your help!

[GretaP]

You're very welcome, StevenME :D

I wished that I had come across that MSKB article before you ended up reinstalling, but it sounds like things righted themselves without you having to format and then reinstall, which is what I was thinking was inevitable.

[StevenMe]

Well when ever I start or restart my computer it has the HP screen, then the Windows ME screen, and then in the dos screen and it says:


Please wait while setup updates your configuration files.
This may take a few min.

Completed updating files continuing to load windows _


Then it loads windows and everything is fine, well, untill the last time I started it up. It hung at the "Please wait..." screen, so I powered it down and started it back up. This time after the "Please wait..." screen it said:

While intilizing device IOS
Windows protection error you need to restart your computer.
System halted _


The same thing happened after I powered down and started back up.
So this time instead of reinstalling windows from the windows CD I used my HP System Recovery Disks to recover all software and windows to its factory installed state (with out formating my hard drive). That got me up and running again, but I still get the same message when I start it up. What does that mean?

P.S. what is the difference between a "clean install" or an "over the top install"? And when I used my Windows ME CD it did not give me those options.

[StevenMe]

The error message disipeared! I don't know how or why but it does not show up any more. Hopefuly this will be the end of my problems. (finaly)

[GretaP]

P.S. what is the difference between a "clean install" or an "over the top install"? And when I used my Windows ME CD it did not give me those options.
Those are just expressions that we use (you won't find them as options on an install CD) to differentiate between formatting and then installing ("clean install") and installing Windows over top of itself without formatting the drive first ('over the top install").

Glad to hear that your next problem eventually righted itself :D