windows me startup trouble

trying to help a friend with ME. she tried to load a game for her daughter
and was prompted to update directx. Now it won't startup at all. it won't go
past the millenium screen. At one point she got a file could not be upgraded
from 1% to 2%. I can't even get it to start in safe mode. Does anyone have
any suggestions? thanks

Your %1/%2 error is caused usually by Norton LiveUpdate, corrupting the
System Restore archive - although there are other possible causes.

Do a Search for the file WININIT.INI - if you find it, then rename it to
WININIT.JNK, and reboot - your problem should be gone.

If you don't find it, then try this - Start|Run - enter SCANREG /FIX into
the dialog box, and click OK - windows will reboot - see if that fixes it.

If not, then open Windows Explorer - check in Folder Properties that you are
able to view Hidden and System files (two settings), then Search on your PC
for files named '_RESTORE' (without the quotes) - you should find the
C:\_RESTORE folder - r-click on it, and select Properties.
How many files/folders are there? If it's around 64 thousand, then
LiveUpdate has been up to its tricks again, and you'll have to completely
remove the folder from DOS - use the following method, which seems to be
the easiest at present.

Reboot to DOS using your Startup disk enter the following commands at the
A:\ prompt.

ATTRIB -R -H -S C:\_RESTORE
REN C:\_RESTORE OLDREST

remove the floppy, and reboot to normal windows. - your error should be
gone, and you should now have a new, single restore point. Go to Windows
Explorer, and delete the C:\OLDREST folder

HTH


--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2006, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.crashfixpc.com/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
"teri" wrote in message
...
trying to help a friend with ME. she tried to load a game for her daughter
and was prompted to update directx. Now it won't startup at all. it won't
go
past the millenium screen. At one point she got a file could not be
upgraded
from 1% to 2%. I can't even get it to start in safe mode. Does anyone have
any suggestions? thanks

Noel, 'scuse buttinski - if Teri's friend really can't boot into Safe Mode
at all, then maybe the scanreg /restore route from Real Mode DOS via the
WinMe start-up floppy disk is her only course of action - and/or rename
WININIT.INI in DOS.

Regards

Mart



"Noel Paton" wrote in message
...
Your %1/%2 error is caused usually by Norton LiveUpdate, corrupting the
System Restore archive - although there are other possible causes.

Do a Search for the file WININIT.INI - if you find it, then rename it to
WININIT.JNK, and reboot - your problem should be gone.

If you don't find it, then try this - Start|Run - enter SCANREG /FIX
into
the dialog box, and click OK - windows will reboot - see if that fixes it.

If not, then open Windows Explorer - check in Folder Properties that you
are able to view Hidden and System files (two settings), then Search on
your PC for files named '_RESTORE' (without the quotes) - you should find
the C:\_RESTORE folder - r-click on it, and select Properties.
How many files/folders are there? If it's around 64 thousand, then
LiveUpdate has been up to its tricks again, and you'll have to completely
remove the folder from DOS - use the following method, which seems to be
the easiest at present.

Reboot to DOS using your Startup disk enter the following commands at the
A:\ prompt.

ATTRIB -R -H -S C:\_RESTORE
REN C:\_RESTORE OLDREST

remove the floppy, and reboot to normal windows. - your error should be
gone, and you should now have a new, single restore point. Go to Windows
Explorer, and delete the C:\OLDREST folder

HTH


--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2006, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.crashfixpc.com/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
"teri" wrote in message
...
trying to help a friend with ME. she tried to load a game for her
daughter
and was prompted to update directx. Now it won't startup at all. it won't
go
past the millenium screen. At one point she got a file could not be
upgraded
from 1% to 2%. I can't even get it to start in safe mode. Does anyone
have
any suggestions? thanks

not enough caffeine!
Good point, Mart!


--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2006, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.crashfixpc.com/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
"Mart" wrote in message
...
Noel, 'scuse buttinski - if Teri's friend really can't boot into Safe Mode
at all, then maybe the scanreg /restore route from Real Mode DOS via the
WinMe start-up floppy disk is her only course of action - and/or rename
WININIT.INI in DOS.

Regards

Mart



"Noel Paton" wrote in message
...
Your %1/%2 error is caused usually by Norton LiveUpdate, corrupting the
System Restore archive - although there are other possible causes.

Do a Search for the file WININIT.INI - if you find it, then rename it to
WININIT.JNK, and reboot - your problem should be gone.

If you don't find it, then try this - Start|Run - enter SCANREG /FIX
into
the dialog box, and click OK - windows will reboot - see if that fixes
it.

If not, then open Windows Explorer - check in Folder Properties that you
are able to view Hidden and System files (two settings), then Search on
your PC for files named '_RESTORE' (without the quotes) - you should find
the C:\_RESTORE folder - r-click on it, and select Properties.
How many files/folders are there? If it's around 64 thousand, then
LiveUpdate has been up to its tricks again, and you'll have to completely
remove the folder from DOS - use the following method, which seems to be
the easiest at present.

Reboot to DOS using your Startup disk enter the following commands at the
A:\ prompt.

ATTRIB -R -H -S C:\_RESTORE
REN C:\_RESTORE OLDREST

remove the floppy, and reboot to normal windows. - your error should be
gone, and you should now have a new, single restore point. Go to Windows
Explorer, and delete the C:\OLDREST folder

HTH


--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2006, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.crashfixpc.com/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
"teri" wrote in message
...
trying to help a friend with ME. she tried to load a game for her
daughter
and was prompted to update directx. Now it won't startup at all. it
won't go
past the millenium screen. At one point she got a file could not be
upgraded
from 1% to 2%. I can't even get it to start in safe mode. Does anyone
have
any suggestions? thanks

It's the "%1 to /%2 error" bit that does it. Straight into auto-pilot -
*then* grab the coffee bg

Mart


"Noel Paton" wrote in message
...
not enough caffeine!
Good point, Mart!


--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2006, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.crashfixpc.com/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
"Mart" wrote in message
...
Noel, 'scuse buttinski - if Teri's friend really can't boot into Safe
Mode at all, then maybe the scanreg /restore route from Real Mode DOS via
the WinMe start-up floppy disk is her only course of action - and/or
rename WININIT.INI in DOS.

Regards

Mart



"Noel Paton" wrote in message
...
Your %1/%2 error is caused usually by Norton LiveUpdate, corrupting the
System Restore archive - although there are other possible causes.

Do a Search for the file WININIT.INI - if you find it, then rename it to
WININIT.JNK, and reboot - your problem should be gone.

If you don't find it, then try this - Start|Run - enter SCANREG /FIX
into
the dialog box, and click OK - windows will reboot - see if that fixes
it.

If not, then open Windows Explorer - check in Folder Properties that you
are able to view Hidden and System files (two settings), then Search on
your PC for files named '_RESTORE' (without the quotes) - you should
find the C:\_RESTORE folder - r-click on it, and select Properties.
How many files/folders are there? If it's around 64 thousand, then
LiveUpdate has been up to its tricks again, and you'll have to
completely remove the folder from DOS - use the following method, which
seems to be the easiest at present.

Reboot to DOS using your Startup disk enter the following commands at
the A:\ prompt.

ATTRIB -R -H -S C:\_RESTORE
REN C:\_RESTORE OLDREST

remove the floppy, and reboot to normal windows. - your error should be
gone, and you should now have a new, single restore point. Go to Windows
Explorer, and delete the C:\OLDREST folder

HTH


--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2006, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.crashfixpc.com/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to
NG's
"teri" wrote in message
...
trying to help a friend with ME. she tried to load a game for her
daughter
and was prompted to update directx. Now it won't startup at all. it
won't go
past the millenium screen. At one point she got a file could not be
upgraded
from 1% to 2%. I can't even get it to start in safe mode. Does anyone
have
any suggestions? thanks

In ,
Mart had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

It's the "%1 to /%2 error" bit that does it. Straight into auto-pilot
- *then* grab the coffee bg

Mart

It is scary how often you can blame Norton and be right. g

--
Galen - MS MVP - Windows (Shell/User & IE)
http://dts-l.org/
http://kgiii.info/

"At present I am, as you know, fairly busy, but I propose to devote my
declining years to the composition of a textbook which shall focus the
whole art of detection into one volume." - Sherlock Holmes

lol Especially when you connect it with WinME g
Joan


Galen wrote:

It is scary how often you can blame Norton and be right. g

My daughter Win Me is having similar problem. When it boots up
it goes to "Active Desktop" error but when I try to correct it nothing
happens so I right click and undo Active Desktop. Then I tried to
do a search, tried to get on the web, but nothing happens. So I do
a Cntrl/Alt/Del to see what is/isn't happening and find Explorer "is not
responding". So basically I can't do anything on her PC. I tried
the rescue disk and got back to a good restore but same problem
existed with Explorer. All suggestions are welcome.
Luckily I brought my laptop with me so I can post this msg for her.
Thanks,
Nancy

"teri" wrote in message
...
trying to help a friend with ME. she tried to load a game for her daughter
and was prompted to update directx. Now it won't startup at all. it won't
go
past the millenium screen. At one point she got a file could not be
upgraded
from 1% to 2%. I can't even get it to start in safe mode. Does anyone have
any suggestions? thanks

First of all - ensure that active desktop is disabled!
Boot to Safe Mode - does Explorer work OK there?
If so, then try running some malware cleanup stuff....
You may already have a virus/spyware hijack

download the Stinger from here and run it to make sure that A-V-disabling
viruses are not present on your PC
http://vil.mcafeesecurity.com/vil/averttools.asp

- update your virus scanner and run a full system scan of all files.

Reboot to Safe Mode and run CWShredder - to remove variants of the
CoolWebSearch hijacker.
http://www.merijn.org/cwschronicles.html

Use CWShredder, the removal tool:
http://www.trendmicro.com/cwshredder/

download AdAware SE Personal Edition from www.lavasoftusa.com, install,
update, and run it to remove spyware, adware, and other such nasties from
your system.


--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2006, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.crashfixpc.com/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
"Nancy" wrote in message
...
My daughter Win Me is having similar problem. When it boots up
it goes to "Active Desktop" error but when I try to correct it nothing
happens so I right click and undo Active Desktop. Then I tried to
do a search, tried to get on the web, but nothing happens. So I do
a Cntrl/Alt/Del to see what is/isn't happening and find Explorer "is not
responding". So basically I can't do anything on her PC. I tried
the rescue disk and got back to a good restore but same problem
existed with Explorer. All suggestions are welcome.
Luckily I brought my laptop with me so I can post this msg for her.
Thanks,
Nancy

"teri" wrote in message
...
trying to help a friend with ME. she tried to load a game for her
daughter
and was prompted to update directx. Now it won't startup at all. it won't
go
past the millenium screen. At one point she got a file could not be
upgraded
from 1% to 2%. I can't even get it to start in safe mode. Does anyone
have
any suggestions? thanks