Really Need Help With Windows Me

[coldnorth]

I have a problem with Windows ME. The computer (HP Pavilion XE783) was working fine. Was sitting idle and I noticed that the screen saver had frozen up. The computer would do nothing and I cold booted. When I tried to re-start it wanted to start in safe mode and on that same page it also said there was a Registry/Configuration error and use ScanReg. I tried starting in safe mode, and have since tried all 4 options it gives for starting and I get the following.

Goes to a black page with message

Missing IFSHLP.SYS

tyhen changes to a blue screen with the message Cannot find helper driver. Ensure that IFSHLP.SYS has been installed.

Help, I have no idea where to go next. Can I get the computer to start in dos and run scanreg from there? If so how do I do that and what's the command line to start scanreg?

I would be really grateful to anybody that has any ideas on how to fix this thing. Thanks

[kaiweiler]

UPGRADE!
ME is the worst OS I have ever used, and yes I have used it, I'm not BSing you, it is clearly the worst!
Either get XP, or even go back to 98 and you'd be better off!
You can get both off IRC or BitTorrent

[coldnorth]

I'm starting to agree with everyone about win ME, I have had a lot of problems. Right now though it would be difficult to upgrade. Any ideas on what I could do to get this back up and running so I could back up some data I don't want to loose?

[Chewie]

Boot to DOS and rename <windows_path>&#092;SYSTEM&#092;VMM32.VXD to VMM32.OLD then run Windows setup.

You can get a windows boot disk with CD drivers on it from Bootdisk.Com (http://www.bootdisk.com/)

[coldnorth]

Thanks chewie. Now, what may be a stupid question. How do I get win ME to boot to dos?

[Chewie]

I fear your display is faulty as you seem to have completely missed my second sentence...
Originally posted by Chewie UK@4 March 2004 - 21:32
You can get a windows boot disk with CD drivers on it from Bootdisk.Com (http://www.bootdisk.com/)

[coldnorth]

Sorry chewie. It&#39;s not the display it&#39;s just me. Kind of rainy and cold here and that kind of weather always plays he*# with the plate in my head(would be funny if not true). thanks again.

[coldnorth]

I have not used dos in years. How do I do about renaming <windows_path>&#092;SYSTEM&#092;VMM32.VXD to VMM32.OLD? Also, I won&#39;t lose data doing this will I?

[Project E-01]

cd windows&#092;system
rename vmm32.vxd vmm32.old

and, er, your done. Assuming windows is in c:&#092;windows&#092; - but im sure you can figure that out. :P

As for losing data, thats why your renaming the file, and not deleting it. In theory, you could restore the old file ut just renaming it back to .vxd - if you wanted to.

[coldnorth]

Thanks everyone. I&#39;ll give this a try tomorrow and see how it works out.

[delphin460]

um if ya wanna keep me just use the restore function of the hp disks that u got with the comp, but its still me lol

[gildan2020]

actually, i had the same problem...like...so many years ago, i was young and naive and i deleted it, thought it was useless (on windows system directory??? :lol: )

get ur fren or anyone who&#39;s using winme to give u that file and paste it to ur windows system directory, that&#39;s how i solved mine

of coz u have to boot to dos first to do dat, good luck6 ;)

[coldnorth]

Well guys I downloaded the bootdisk, renamed the file as outlined on here and it still is not working. I still get the same error I got before but now I also get that the vmm32.vxd file is missing or corrupt. What did I do wrong? I followed the directions on here carefully. What can I do to fix this?

[coldnorth]

Originally posted by delphin460@5 March 2004 - 02:12
um if ya wanna keep me just use the restore function of the hp disks that u got with the comp, but its still me lol
I tried once before for another reason to restore windows using the disk but the computer kept giving me the message that this was not the correct disk for this computer. I&#39;m starting to think I need to loose winME.

[Orange_Boy]

This is a waste of time even writing this but every one says Windows ME is the worst well ive had it for over 2 years and had no problems at all, Windows 98 has BUGS &#33;&#33;&#33; thats why they brought out Windows 98 Special Edition because of the bugs in it
also i downloaded loads of software, cracked stufff so my pc was being used to its full use yet i didnt have any problems with Windows ME, some one tell me what problems they had with there ME

[coldnorth]

Originally posted by Limp_bizkit_uk@8 March 2004 - 03:50
some one tell me what problems they had with there ME
Read the above. I&#39;m having problems with ME and so far have not found a solution.

Anyone have any ideas?

[Project E-01]

Did you remember to run the winME SETUP like the first useful reply told you? :P

Should be able to re-install Me over the top of itself. All your old settings and stuff should be safe, and it&#39;ll actually load. I think thats what the original suggestion was.

[coldnorth]

I was not able to determine how to run ME set up. Also, will it want the restore disks if I am able to run it? I tried sometime back for a different problem to re-install ME and I got messages that this was not the correct disks for this computer and it refused to re-install.

[cwctv]

This is a waste of time even writing this but every one says Windows ME is the worst well ive had it for over 2 years and had no problems at all, Windows 98 has BUGS &#33;&#33;&#33; thats why they brought out Windows 98 Special Edition because of the bugs in it
also i downloaded loads of software, cracked stufff so my pc was being used to its full use yet i didnt have any problems with Windows ME, some one tell me what problems they had with there ME


Hey thats my saying I too have had it 2yrs and do the same stuff on stuff off and have updated the machine twice without an hitch.Its what your used to not its "crap" how come you won&#39;t find one post for help from me unlike so many with XP. <_<

Me puts the cabs and setup in your Windows&#092;Options folder see if you can reinstall from there.

[gildan2020]

i dun get it...why dun u just GET the ifshlp.sys file from someone else with winme??

that&#39;s the easiest solution, it applied to my case last time, just give it a try b4 u think about reinstalling <_<

[coldnorth]

I wish I had of just done that, but now after going through the steps suggested on here now it also says its missing the vmm32.vxd file as well.

[shn]

Reinstall

[coldnorth]

I tried that once before for another problem and it would not let me. I kept getting a message that the disks I was using for not the correct ones for this computer. I wish I could just go in and restore. I have data on this computer that I would really like to save if at all possible. Does anyone know if at this point it would help to get a copy of the ifshlp.sys file and re-install it? Could not having or finding that file be the reason the steps outlined here did not work?

[cwctv]

Pm me an email and will send you both the files at around 1,120bytes total.

[coldnorth]

Thanks cwctv

[Chewie]

DO NOT use the vmm32.vxd file from another computer. It&#39;s a file that&#39;s created when Windows is installed.

Why would you only take half of my advice? I suggested renaming the file and re-installing Windows - you haven&#39;t re-installed Windows.
If you&#39;re not going to run the Windows install process, rename vmm32.OLD to vmm32.vxd.

[tesco]

Originally posted by Limp_bizkit_uk@7 March 2004 - 22:50
This is a waste of time even writing this but every one says Windows ME is the worst well ive had it for over 2 years and had no problems at all, Windows 98 has BUGS &#33;&#33;&#33; thats why they brought out Windows 98 Special Edition because of the bugs in it
also i downloaded loads of software, cracked stufff so my pc was being used to its full use yet i didnt have any problems with Windows ME, some one tell me what problems they had with there ME
i used to use windows me on my old computer for a few months that was about the time i got highspeed internet, and an NIC card. Once i started using the NIC card my computer would constantly freeze after minutes of use and i tried different drivers and stuff but nothing helped so i had to go back to windows 98. then i got a new computer shortly after and the old one now has xp.

[coldnorth]

Originally posted by Chewie UK@8 March 2004 - 22:48
DO NOT use the vmm32.vxd file from another computer. It&#39;s a file that&#39;s created when Windows is installed.

Why would you only take half of my advice? I suggested renaming the file and re-installing Windows - you haven&#39;t re-installed Windows.
If you&#39;re not going to run the Windows install process, rename vmm32.OLD to vmm32.vxd.
I did rename the vmm32.old to vmm32.vxd and now that file also appears to be missing in addition to the ifshlp.sys file. As I stated once before on here I did try once to reinstall windows, due to another problem, and for some reason it would not reinstall, I kept getting the message that my system recovery disks were not the correct ones for my computer. I&#39;m assuming that I would not have any better luck doing it now.

So, other than installing another copy of ifshlp.sys and seeing if I can get anywhere that way I am not sure where to go next with this computer. I would really like to save the data that is on there so I&#39;m open to ideas if anyone has any.

[coldnorth]

Guys, I&#39;m at my wits end with this computer and just don&#39;t know where to go next with it, aside from installing a new OS which I may do but would like to recover data on it.


Did you remember to run the winME SETUP like the first useful reply told you? :P

Should be able to re-install Me over the top of itself. All your old settings and stuff should be safe, and it&#39;ll actually load. I think thats what the original suggestion was.

Are you saying re-install winME from files allready on the computer? If so no I haven&#39;t. I do I do so?

Thanks for the help everyone.

[tesco]

Originally posted by coldnorth@15 March 2004 - 12:30
Guys, I&#39;m at my wits end with this computer and just don&#39;t know where to go next with it, aside from installing a new OS which I may do but would like to recover data on it.


Did you remember to run the winME SETUP like the first useful reply told you? :P

Should be able to re-install Me over the top of itself. All your old settings and stuff should be safe, and it&#39;ll actually load. I think thats what the original suggestion was.

Are you saying re-install winME from files allready on the computer? If so no I haven&#39;t. I do I do so?

Thanks for the help everyone.
just put in the me cd and start installing as normal to your C: drive and it will think you do not have an OS installed already because of the file you renamed, so it will overwrite all of the files and will then boot up and your downloads will still be there.

[coldnorth]

Rossco, I&#39;ve tried re-installing winME before on this computer and it would not install. I kept getting a message that it was the wrong installion disks.

[coldnorth]

Thought I&#39;d try bumping this topic back up to the top one more time before applying a heavy object to the computer.

[tesco]

i guess the only thing left to do is to take teh hard drive to a friends&#092;family members&#092;your otehr&#092;work computer and copy the files you want to keep over, then format and reinstall, and finally copy the files back over from the other computer you copied them too.

[coldnorth]

Good idea Rossco. Thanks