Explorer Failure

I'm trying to help a friend whose Compaq desktop PC refuses to start. It gets to the Win ME loading screen then displays a dialog that explorer won't run. It says you must reinstall Windows. Well, I tried using a disc I had, just to see if maybe I could do something from that point, and well, it won't boot from an OS disc either. Are we looking at a virus, possibly, or something to do with the motherboard or OS? Thanks guys!

 

Try getting ahold of a boot floppy with CD support.
If you haven't got a WinME one... A 98SE boot floppy will do fine.
I'm taking it that the computer in question has just a HD primary master and a CD secondary master?
If so... At DOS prompt... insert your OS CD then type:
D:
Then...
setup.exe

This should get you to the OS install screen.
You can install files for the OS without erasing anything.

You could instead type in at first DOS prompt:
C:
Then...
win
Just to see if it's the boot sector that's scorched.

You could also instead... type in at first DOS prompt:
sys c:

That should boot into the ME OS.
Although it would require you to have a OS specific boot floppy.

If none of the above fixes are possible...
Then we'll try to get a new "Explore.exe" file extracted into the OS.

If you don't have a boot floppy...
I have a Win98SE one I can forward to you in a zip.