oK I HAVE A SERIOS problem. My computer was working just fine a few hours ago. But when i rebooted it, it was like just after i installed widows 98 except worse. I have a login screen pop up that i dont remeber setting. My screen sizes is like 480 by something (the smallest pixel). My colors are 256 and i have no mouse curser even though the mouse is plugged in correctly. I have no clu what is going on. Plaese help in any way you can.

What an excellent (and informative!) subject line

Try changing your video settings from control panel - if that's not possible, it may be simpler just to reboot to DOS and perform:

scanreg /restore

and select a registry backup that precedes the problem

We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true

Report Offensive Follow Up For Removal

I cannot boot to dos. When i select the restart in msdos mode it shuts down but before that it says an error messege

Unable to write to Drive C
Some data may be lost

press any key to continue

an then it sayste voume that was removed had open files on it. Please check to see if the volume can really be removed

and finally it says

You can safely turn off your computer
if you want to resart your omputer press al ctrl and delete

after i tried oth it still boots normally

any other way i can try it

Plus its not the video settings that worry me. its the no mouse symptms

Download a hard drive diagnostic from the hard drive manufacturer's web site.

After that download a memory diagnostic and run it for a couple of hours.

Memtest
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/memtest86.html

Docmem
http://downloads-zdnet.com.com/3001-2094-1534814.html

Do yourself a favor BACKUP!!!

Okay i cant find the diagnostic

If anyone can find it

my computer is an IBM

Have you tried the IBM web site?

Do yourself a favor BACKUP!!!

Your computer may be an IBM but the drive may not be. You can open the case to check. While you're in there make sure the drive cables are firmly attached.

You could also run scandisk. Boot with a 98 bootdisk. At the a:\> prompt type scandisk c: and enter. Have it do a surface scan also.

You mention win98....

Is that windows 98 first edition?

What operating system did you have on it to start with?

Do you have the proper video drivers installed?

Are you using a USB mouse?

OKAY I REALLY DONT WANT TO MESS WITH MY CASE AS i am not realy skilled at computers
If anyone has a better way...

Also how can i try the scanreg thing when i cant boot to dos.

Okay for the mouse i went into system properties and ogot the following message under Device Status

This device is not working properly because windows cannot load the file (vmouse.vxd), loads drivers for the device

To fix this problem, run Wndows Setup again using your Windows Cd-Rom

I dont know how to do that so if any advice....

Okay i somehow got to the command prompt

now what do i do

http://www.eggheadcafe.com/ng/microsoft.public.win98.scanreg/post4758814.asp

http://www.helpwithwindows.com/windows98/start-145.html

Fred Macintosh, jboy, ham30, DAVEINCAPS, street1, hi everyone

Work your way down through the suggestions made earlier. :-)

#1
"...it may be simpler... ...precedes the problem"

through #7
"...type scandisk c:... ...a surface scan also."

Best Regards and Wishes,
The Count, Co-webmaster of mesich.com
Above is a temporary address

Report Offensive Follow Up For Removal

Hello Count.

Whatever your smoking try blowing a bubble through your nose.

Cat and mouse sucks.

Were not playing if Jerry had 1 joint and Fred had 2 joints.Who's on first.

Why don't you just post your solution so the OP can get on with their life?

Hi Fred Macintosh, jboy, ham30, DAVEINCAPS, street1, hi everyone

street1, I have been trying that for years now and haven't succeeded yet. :-p~

I would still like to know Who's on first, jboy. ;-)

IMHO jboy posted in #1 the first thing to try once the OP has gotten to the DOS prompt. In #2 the OP indicated he couldn't boot to the DOS prompt and in #11 he states he is at the command (DOS) prompt.
If that doesn't cure the problem, it would be logical to give ham30 and DAVEINCAPS their responses a shot. Although the OP still has to first identify the brand and model of his hard disk drive before he can pursuit #4.

I do hope you now see that I wasn't playing cat and mouse games, nor if Jerry had 1 joint and Fred had 2 joints etc. :-/

No offense meant, and none taken. Okay?

Best Regards and Wishes,
The Count, Co-webmaster of mesich.com
Above is a temporary address

Report Offensive Follow Up For Removal

Actually I have kept up with mesich and the posts for several months and I think y'all
are doing an excellent job.

No offense meant, and none taken. Okay?

I was just thinking of the OP.

I also am an old man 54 and blurt out
things that aren't necessary sometimes.

Now is when your supposed to call me a MUDFISH.LOL

You have a great website going wish you the best.

I forgot if anyone wants to know the recipe for mudfish.

Take 1 mudfish cleaned and skinned.

Attach to a 12inch piece of pinewood.

slowly turn over a open fire about 10 minutes or until fish starts to come loose from board.

Remove from fire through away the fish and eat the board.

Hi Fred Macintosh, jboy, ham30, DAVEINCAPS, street1, hi everyone

street1, I am glad to know we got that out of the way. :-)
Thank you very much for the kind words, I shall pass them along to Mesich.

Best Regards and Wishes,
The Count, Co-webmaster of mesich.com
Above is a temporary address

Report Offensive Follow Up For Removal

Hi Count, (& everyone)

We haven't seen that much of you lately, nor Mesich - I hope things are going well.

Heh - 'Who's on first?' - - I can't help but think of that routine when confronted with the somewhat circular logic expressed in the occasional post (like #168548)

It's always a bit difficult to advise when suggestions are only met with a variety of new & challenging symptoms - so far we've gone from a simple display issue to fullblown disk failure and Windows reinstallation issues.

First things first - ensure that the drive is in good order with Scandisk, either from the DOS prompt or Safe Mode. Other options would be a hard drive diagnostic and of course, ensure that the drive is connected properly (as suggested) - likewise, a RAM test might help to rule that area either in or out.

If the disk is ok, it is worth trying the old

scanreg /restore

..just in case the remaining problems are due to a registry or INI error.

Failing that, and provided no new symptoms are revealed, reinstalling Windows into its own folder might be the route to take

We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true

Report Offensive Follow Up For Removal

Hi Fred Macintosh, jboy, ham30, DAVEINCAPS, street1, hi everyone

jboy,
As usual you are right, I have been quiet for a while. :-) I had spend my time doing other things for a while, let's say to regenerate. Occasionally I have been watching from the sideline though. As for Mesich, he is extremely busy lately with his new job and so.

So you don't know who's on first? :-(

Thinking things over I could agree with first checking the condition and connection of the hard disk drive, on the other hand since the computer was still operating within normal parameters earlier on the day that problems arose one could suspect the registry (deliberately, improperly?) being altered. Do the symptoms as given by the OP look like a failing disk drive? :-/

As a last resort, I have to agree again, there is the install over the top.

Best Regards and Wishes,
The Count, Co-webmaster of mesich.com
Above is a temporary address

Report Offensive Follow Up For Removal

Regeneration is good ; )

"So you don't know who's on first?"

Yes! Who is on first

"Unable to write to Drive C
Some data may be lost"

... is not a reassuring message

It is (just barely) possible that a drive cable will loosen over time, but not terribly likely - and seems that the OP has never actually been inside the case

Difficult prognosis, and it looks like the OP is no longer involved (if he ever really was) and has moved onto newer and more fascinating issues - so this one's either fixed or forgotten

We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true

Report Offensive Follow Up For Removal

Hi Fred Macintosh, jboy, ham30, DAVEINCAPS, street1, hi everyone

jboy
"Yes! Who is on first"
I don't know, I just thought I'd ask you.

I have to agree that it is not a reassuring message. And the rest of that same response also puzzle me... "...an then it... ...still boots normally..."

When or how has the volume been removed, and how can it still boot normally???

How could one forget about such a thing, simply by accepting the fact that there suddenly is login screen to bypass, the screen resolution thrown back to 640x480 pixels at 256 bits colors and no mouse to navigate with?
I find that hard to believe, maybe the problem is fixed and the OP didn't bother to tell us (not telling you some thing new here) or the OP has thrown the computer out through the window as we can can frequently read they are about to do. :-)

The new thread doesn't intrigue me yet, sorry.

Best Regards and Wishes,
The Count, Co-webmaster of mesich.com
Above is a temporary address

Report Offensive Follow Up For Removal

Sure - our ability to provide suggestions is often limited by the OP's ability to provide (accurate) information - the actual work is done by the poster (or not, as the case may be)

I've never done the calculations (and hated statistics in school) but a significant percentage of questions here are just... dropped, outcome unknown. This looks like another one.

We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true

Report Offensive Follow Up For Removal