Can't boot into either Windows or safe mode

Misfit Dave · External Since: Dec 02, 2006 Posts: 1

can I use my Windows system disk to repair my problem? Scan Disk comes up
and does its thing, but then the screen freezes before opening the desktop.

It froze up installing a Mcafee product and a tech suggested going to the
command prompt and deleting all the Mcafee files, but I can't find them.

Mike M1 · External Since: Jun 26, 2004 Posts: 4241

Using a Win Me boot floppy boot to DOS choosing either option 2 or 3 from
the menu and then at the A:\> prompt type
SCANREG /RESTORE
and then click enter. Then from the five dates offered choose the one
immediately prior to when your problems started. This will then restore
the registry to the state it was in at that. Remove the floppy and you
should now be able to launch Win Me. I would then recommend that you run
system restore and roll the system back to a checkpoint made prior to the
failed install.
--
Mike Maltby
mike.maltby RemoveThis @gmail.com

Misfit Dave <Misfit Dave RemoveThis @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> can I use my Windows system disk to repair my problem? Scan Disk
> comes up and does its thing, but then the screen freezes before
> opening the desktop.
>
> It froze up installing a Mcafee product and a tech suggested going to
> the command prompt and deleting all the Mcafee files, but I can't
> find them.

Misfit Dave · External Since: Dec 02, 2006 Posts: 4

Well, I did that restore, although the desktop is messed up and I can't
access System Restore from the Help and Support page that contained it.
Also, I can't access the internet . My problem may be that I made the boot
disc 2 years ago? I don't seem to be much better off now. Shouldn't the
later system restore information be on the hard drive? Should I restore back
to the point where I couldn't boot up and restore from the C:/ drive?

"Mike M" wrote:

> Using a Win Me boot floppy boot to DOS choosing either option 2 or 3 from
> the menu and then at the A:\> prompt type
> SCANREG /RESTORE
> and then click enter. Then from the five dates offered choose the one
> immediately prior to when your problems started. This will then restore
> the registry to the state it was in at that. Remove the floppy and you
> should now be able to launch Win Me. I would then recommend that you run
> system restore and roll the system back to a checkpoint made prior to the
> failed install.
> --
> Mike Maltby
> mike.maltby.TakeThisOut@gmail.com
>
>
> Misfit Dave <Misfit Dave.TakeThisOut@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> > can I use my Windows system disk to repair my problem? Scan Disk
> > comes up and does its thing, but then the screen freezes before
> > opening the desktop.
> >
> > It froze up installing a Mcafee product and a tech suggested going to
> > the command prompt and deleting all the Mcafee files, but I can't
> > find them.
>
>

Mike M1 · External Since: Jun 26, 2004 Posts: 4241

Having used scanreg /restore the registry of your system and desktop
layout etc should now be in the state and order they were in when the
registry was backed up, that is as at the date and time you chose from the
five available at which to restore however no other files will have been
rolled back and any files that were added as part of the failed install
will still be present although should not be being loaded when booting the
system. Now that you can access your system, which in my book even it not
in yours is a considerable improvement over not being able to access the
system at all, you should hopefully now be able to move forward and repair
any damage that was caused during the failed install.

What happens if using scanreg /restore you return to the registry state
prior to the one you restored last time? Is this any better?

> My problem may be that I made the boot disc 2 years ago?

That shouldn't be a problem since the boot disk contains no time sensitive
data and one made today would be identical to one made when Win Me was
first released in June 2000.

> Can't access System Restore

What is the problem? Is it that Help & Support does not open?

You might want to try the following alternative methods to launch System
Restore:
a) Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Restore
b) Start | Run and in the box type
c:\windows\system\restore\rstrui.exe
and then click OK
c) Open Windows Explorer, in the left hand folders pane, browse to
C:\Windows\System\Restore and then in the right hand pane locate the file
rstrui.exe and double click it to launch system restore.

> Also, I can't access the internet .

Are you sure you restored a copy of the registry that predated your failed
install? Failure to access the internet suggests the winsock stack may be
damaged or incomplete as can happen if the installation of certain
programs such as firewalls and AV scanners fails. This problem should
resolve itself once you restore your system to a checkpoint created before
you began your problematic installation of McAfee.

> Shouldn't the later system restore information be on
> the hard drive? Should I restore back to the point where I couldn't
> boot up and restore from the C:/ drive?

Later isn't the problem. What you need to do is to restore your system to
a system restore checkpoint created BEFORE your problems began. Note that
scanreg /restore is not system restore. All that scanreg /restore does is
restore the registry to the state it was in at the date chosen. You then
need to run system restore to properly return your system to the state it
was in before you started to install McAfee. The system restore
checkpoint you choose can have been created either be before or after the
date you chose when using scanreg /restore as system restore will then
reinstall the registry as well as any changed files to those that were
current when the system restore checkpoint was created.

Hopefully my suggestions will help you get running properly again without
the need to reinstall Win Me. Please post back details of how you get on.
--
Mike Maltby
mike.maltby.RemoveThis@gmail.com

Misfit Dave <MisfitDave.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> Well, I did that restore, although the desktop is messed up and I
> can't access System Restore from the Help and Support page that
> contained it. Also, I can't access the internet . My problem may be
> that I made the boot disc 2 years ago? I don't seem to be much
> better off now. Shouldn't the later system restore information be on
> the hard drive? Should I restore back to the point where I couldn't
> boot up and restore from the C:/ drive?

Misfit Dave · External Since: Dec 02, 2006 Posts: 4

Thanks. I originally posted from our newer computer, and for some reason I
wasn't able to read your response after the first one they were all blank!
So I ended up reinstalling ME anyway. The good news is that your first
suggestion got me to the point where I was able to retrieve Email addresses,
documents and pictures that I didn't want to lose.

"Mike M" wrote:

> Having used scanreg /restore the registry of your system and desktop
> layout etc should now be in the state and order they were in when the
> registry was backed up, that is as at the date and time you chose from the
> five available at which to restore however no other files will have been
> rolled back and any files that were added as part of the failed install
> will still be present although should not be being loaded when booting the
> system. Now that you can access your system, which in my book even it not
> in yours is a considerable improvement over not being able to access the
> system at all, you should hopefully now be able to move forward and repair
> any damage that was caused during the failed install.
>
> What happens if using scanreg /restore you return to the registry state
> prior to the one you restored last time? Is this any better?
>
> > My problem may be that I made the boot disc 2 years ago?
>
> That shouldn't be a problem since the boot disk contains no time sensitive
> data and one made today would be identical to one made when Win Me was
> first released in June 2000.
>
> > Can't access System Restore
>
> What is the problem? Is it that Help & Support does not open?
>
> You might want to try the following alternative methods to launch System
> Restore:
> a) Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Restore
> b) Start | Run and in the box type
> c:\windows\system\restore\rstrui.exe
> and then click OK
> c) Open Windows Explorer, in the left hand folders pane, browse to
> C:\Windows\System\Restore and then in the right hand pane locate the file
> rstrui.exe and double click it to launch system restore.
>
> > Also, I can't access the internet .
>
> Are you sure you restored a copy of the registry that predated your failed
> install? Failure to access the internet suggests the winsock stack may be
> damaged or incomplete as can happen if the installation of certain
> programs such as firewalls and AV scanners fails. This problem should
> resolve itself once you restore your system to a checkpoint created before
> you began your problematic installation of McAfee.
>
> > Shouldn't the later system restore information be on
> > the hard drive? Should I restore back to the point where I couldn't
> > boot up and restore from the C:/ drive?
>
> Later isn't the problem. What you need to do is to restore your system to
> a system restore checkpoint created BEFORE your problems began. Note that
> scanreg /restore is not system restore. All that scanreg /restore does is
> restore the registry to the state it was in at the date chosen. You then
> need to run system restore to properly return your system to the state it
> was in before you started to install McAfee. The system restore
> checkpoint you choose can have been created either be before or after the
> date you chose when using scanreg /restore as system restore will then
> reinstall the registry as well as any changed files to those that were
> current when the system restore checkpoint was created.
>
> Hopefully my suggestions will help you get running properly again without
> the need to reinstall Win Me. Please post back details of how you get on.
> --
> Mike Maltby
> mike.maltby.TakeThisOut@gmail.com
>
>
> Misfit Dave <MisfitDave.TakeThisOut@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> > Well, I did that restore, although the desktop is messed up and I
> > can't access System Restore from the Help and Support page that
> > contained it. Also, I can't access the internet . My problem may be
> > that I made the boot disc 2 years ago? I don't seem to be much
> > better off now. Shouldn't the later system restore information be on
> > the hard drive? Should I restore back to the point where I couldn't
> > boot up and restore from the C:/ drive?
>
>