If you can boot up to C: prompt, type screg/restore. You will then be
given a choice to restore to previous registry.

If no joy, here is a 10 steps approach to fixing boot up problem. Follow
one at a time and reboot. If one works, you don't have to go to the next
one. Step 7 is for Windows ME only.

1. First, boot to DOS with a boot disk. If you don't have one, get one
from www.bootdisk.com . From a: type "scanreg /restore" without the
quotes and hit ENTER. Select a date before the problem occurred. Note
the space between scanreg and /restore. Then reboot your computer.

2. From a: type "scandisk" and hit ENTER. Reboot.

3. From a: type "sys c:" and click ENTER. If successful it will say
system transferred. Reboot.

4. From a: type "fdisk /mbr" and click ENTER. Reboot computer.

5. Delete temporary files. From a: type "del c:\windows\temp*.*" and
click ENTER. Reboot.

6. Delete the swap file. From a: type "del c:\win386.swp" and click
ENTER. Reboot.

7. If you have Windows ME, perform a System Restore from DOS. Otherwise
skip this step.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];Q279736

8. Look at your bootlog.txt. From a: type "c:\windows\bootlog.txt" and
click ENTER
If it does not work, then type "a: c:\bootlog.txt". You can look at the
last thing listed in log and most likely it is the item that caused
Windows not to load. If the file is in windows you can rename it to old
from whatever its was before, i.e., exe, txt, dll, etc.

An example of renaming would be to rename windoz.dll to windoz.old you
would use

ren c:windows\windoz.dll c:\windows\windoz.old and click ENTER. Note the
spaces.

9. As a next to last ditch way to open Windows if all else failed, on
the C drive (where I am assuming Windows ME is installed) there should
be a hidden file named system.cb. This is a "backup" system.ini that
contains no third party drivers. Copy it to c:\windows and rename it to
system.ini. Then see if you can boot up. If you can, you will have to
install a bunch of drivers. Including video, sound, scanners, cameras,
etc. But you should be able to boot to Windows.

To implement the above, From a: type "c:" and click ENTER. Next type
"cd\windows" and click ENTER. Next type "copy system.cb system.ini" and
click ENTER. If it says there is already a file by that name and it will
be over written. Click YES.

10. Finally, as a last ditch effort, reinstall windows over itself. Boot
up with your Windows CD. If not bootable, boot to DOS with CD ROM
support. While in DOS, put in your Windows CD. Type "setup" or
"E:\setup" without the quotes and hit ENTER.

If you don't have the Windows CD, the system files may be in the CABS
folder. From a: type "c:\windows\options\cabs\setup" without the quotes
and hit ENTER.

-------
Warren
For additional help, post in
http://groups.msn.com/HelpforInterne...owsME/homepage

Paul wrote:
My system will not start. I power it on and all I get is what looks like a
DOS screen and a blinking curser. I can boot from floppy and get to the C
drive. I'm not sure what I can do, Im hope I don't have to re-system my
machine.

Thank you