Ok, I have one major problem, and a few smaller ones... I hope you can help with them all! The major one is this: I have a profile set up under Windows ME, but when I try and access that profile, as soon as I have entered Log In details, my computer crashes with the following blue screen error: "VDD(03) + 00001816 + Error : 00 : 0028 : C0231D9E" I cannot get into Windows from there to do anything further. I have a suspicion it's a graphics driver setting: I can log in via Safe Mode, or by simply clicking "Cancel" at log in, and avoiding Win ME's mighty password protection that way... but removing and reinstalling the drivers then doesn't make any difference. So it's an individual file under my main profile which is broke. Does anyone know how I can find it, and replace or clear it? Secondly, I'm getting tired now of my aging main install, as you will see shortly, and would dearly love to reinstall Win ME. However I only have one of those terrible "Recovery" discs (I bought my computer from Tiny... *bbrrrrrr, never again!*) which will wipe the entire hard drive. I'd like to create a partition on my hard drive, leaving all my personal data (games etc) over on C (so I don't have to change every single file path), deleting all Win ME files on that, and making a new ME install on a partition named (perhaps) F. Is this easy to do, and if so, could you explain how to do it for me please? Secondly, my icon associations for certain files (all media, Mp3, Mpeg, AVI etc) show as the normal unassociated file icon under my main Profile. Under no profile or Safe Boot, they are fine. Even though they are associated correctly with a program (Media Player 9 etc), they don't show under Explorer etc as that icon, but the aforementioned file icon instead. I've tried to use TWEAK UI to repair File Associations and Icons but to no avail. Nor does deleting ShellIconCache restore them. Any ideas what this problem is? And lastly: .swf files. I can't open 'em! At least, not from the C:\ drive. If they are hosted online I can see them, but I can't open them manually. I've installed the latest Macromedia Flash/Shockwave files, and friends can open the .swf files on their machine... but with me it just times out on the IE6 loading bar. I suspect it's an IE setting I've got flagged... but if so, I can't find it. It doesn't work under any profile either. Thanks for all your time!

Go to C:\windows\options\cabs\setup.exe that is the windows setup file. You won't need to reinstall everything just windows. This may or may not clear up some or all of the problems you have but worth a try. Saves having to bother with the rubbish restore disks, I have the packard bell and have only used it a couple of times, don't know why they don't just give us the actual disks we do pay for them after all.

Ok Alex, I'm going to try your suggestion momentarily: But before I do (and in case I vanish offline for ever!) I just want to state that I've solved the first problem... A friend recommended SANDRA to search for problems, and when it tried to run a DX9 test, it crashed and started triggering the same problems under that profile too. A quick restore to an earlier point, and a reinstall of DX9b seems to have shifted the error (for now)! Now for the tidying up of Win ME... Damn you Tiny! Damn you Bill Gates!

Hi Titler My advice; scrub the lot and get XP home or pro. It's well known that ME should be known as FA(Friday Afternoon) as it's quite the most crappiest version of windows ever. Just my humble opinion Wolfster On a hot summers night would you offer your throat to the Wolf with the Red Roses?

You couldn't melt XP and pour it on me.

Say what Leroi? On a hot summers night would you offer your throat to the Wolf with the Red Roses?

Heh - now that's an expression I won't soon forget ; ) I'm just looking for clues at the scene of the crime