Somehow during the use of AOL the registry/start-up process got screwed-up. Result - screen displaying at most basic settings and no mouse. Used msconfig.exe to identify that problems seem to be in system.ini. Used scanreg /restore to earlier version of registry - initially seemed to solve problem - screen back to normal, mouse okay. Used msconfig to change from selective start-up to normal and now have problem back Cannot edit system.ini using msconfig as it's just two lines of symbols but assume it's the source of the problem. How can I solve the problem "permanently"? Thanks

"Cannot edit system.ini using msconfig as it's just two lines of symbols but assume it's the source of the problem." Yup, two lines of symbols befinitely is not right. FYI, scanreg /restore restore system. ini along with the registry and win.ini. It appears that when youtook msconfig from selective to normal, some program clobbered system.ini Try another scanreg restore. Then deselect everything in the msconfig startup tab and disable config.sys and autoexec.bat from running before returning msconfig to normal.

What else was disabled when you were running in selective startup? I had a computer I worked on that twice had the problem of a corrupt system.ini. A scanreg/restore fixed it both times but I never figured out what caused it.

Actually I don't think I've ever got back to a good system.ini. I've just restored the oldest registry I have from before the obvious problem(14th November - didn't realise Windows only kept 5 until later) and while it boots okay it's already in selective startup with system.ini and win.ini deselected. Now very puzzled but as it all seems to work I'm wondering if this really needs fixing - views?

Windows will create a basic system.ini to use when you disable the original one in msconfig. Apparently it's replacement is better than your original. Windows saves your original system.ini as system.tsh. You can replace your original system.ini with the one windows creates: Open a dos window. At the c:\windows> prompt type: del system.tsh and enter. Then type: copy system.ini system.tsh and enter. Then type: exit and enter to close the dos box. Run msconfig and choose the normal bootup. When it reboots, system.ini should be the same as when it was disabled. Some of your video and sound settings are in system.ini. You may need to reinstall those drivers to have those functions working properly.

Just a rider to #4. As the system is working OK at present there is, I suppose, a small chance that it will be worse if you restore your old system.ini as suggested. I would suggest that before you start you make a spare folder somewhere and copy/paste system.tsh into it. That way if it does go egg shaped you can copy it back (either from Windows or DOS). If all goes well you can delete this folder/file sometime. Derek.W

Hi, thanks for the suggestions, will try when I get home again at the weekend. I have one other option too. There is a registry saved called "rbbad" from 11th November (obviously there is some problem with it, perhaps that is when the problems started, when I upgraded my Norton anti-virus) )which contains a system.ini file that looks fine. I propose to create an archive folder for the various versions and try them out, just like I now have for old registries! By the way PCTools Registry Mechanic tells me I have ~500 errors in my registry, sounds horrendous but is that normal? John W