repair (re-install) Windows ME

Hi folks: Not being all that up on Win-ME I need a little help/advice (please). I need to repair a slightly flakey installation of ME - ideally with losing any (or most) of its current settings as per apps/utils etc... Without going into all the details/history prior to now... I suspect this installation has at least one (probably several) less than perfect core file(s). It was hit with a nasty virus a while back; system was recovered by "a.n.other" but still has a tendancy to misbehave occasionally... System restore approach is not an option as that area of the drive had a series of trojans (30)/worms (2) sitting there...; a Trend on-line scan found those. That area of the system was wiped clean; system restore option is currently (deliberately) disabled. A clean install (data off the system and a reformat etc...) is not a willing path (although it's obviously the ideal...). Does the '95/'98 method work with ME; i.e. simply run standard ME setup and point it (re-)install to the current windows folder (possibly renaming win.com first)? Or is there another safer/better way to go? I have about two days to resolve this one; then I'm away from the PC in question for about another year. It's in SW USA where I'm visiting a few days... I'm familiar with "Bob Bales" pages on the '95/'98 aspects; but he doesn't deal with ME (neither does Mesich/The Count?) W2K/NT is so much easier to deal with... Help... Thanks "en avance" folks, trvlr