i really need help with this one....by accident i had deleted the system.ini file the other day so the computer obviously didn't work anymore....using the Windows ME disk and a friend's Windows 98 startup disk we tried 2 reinstall....it would not accept the disk and asked 4 a undo disk but yet again rejected everything...then eventually we got some help but now the computer screen is grainy, mostly black and white (with only icons with color), and there is a 1/2 inch of black screen on the right side and the bottom. going to settings and applying the 16 bit color doesn't work 'cause at restart it goes right back. something else i looked at for some reason says we have no 'color program'(?) loaded on the system...where did the files go? PLEASE HELP ME..thanx

The system.ini file holds many entries to help your drivers(the software that runs your hardware) work. There are generally several entries dealing with the video card drivers and the sound card drivers. If you deleted your system.ini, your system is most likely using a backup copy that does not have any entries that deal with your specific drivers. First... go to start>>run>>system.ini Copy the contents of your file by highlighting all of it and post it here. I may not take a look tonight, but I will take a look. One really important entry is located under the [boot] section. It says: drivers=mmsystem.dll If you do not see this entry, add it, then click file>>save at the top of Notepad. After you add this line, you should be able to reinstall your video and sound card drivers. They should actually take. If your old system.ini is located in the recycle bin on the desktop, right click on it and choose restore. Then reboot.

newgrl Does "System Restore" replace system.ini on typical restore to earlier set point? Curious.. regards Smitty

I don't know. It's worth a shot... but if he has reinstalled WinME after he lost the system.ini file, he lost all of his restore points.

I am trying to install an intellimouse but I get an error message saying that it can't write because of an error to the system.ini I also tried to change a wallpaper program and I get the same error message. Any hints?

my sound card is installed properly but i am receiving a message unsupported wave,and cannot open audio device