Reply
Wed 10 May, 2006 06:38 am
I'll try to make this brief.
I inherited my late sister's Dell Inspiron 4000 (Pentium III) with Windows ME laptop. The processor appeared to be (theoretically) reasonably fast, although the system was slow and sluggish.
Backup: My sister and her reasonably astute with computers friend had given up on it and purchased a Dell desktop, after encountering a problem that they could not resolve. They believed that it had been hijacked and wrecked (she didn't have a firewall), but the machine had never been sent to Dell or brought into a professional for analysis.
I removed about everything, cleaned it up, tightened it up, ran scandisk standard (it couldn't do thorough after 10 tries because of stuff still running in the background), defragged, checked for spyware, adware, and virus/worms. Then installed AVG Free Anti-Virus.
Then tried to install free ZoneAlarm, and it immediately shut down access to the internet (can't remember the reason). Did what they said to get back access and took off the program. Tried it again, same result. Took it off again.
Since I could not verify that it would run on ME, I did a search and found a program that would work: Jetico Personal Firewall 1.0.1.61. Put it on, it took configuration access permission on two programs (iexplore.exe was one, forget what the other was), and then all hell broke loose.
System froze, no matter what I tried to do. Went to remove it and found that the Control Panel window was empty, although it said there were 30 objects in it in the lower left. Drive C was similarly empty under My Computer.
Fooled around with startup options after running msconfig, and nothing changed anything.
Went to do a system restore and couldn't get to it. Clicked under accessories and nothing happened. Tried to launch it after run msconfig, and window came up, but empty.
Trying to get online didn't work. Modem would ring the server, but any attempt to connect would call forth a serious Windows error message.
I know, by reputation, of the problems with Windows ME, but it was factory installed. As far as I know, she never created a backup disk, although it may turn up when her stuff is sorted through.
Her warranty is way past as it is 6 years old.
Anyone have any thoughts?
Use the system restore CD to put it back to factory configuration.
I have no CDs. I have already asked my sister's executrix to look for any kind of documentation when she went over there (she found none), so I am loath to ask her to go back.
What happens if you try to boot into safe mode?
you've got absolutely no chance if u think thats brief
My suggestion is to scrape it down to bare metal and reinstall...
You can probably get replacement CDs from Dell. You have the serial number, there should be a service tag ID as well. Might cost $15 to have the CDs shipped.
Otherwise, cannibalize.
I'd still like to know what happens if you try to boot into safe mode. The problem you describe seems to fit the symptoms of a corrupt wininit.exe file, something a) not uncommon as a result of a virus infection/removal that didn't go well, and b) sometimes fairly easily remedied - though you'll need access either to a Win ME install disk or to a functioning ME machine from which to copy the file you need to replace on your machine.
I'll give it a try timber but have to go someplace now. Thanks.
Going down to bare metal is one option. First I want to see whether it would be fixable now. Windows ME sucks, but if I can get it going it again, I may use it as the opportunity to download a flavor of Linux and get started there.
But, first things first.
Ugh. Just because it is running WinME I'd also recommend starting from scratch. I've just never had any luck trying to get an ME system running correctly again after it gets messed up.
I'll look later but if push come to shove I probably have some Dell WinME original restore discs around here somewhere (probably under the desk in a box with my old MS-DOS, Win 3.1 and OS2 discs! lol) that could be sent your way.
timber,
Good news and bad. Easily started in safe mode, folders visible in Control Panel and I removed the firewall. I now can also connect to the internet and am using the laptop for this post.
Bad news - after it rebooted in normal mode, everything was the same as before: i.e., no folders in Control Panel or C: drive (although lower left corner of both showed the number of files in each). System Restore still inaccessible from either location I mentioned above.
More information:
I didn't mention it, as I did not think that it was important. The right hinge is broken, although I can open and close it correctly.
I contacted the computer guy who tried to help my sister figure out the problems with it, and he thinks it is imporant. He says:
"The laptop: Corruption is going to occur with shorts
and interference eminating from the sizzling
connections at the corner of the laptop regardless of
operating system, or software. If it were mine and I
wanted to use it, I'd spend the money to have that
area repaired by the manufacturer. But that's just
me."
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace