scandisk killer

[Gio]

Ran scandisk and after i re booted i got my my wallpaper a cursor but no start toolbar or any icons get Explorer message error.safemode leaves my screen the same way with nothing working. HELP!

i have win 98

 

[Bryan]

If you press the Windows key on your keyboard, is the Start Menu displayed?

 

[Gio]

i have an older keyboard

 

[Bryan]

First try this and see what happens

Restart the PC and keep tapping the F8 key during the bootup. You want to start tapping F8 after the drives are recognized on the screen but before the Windows splash screen appears. A menu with 6 options should appear. Take the option for "Safe Mode-Command Prompt Only". Once you have a C: prompt type in the following and press enter.

scanreg /restore

Now use the up/down arrow keys to choose a registry dated prior to the day the problems started. Press enter and follow the prompts to restore it.

What happens now at startup?

 

[Gio]

system restore failed

 

[Bryan]

Did you try choosing another registry backup date from the list and see if it fails, too? If not, try it. The oldest backup will sometimes fail if that's the one you choose.

 

[Gio]

They all failed.

 

[Bryan]

Ok, I really didn't have much hope that a registry restore would fix this anyway.

In W98 and all subseuqent version of Windows, your Desktop and Windows in general uses InternetExplorer as it's Shell. When ever you have problems with the Desktop, Taskbar and/or Explorer errors at startup, it usually means a portion of IE is damaged. The scandisk could have easily caused it by "fixing" the drive. This is what I suggest you do

Boot back to the "Safe Mode-Command Prompt". Then type in Edit c:\windows\system.ini and press enter. Now change the line that reads Shell=Explorer.exe to Shell=Winfile.exe

Now press the ALT key and then use the down arrow to highlight "Save" and press enter.

Now press alt/ctrl/del to restart the PC. If it boots to FileManager click on File>Run

Key in c:\program~1\intern~1\setup\setup.exe

Click on OK and follow the prompts and complete the setup routine.

If that command doesn’t work try this

c:\program~1\intern~1\ie5setup.exe

Click on OK and follow the prompts and complete the setup routine.

Now Restart the PC to a Command Prompt again. Then Edit c:\windows\system.ini and change the Shell=Winfile.exe back to Shell=Explorer.exe and save the changes. Now press alt/ctrl/del to restart the PC and let it boot into Windows.

I'll try to hang around for a few minutes to see how you make out.

 

[Gio]

i tried all of them nothing same result.

 

[Bryan]

I assume you mean the registry restores. See my post above this and try gettting into Windows using Winfile to fix IE.

 

[Gio]

C:\program~1\intern~1\ie5setup.exe did not work invalid file name

 

[Bryan]

Do you know what version of IE is running on that PC?

 

[Gio]

sorry i don't

 

[Bryan]

Do this in Winfile. Click on File>Search.

Now in the "Search For" box key in IE*.EXE

In the "Start From" box key in C:\

Click on OK or Press enter.

Post all of the .exe names it finds. I'm mainly interested in ones that reside in the c:\Progra~1\Intern~1\..... folder

 

[Gio]

c:\progra~1\intern~1\iexplore.exe