Windows ME keeps going into safe mode

[Idontknow]

Hi all! Coming back to good old reliable for answers.

I am trying to revive a computer that keeps going into safe mode no matter what. Try System Restore, scanreg, and even try to re-install windows on top and still not able to get it to start normal. On the boot screen where you can select booting normal or into safemode, if I choose normal a few time, the computer will go into system halt.

I looked at the bootlog while at safe mode, noticed that all the font files failed to load. Nothing is wrong with hardware, so Windows must be out of whack.

There seems to be a blue screen during normal boot but it went by way too fast to see just before the computer reboot by itself and went into safemode selection.

Is there a way to try to get it to boot normally before I had to re-format and reload from scratch?

Thanks for the help!

[NooNoo]

ok, so it boots to desktop in safemode, that tells you its a startup file. MSconfig, kill all the start ups except explorer and systray.

If that does not do it, then its a bad driver, start disabling hardware one at a time.

[Idontknow]

Let me try that. I'll have already removed most of the start-up files from msconfig. I'll try your suggestion.

Thanks!

[Idontknow]

Hi again,

Nothing seems to work as to try to boot normally.

I manage to take the HDD to another motherboard with the original AGP video card. It booted into windows normally with some defects. Some Long filename seems to be trunkcated..like Windows Update became Window~1. The Accessory folder is gone. Icons for "My Computer", "Recycle Bin" and "Network Place" are gone. Looks like it had gone through scandisk in DOS mode. Manage to install Norton SYstems Works 2003 and run an Win Doctor and Disk Doctor. Many Erros were found and fixed. However, missing icons and folders are still missing. Run32DLL error seems showing up. At least its in some kind of working order. But that is only in my test set up. Haven't try the original set up yet. I think Windows is too corrupted. Any other things I can try?

Thanks!

[TripleRLtd]

Hi again,

Nothing seems to work as to try to boot normally.

I manage to take the HDD to another motherboard with the original AGP video card. It booted into windows normally with some defects. Some Long filename seems to be trunkcated..like Windows Update became Window~1. The Accessory folder is gone. Icons for "My Computer", "Recycle Bin" and "Network Place" are gone. Looks like it had gone through scandisk in DOS mode. Manage to install Norton SYstems Works 2003 and run an Win Doctor and Disk Doctor. Many Erros were found and fixed. However, missing icons and folders are still missing. Run32DLL error seems showing up. At least its in some kind of working order. But that is only in my test set up. Haven't try the original set up yet. I think Windows is too corrupted. Any other things I can try?

Thanks!

First, test the hard drive. If that passes, then go in to safe mode and change the video driver to standard VGA and give it a whirl. Another thing to try, because it does look like ME is quite corrupt by now, is to do another install to a non-default directory such as c:\winme. This way a new reg and fresh drivers are loaded but any data is safe. This is just another troubleshooting step. Good luck.

[NooNoo]

sounds like the long file names database was toasted... might want to check the hard drive and ram for faults.

[Idontknow]

Hi NooNoo and TripleRltd,

Thanks for the replies,

I've did check the Hard Drive and use new RAMs. There were problems with folders, allocation and free space error that were fixed using Norton Disk Doctor.

TripleRltd, if I install WinME in a separate directory, would all the installed programs still work? I thought installing Windows in a different directory is almost the same as installing Windows from scratch.

I tried to convince the owner that a clean install in a lot better in the long run but she just wouldn't listen.

Thanks again!

[TripleRLtd]

Hi NooNoo and TripleRltd,

Thanks for the replies,

I've did check the Hard Drive and use new RAMs. There were problems with folders, allocation and free space error that were fixed using Norton Disk Doctor.

TripleRltd, if I install WinME in a separate directory, would all the installed programs still work? I thought installing Windows in a different directory is almost the same as installing Windows from scratch.

I tried to convince the owner that a clean install in a lot better in the long run but she just wouldn't listen.

Thanks again!

If you install ME in a different directory it IS like a fresh install with a major difference: THE DATA IS SAFE. Programs would need to be reinstalled. Here, the purpose is to figure out whether or not all the problems you have are solved or not. In other words, is Windows too corrupt to "fix" as is. If you still have problems with a fresh install, you know you have hardware or driver issues. Like I said, another troubleshooting step. Once Norton DD ran and found all those "many" errors, it actually "corrupted" Windows even further. You have tried restore and reinstall and neither helped, so this would be another step trying to figure out WHY a reinstall did not work.

[confus-ed]

..if I install WinME in a separate directory, would all the installed programs still work? I thought installing Windows in a different directory is almost the same as installing Windows from scratch.

I tried to convince the owner that a clean install in a lot better in the long run but she just wouldn't listen.

Thanks again!

Yup doing as described would pretty much do that ... suggested as 'fire fighting' methinks...

& for the other bit I often represent it this way :-

Re-install clean o/s & re-setup, transfering any data & re-installing any proggies ... say 3 hours

Fix & clean current install ... well how many might that be ? ... 5 minutes, 5 hours, 5 days ... if you knew what the hell was actually 'definately, certainly, absolutely' wrong you'd have fixed it already ! ... but since there's 15,000 odd files in most installs, with I dunno how many lines of code, it could pretty much be anything, most especailly as we never ever knew whether the original was 'right' anyway...& that isn't taking into account any time you've already spent to get this far !

Perhaps try the word 'cheaper' instead of 'better' ... folks usually understand that - even the dumb ones can usually figure it out

[Idontknow]

Thanks Confus-ed and TripleRltd.

I've already saved all user data that I can find to another folder and onto a zip disk. There would be no problem if that system gets any worse.

One more thing I found out was that the Windows ME was an upgrade from an Windows 98. Therefore, the problems could have passed along from when she was using Windows 98.

Will update after further testing especially after installing in a separate folder.

Thanks again.