Given your problems I think the last thing I would want to do would be to
reinstall Win Me over itself but instead I would probably bite the bullet,
save my data, and start all over with a clean install.
--
Mike Maltby



BrianZ wrote:

I am hoping Noel Paton, Koldbear or someone much more savvy that me
can provide some common sense and tech advice to prevant me from
melting down my old Compaq Presario 5000 desktop.

Backstory: My WinME operating system, as currently configured, is
continually melting into increasingly frustrating states of disrepair.
System Restore hasn't functions in forever; The sound system only
works if I delete the sound device and reboot the machine; I
habitually boot the machine to discover ScanDisk running, no mouse
function and the SafeMode display limited to 16 colors and 640x480
resolution. (I am currently in this safemode state and can't figure
out how to fight my way out. If I do a normal bootup I have no mouse
function.)

If you search this group for WinME posted by beezer000@gmail or
bdz000@hotmail, you'll see the whole woeful story.

I am wondering if a reinstall of WinME over the current WinME OS will
clean up the conflicts and errors in the registry or wherever that
have me teetering on the edge of extinction.

If necessary, I am willing to reinstall all of my applications and
updates, and the drivers for the firewire, usb and dsl ethernet cards
I installed.

What I want to maintain are the data files (be they MSExcel/word, jpg,
MP3, etc) on the internal harddrives.. These files are saved under 4
User names on 2 internal hard drives.

I have also read that reinstalling can make the data on the slave hard
drive inaccessable, and would hope to prevent this phenomenon. (The
primary drive is subdivided into C:LOCAL and D:SYSTEM_SAV. The slave
is E:HardDrive2. C:uses 23/27GB, D:uses 2.5/3GB, E:uses 47/80GB.)

I understand that IE6 (and OE6?) needs to be removed before doing
such a reinstall.

I see there have been several discussions of reinstall in the Group.
However, I cannot put together a clear picture of how to move forward
from these postings (each has its own tweaks), so I am throwing myself
on the mercy of the Group.

My questions (finally) a
## Does this make sense as a strategy for reaming out the gremlins in
my system?
## Is it possible to save the data files, especially on my E: drive?
## Are there levels of invasiveness I should work through in
attempting a fix?
## What is the best way to go about this?

I do have a WinME OEM CD-ROM. I also see the BASE2.CAB cabinet under
C:Windows/Options. And I once heard that Compaq supposedly stashed
some restoration functionality under D:SYSTEM_SAV.

Thanks for any advice, perspective or warnings.

Brian