Windows ME Startup nightmare!

Hi all,

New to the board but have watched admiringly from afar for a while!

I'm having considerable trouble overcoming boot issues on an ME computer. The HD boot returns an invalid system disk message. I can boot with an emergency disk but on using the win command to access windows it returns a blue screen referring to the IFSHLP.sys file being missing. I am at a loss.

This file is there to be seen in the windows directory but more than, I just don't know. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

Oh - I can access Safe Mode.

Thanks in advance to any would be saviour!

Cheers Nick.

 

Hi, thanks for the reply.

No - definitely no disk in the drive.

I'm at a loss really. Can I re-install ME over the top without re-formatting or will this just cause more problems?

Cheers again.

NickyD

 

I have also tried restoring the registry but to no avail. Ruddy nightmare!

 

Hello:

As a fellow Win ME user, I would try using your WinMe boot disk and following the directions in the DOS window. When you place your disk in you should receive a screen that will give you a few options. I know that I have had problems myself, and ended up doing C:/scanregrestore and then everything was fine.

Here is some other information that might assist you:

.....see if you have the needed cabs on your hard drive. Start the computer, with the startup disk. As you've tried a
scanreg /restore
that would mean you've done this already before.

Type each line {in blue}, and then press Enter after each.

c:

attrib /s win_19.cab
{if the win_19.cab is present. it will tell/show its location. Example being:
c:\windows\options\install\win_19.cab
Write this location\address down. But leave the \win_19.cab off of it. Do the same, with the following. Should be the same address.}

attrib /s win_11.cab

If they both {win_11.cab - win_19.cab} are present on your hard drive. You can extract some needed files, from them. Type the following commands, and press Enter after each one.

ext

{Now type that address you wrote down.}

ifshlp.sys

c:\windows

Answer yes, by typing Y and pressing Enter. If asked if you want to overwrite, delete or replace.

Do the same steps/repeat for the following file.

{that address}
imagehlp.dll
c:\windows\system
Y

Remove the startup disk, and try restarting the computer normally. {Ctrl+Alt+Del}

"Another solution is to use
attrib -s -r -h msdos.sys to erase [path] and WinBootDir=0. It didn't work as my laptop did not have the commands to be erased."


It might be that the file you are missing has been corrupted and you need to copy it from your boot disk. Let me know if that works.

I will check back on the board later and see if I can assist you more from home.