windows 98 has the SFC (system file checker) utility to find out which system file is missing or corrupt. windows ME does not have the SFC utility. how can one ascertain which system file is missing or corrupt in windows ME?

Good question. No good answer. Windows ME has StateManager and its System Restore function. During normal operation, it monitors all attempts to delete or corrupt a very long list of critical Windows ME system files. If a virus attacks one of them or a program or you tries to delete one of them, StateManager very quietly notes the fact, backs the corrupted file up into the System Restore area and extracts a clean copy of the program file from the system CAB files. However, this process does not work if you have disabled *StateMgr in the Windows ME startup list or if you have booted into Safe Mode and done some dumb things. Nor does it detect corruption due to disk drive failures or memory failures. Parts of SFC is still there, but there is no real way to access it. If you install IE service packs, there is a built in REPAIR function that can do what SFC did for IE and OutLook express. The only real option is to reload Windows ME over the top of itself, but that forces you to download and install all of the Windows ME updates again. Microsoft as usual has an answer that tells you how great it is without it.