This time a real catastrophy. Downloaded a registry checker, all 4mb, from PC Tools. At ShutDown and at StartUp I'm presented with blue screen as follows: Microsoft Registry Checker (MSN no longer supports) c:\windowa\system.dat Restore Desktop (check mark OK) Restoring Devices Listed IN ASP (check mark OK) RESTORING FILES/FOLDERS (no check mark OK) After about ten minutes the horizontal progress bar stops at 86%. Then box appears found an error cannot repair. Try reducing number of files , otherwise REINSTALL (a course of action I will do anything to avoid!) Point is I cannot get out of this screen. No cursor; no boxes of any kind. Must shutsoen, whereupon same thing restarts. At SAFE MODE I deleted anything about Registry with installation date 23AUG05. That is how I am now online. BUT THE SCREEN STILL APPEARS GOING IN OR OUT. Sometimes the error box doesn't appear and I'm in. Sometimes not, and I know not why. Regardless of cause/cure, right now all I want to do is to (permantly) DELETE/REMOVE THAT ENTIRE DAMN SCREEN. I haven't seen it or needed it in several years usage of this Toshiba Portege 7200CTe laptop. You can see this is a real emergency in dire need of some expertise. Failing resolution, and even if successfully resolved, please advise exact path at SafeMode that permits restoration (W98SE) to a given date -- in my case 23AUG05. I dare not shutdown day or night fearing inability to get back. Please help! Cordially, RO roduke41

I would hit F8 at startup choose command prompt only and do a SCANREG and view all backups and then choose a date before Aug 23rd. Restore and restart. I would then run MSCONFIG and hit the startup tab and uncheck anything that points to registry checker (don't uncheck scanreg) then restart again. I use EASYCLEANER by PCworld to clean my registy of all entries unneeded that slow my computer down.. http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,16180,00.asp victor

I think Vic meant do a scanreg /restore This will restore you registry to the date you choose. Any installs you did after that date will be removed. I suggest not using any reg cleaner. But that's just me.

Hello Ham, Thanks for the input, i plan to be a helpdesk technician oneday and this forum is a good place to train. Later.. victor

The command scanreg /restore should work but just in case you need it the "full path" command from anywhere in DOS is: c:\windows\command\scanreg.exe /restore DerekW

Vic, I hope you are an extremely patient individual. I think that job comes with a lot of frustration. :-)

To add, there is no "system" restore in W98, only the registry restore already mentioned. Assuming this does the trick then all the files from that program will be there cluttering up the place (apart from those you found). I wonder if there might have been a proper Uninstall, via Safe Mode, but it's a bit late now. Hopefully most of them will be in a sub-folder of c:\program files if it is still there. The date/time of this sub-folder will give you a clue about any other files that may have been put elsewhere (but take care not to delete the wrong thing - keep them in the bin for a while). DerekW