ME - From Blue Screen to Unbootable, Now What?

[PTNR]

Well, i was originally going to post a hijack this log about a blue screen of death error that i asked about in another thread, but since then i can't boot the computer at all.

i have spoken to dell and we tried to boot from my original floppy which i created when i got the computer in 2000 (no good), ran hardware diagnostics from the dell CD which showed no hardware problems other than write errors which we assumed to be the cumputer trying to write to an unwritable CD, namely the diagnostics CD and looked for booting with a C prompt option which doesn't seem to exist and tried to revert to an earlier saved date (did not work)

While booting to safe mode i get the error "error loading explorer.exe. you must reinstall windows." then another box comes up after hitting ok to the first one that says, "a required .dll file c:\windows\system\shlwapi.dll was not found." if i try to boot any other way the computer just turns itself off.

dell says reinstall ME and lose all data on HD. if so, how could i save my files before reinstalling ME? Please Help. is there anything else i should try?

here is the pertinent info from my original post:

21-Jun-2005, 10:13 AM
PTNR
Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2
Experience: Intermediate

same problem

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i am also running windows ME and just like the above problem, i have the same deal with something hanging on shut down but i don't know what it is.
i could start a new thread if that would be appropriate.

any help would be apreciated as i am new here.

also, i get the blue screen of death upon shutdown that states .... ERROR:OE:00C7:826CB9FQ and then i can't shut down.

i have disabled the unnessary startup stuff with msconfig.

i am running a dell inspiron 4100 pentium III 866 with 256MB sdram @ 133mhz, (all factory stuff), circa end of the year 2000.

basically i only use this machine for internet surfing and digital picture storage and manipulation, (20GB 7200 ultra ata HD). Has ms works suite 2001 standard installed by factory.

recently added motorola surfboard for cable internet access and a basic network card supplied by comcast. also added Stealth S80 128 MB AGP Graphics Card for dvi compatability with 19" flat monitor.

i had norton but dumped it for avast just recently.

this computer is run alongside a newer cpu running windows xp. the two are conected to a BELKIN|KVM switch F1DD102U.

thanks in advance for any input and please let me know if there is any more info i can provide.

One other thing.... i have and frequently run adaware and spybot. thanks again.

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Last edited by PTNR : 21-Jun-2005 at 10:22 AM.

#11 21-Jun-2005, 03:29 PM
flavallee
Distinguished Member Join Date: May 2002
Location: Valrico, Florida (USA)
Posts: 8,136
Experience: Advanced

PTNR:

You need to start a post of your own. Trying to help 2 different people at the same time in the same post is too confusing.

Start your own post and submit a HijackThis log.

 

[Zman1764]

DOS is one way to save your files (Complicated). You might have to stick another hard drive in there, then transfer those files over (good idea, but who has one empty hard rive?). You could put that hard drive in ANOTHER comptuer, then transfer those to the good working computer (best Idea). UNLESS, you tried to do a dell recovery, from the boot up prompt (Last Resort), but U NEED TO USE THE OPTION SAYING RESTORE MY FILES, NOT DESTROY MY HARD DRIVE, THIS WILL MAKE THE HARD DRIVE BE ERASED, WHICH ISN'T GOOD IN YOUR CASE. sorrry bout the caps. anyway thats all I could think of. Reply back it you need help.

 

[PTNR]

thanks so much for the input.

well, i do have another computer running XP so i suppose i can install the HD from the ME machine into the XP one. i would need info on the the right way to do this and how to actually get the data transferred.

before i start anything though, i do want to hear from people to see if it is possible to do anything to bring the ME system back before i start taking things apart.

 

[PTNR]

bump.........

 

[Zman1764]

how much data approximatly is on the broken computer?

 

[PTNR]

maybe 10GB or so....

 

[Zman1764]

oh ok.. I was gunna suggest that you can send them to your own email, if it was like 100 MBs, but that wont work. Ill figure suttin out.... Dont worry..

 

[Zman1764]

if you can boot into safe mode with networking, you can network the files over to the XP amchine. Otherwise your gonna have to get under the hood, or in the case and move the hard drive. I cant think of another way.

 

[junior1]

i also used to get this probelm

 

[PTNR]

been away for vacation. i can't boot it up at all. safe mode just tells me to "reinstall windows".

 

[Zman1764]

Yea onfortunatly ur gonna have to put it in the second PC. I dont mean to trouble you, but theres just no other way, I dont want you to take thi risk of losing your data. So im sorry, but unless sum1 ehre has another way, thats wht your gonna have to do.

 

[PTNR]

anyone else like to chime in to affirm/deny if this is the only way?

if this is true, could you tell me how to set it up in the other computer. it is running XP and is a DELL 4700. thanks for all your input.

at least it seems there is something i can do to get my data back. after i get it in the other computer will i just be able to drag and drop like a regular extra drive? and also, i guess i would put it back into the old machine and wipe it clean to start fresh? thanks again for your help.

 

[Rollin' Rog]

If Dell provided you with a Windows Millenium CD, you will not "lose data" by doing a reinstall.

However even this may not be necessary if you can get the boot floppy to work.

Exactly what happens when you try to use it, and have you tried more than one?

Did Dell instruct you on how to ensure that the floppy drive is set first in the BIOS boot order?

If you can boot with a WinME boot floppy you can try following these directions:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q279736&ID=KB;EN-US;Q279736

If you just want to reinstall Windows, and you cannot get a boot floppy to load, make sure the CD drive is first in the boot order and boot with the Microsoft CD. You should be able to run "setup" off it.

If you had problems with the first floppy, I'd suggest you create a new one using the WinME OEM version available below. You must download it to the HARD drive, put a floppy in the floppy drive and run the setup to create the bootable floppy.

http://bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

 

[PTNR]

If Dell provided you with a Windows Millenium CD, you will not "lose data" by doing a reinstall.

DELL told me that they would walk me through a reinstall of windows and that doing so would wipe out any data i have on the drive. What do you think about that?

However even this may not be necessary if you can get the boot floppy to work.

Exactly what happens when you try to use it, and have you tried more than one?

i tried it a while ago so i don't remember the specifics but i did not try a second one. i can retry and post back with specifics.

Did Dell instruct you on how to ensure that the floppy drive is set first in the BIOS boot order?

they instructed me to change the boot order in BIOS only to try the diagnostic CD. i tried the floppy on my own without the BIOS change and was able to read from the floppy but again, this was a while ago so i only remember that i didn't get far with the floppy. i guess i should try it again. any specific instructions i should know as far as booting from the floppy?[/QUOTE]

If you can boot with a WinME boot floppy you can try following these directions:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q279736&ID=KB;EN-US;Q279736

If you just want to reinstall Windows, and you cannot get a boot floppy to load, make sure the CD drive is first in the boot order and boot with the Microsoft CD. You should be able to run "setup" off it.

If you had problems with the first floppy, I'd suggest you create a new one using the WinME OEM version available below. You must download it to the HARD drive, put a floppy in the floppy drive and run the setup to create the bootable floppy.

http://bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

i will try the floppy i made when i first got the computer and a new floppy if the first one doesn't work with the BIOS set to boot the floppy first. if no good, i will try the CD. i will then post back this weekend. thanks for your help. any other info would be much apreciated.

 

[PTNR]

i just read this thread, (http://forums.techguy.org/t388271.html) and understand that a reinstall of windows WILL wipe out the HD.

so i guess i would like a little further explanation on how using the windows CD will save my data because now i'm a little confused.......????