Microsoft ME problem...help!
One of my computers with ME crashed yesterday. Now I just have a gray screen when I open it normally, and in Safe Mode. There is a registration key problem (probably from a virus). I need to run a SCANREG to correct the problem but I would have to do it from DOS mode since Windows doesn;'t open. The problem is I don't know how to get into DOS mode from ME. Does anyone know how?
I'll continue to search for a solution in the meantime.
Thanks.
Renegade posted this at 23:46 — 7th April 2006.
He has: 3,022 posts
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How I usually get into DOS is with a Win98 boot up disk. You may want to try using that.
Other wise, there should be something you press (usually f8) while the computer is booting up to give a number of boot up options. DOS is in there.
SearchBliss posted this at 20:31 — 8th April 2006.
He has: 267 posts
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The problem is, when I use F8 I get four options in MS-DOS, normal, safe mode etc., but ME doesn't show the command propt option. I can't get there with the start menu because safe mode won't even open (just a gray screen). I just need the command prompt to run the scanreg/restore. This so frustrating.
Renegade posted this at 00:35 — 9th April 2006.
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Is there a repair option when you insert the Windows ME CD?
demonhale posted this at 07:10 — 9th April 2006.
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The Command Prompt option is the MS-DOS option, try it and a command prompt would appear...
If not, find someone with a win98/ME machine, make a boot-disk by going to "my computer" insert a diskette, right-click, "make a boot-disk"... or by control panel to create a Windows 98 boot diskette, click Start / Settings / Control Panel / double-click the Add Remove programs icon / click the Startup Disk and create disk ... that should give you a command prompt for the ME machine...
SearchBliss posted this at 19:00 — 9th April 2006.
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There is ni MS-DOS option. This is the problem. Making a boot disk is a great idea, but I don't know anyone with ME. Only XP, 2000, and 98. You wrote "...or by control panel to create a Windows 98 boot diskette, click Start / Settings / Control Panel / double-click the Add Remove programs icon / click the Startup Disk and create disk". Does this mean I can use a machine with Win 98 to get a command prompt on ME by following these instructions?
This is very frustrating. Thank you for your help.
demonhale posted this at 19:12 — 9th April 2006.
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yes use a 98 boot disk, it should work in these cases...
SearchBliss posted this at 19:20 — 9th April 2006.
He has: 267 posts
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Thank you, thank you, thank you...I'll try it and let you know how I fair.
demonhale posted this at 19:23 — 9th April 2006.
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dont forget that after you create a boot-disk, when you boot up the problem machine, the diskette should be already in the diskette drive, you should see the diskette (LED)light indicator light up reading the diskette a couple of seconds afer you turn on the PC... I hope you do get the command prompt this time...
SearchBliss posted this at 16:40 — 10th April 2006.
He has: 267 posts
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Thank you demonhale!!! It worked like a charm and allowed me to run scanreg/restore from the windows command on the C drive. All is fixed now, and all I had to do was re-install Norton AntiVirus. Thank you so much!
Renegade posted this at 07:51 — 10th April 2006.
He has: 3,022 posts
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This link may be of some help:
http://bootdisk.com/
demonhale posted this at 17:09 — 10th April 2006.
He has: 3,278 posts
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no probs... glad I could help... take care...
Lord Maverick posted this at 05:24 — 19th May 2006.
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I don`t read all that was sayd to SearchBliss, but my opinion - delete ME (the most bad system in windows family) and setup WinXP Pro.
SearchBliss posted this at 12:35 — 19th May 2006.
He has: 267 posts
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I am planning to add XP, because ME is still currupt and again crashed.
steve40 posted this at 13:02 — 19th May 2006.
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I have ran ME for years, but the only successful way is to kill the restore program. That is where ME puts virus programs, even if you manage to get rid of a virus. When you run restore - Guess What.
There other strip down measures also, if you are going to run ME, learn how to disable all the buga boos. Otherwise go to XP, it has a whole new set of problems.
Lord Maverick posted this at 13:32 — 19th May 2006.
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steve40 WinXP not and ideal program, but great more functional and stable then ME. IMHO win 98 better then ME.
steve40 posted this at 15:44 — 19th May 2006.
He has: 490 posts
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I ran 98 for years, it has to many lack of driver issues. And none can usually be found. Another thing is the constant nagging for a windows disk, when you are adding devices etc.
ME is 98, with a bunch of redundant junk added. But does not have the driver issues, and does not require the disk all the time. But to sucessfully run ME you have to learn how to remove the redundant junk in it. Then you have no more problems with it, than any other windows.
The only reason I don't run XP, is I have a bunch of old but well liked programs that just don't seem to like XP.
Greg K posted this at 16:41 — 19th May 2006.
He has: 2,145 posts
Joined: Nov 2003
I agree that 98 is better than ME.
As far as the issue of always requiring the cd, there is a way around this. Any system I install win98 on, I boot to a win98 boot disk, format the hard drive bootable (format c: /s). Make the directy C:\windows\option\cabs and copy everything from the win98 directory on the setup cd into the cabs directory you make. Reboot the system without the bootable floppy, it will get you to a C: prompt (those were the days...) change the to cabs directory and run setup from there. Generally it install faster too, and all the cab files are on the hard drive so it never asks for the cd.
With a system that is already setup, you can still change to this, make a directory somewhere and copy the cabs over. there is a registry setting somewhere that tells it where windows was installed from. You need to change it to the directory you made.
Oh also, if you do a fresh install like I described, when it comes time to make the C:\windows directory, setup will tell you it already exists and suggests that is use c:\windows.000 just edit the directory to be c:\windows and ignre warning about overwriting the files
-Greg
Lord Maverick posted this at 02:36 — 1st June 2006.
They have: 34 posts
Joined: May 2006
As I wrote before Windows ME - sucks
See article from PCWorld
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,125772,pg,2,00.asp
steve40 posted this at 11:38 — 2nd June 2006.
He has: 490 posts
Joined: May 2005
That article is based on out of the box ME. All windows suck!, you cant run any of them without hacking for best preformance.
When you properly hack ME down, it is second only to XP. And if you run some old programming, it even beats that. If I did not know so, I would not say so.
The last time I ran XP, I loaded it FAT 32 just to get rid of the NTFS file systems extreme disk space usage. So if you are going to run XP @ FAT 32, ME is just as good.
All windows systems run on Active-X that is where malware, and viruses get in. So if that is a problem you had better run Linux.
The last time my virus program up-dated, and I ran it. It located several virus signatures in Sun java 5.0, so I no longer have it. A lot of the viruses you get come from things you download, not from internet surfing.
Lord Maverick posted this at 11:45 — 2nd June 2006.
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I used win98 without hacking. Now WinXP + SP2. No problem. Good antivirus + firewall.
I haved experience with win ME too. It was down in two days. After some days it was down again. All friends that try ME - tell me the same about it.
SearchBliss posted this at 13:02 — 2nd June 2006.
He has: 267 posts
Joined: Feb 2005
ME is a mess, and for now this computer (the one that crashed) is just collecting dust until I find the time to get running again WITHOUT INSTALLING ME. My other computers run Win98 and I'm happy with that.
steve40 posted this at 11:54 — 3rd June 2006.
He has: 490 posts
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I don't know what others are having problems with. But I have been running my last reload of ME, for 6 month now with no trouble. I reload one or twice a year, just to refresh.
I remember the dreaded blue screen of win 98, and the fact that it will not work with my digital cameras, "no Support". Or my printer, and does not have the best of USB support, etc, etc. So win 98 does not get my vote at best anything, besides there were umpteen different versions of 98.
The restore function in ME, is it's greatest bug viruses will get in there, and you just keep restoring them. That's why you disable it, and don't use it. Microsoft did come out with a new activeX patch, just before dropping support on ME. That seems to have done the trick with sirus-the-virus, from getting into restore. But I am on a DSL now the has virus filtering on the head end, I never even see one.
I use E-prompter for my e-mail, so a live message never gets to my desk top. And I do not open attachments, even if I know you.
I am also very careful where I go, pop-ups can and do contain viruses. As far as that goes there is really no foolproof OS. Some browsers are supposed to be better than others at protecting you.
But that does not take into account, the other ways you can get a virus. ALL windows based systems are virus prone, and as long as activeX is in there, they will continue to be. Discounting the browser you use.
Serfaksan posted this at 08:31 — 14th June 2006.
They have: 18 posts
Joined: Jun 2006
well i would recomend you to stop using ME, because that is a sistem that even microsoft says that they will not be responsible for the damage of that os, ME was a proyect to delete the problemo of the 2yk, but because of the demand and the time that they had to make it it has a lot of bugs and errors, there are even cases that the os itself has ended making damages to the hardware of the computer and I am a witness of that, so I would recomend you to install either win 98 or 2000
Neutron2k posted this at 10:30 — 14th June 2006.
He has: 113 posts
Joined: Jul 2005
I hanvt the time to track through this threads history but here goes
you cannot get into DOS in Windows ME, because it DOESNT EXISTS. There is a command emulator like in XP, but there is no True DOS mode.
As far as I can remember, there is no option for it on the Windows ME boot screen so you will need recovery diskettes i'm afraid.
demonhale posted this at 00:37 — 15th June 2006.
He has: 3,278 posts
Joined: May 2005
the problem has already been solved, thanks for the insights...
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