Windows ME startup problem

skeptikyl · #1 January 12th, 2004, 08:56 PM

Hello,
Ok...here's the problem. When I turn on the PC everything seems to be running fine. The Windows ME screen pops up like normal. Here is where things go bad. The background I chose for the monitor comes up and the Start bar at the bottom comes up for a few seconds and then blinks out. None of my desktop icons come up and I am stuck looking at nothing but the background. Does anyone have any idea what is causing this and how I can fix it? The mouse won't work after it reaches that point and neither will Control-Alt-Delete. I have to do a hard shutdown just to turn it off. This is my friend's PC and he has conveniently lost the ME CD-ROM. Is there any way around this without using the CD? Thanks!

dammit · #2 January 12th, 2004, 09:09 PM

Hi buddy...try booting into safe mode (tap f8 whilst booting) and run system restore from there.

Baser-X · #3 January 12th, 2004, 09:17 PM

It sounds like you have a missing or corrupted file or registry entry. The fact that the task bar appears then disappears suggests that explorer.exe is loading or attempting to load when the problem is encountered. Unfortunately, you're going to need the ME disc unless someone more familiar with ME has another suggestion.

Dammit: Doesn't system restore require the CD? I'm not super familiar with ME since I used it for all of a week or two when it came out and figured out it was crap then, so I could be very wrong.

dammit · #4 January 12th, 2004, 09:37 PM

No....no cd needed

(and your right...it IS crap)

Chanter · #5 January 12th, 2004, 09:50 PM

I don't use System Restore, because ME has worked so beautifully for me since I started using it 2 years ago that I never felt I'd need it. (And I never have.

) I use the ME floppy disc to boot to a DOS prompt, then do a scanreg /fix which always keeps things running swimmingly. But, yes, System Restore is your first option, and no CD is needed. For the record, ME is vastly superior to 98 SE, and I find only 2000 and XP to be superior -- and then not by all that much or I'd have stopped using ME moons ago. People knock it because they don't know what they're talking about. DRIVERS, DRIVERS, DRIVERS -- get ME drivers, and you'll be fine 99% of the time. People use 98 drivers and slam the OS because they can't get anything to work. I've said it before, I'll say it again: Crap is crap -- for everybody. It can't work beautifully, just for some people, and still be "crap."

skeptikyl · #6 January 13th, 2004, 03:12 PM

Thanks for the help ya'll. The PC works fine now. Ya'll are lifesavers!

dammit · #7 January 13th, 2004, 03:22 PM

:rocker: :rock: