Ever since I've used a starup disk, my Windows bypasses its usual startup files as if the starup disk is always there, even when it's not; my Windows seems to have "learned" or have developed a habit to bypass the startup files ever since. Can anyone tell me what I should do to correct it? My ME came installed with the computer without any disk so I won't be able to re-install it. I must also say that I'm little ignorant on technical matters.

Don't know why that should have happened... Try looking in - START - RUN - type MSCONFIG and press OK - GENERAL. This may tell you why. What did you use the start up disc for ?

If your machine is acting like you still have the boot disk in it then try this: To run System Restore from the startup disk If your computer cannot start Windows in Safe mode after you've performed a System Restore, you can run System Restore from a startup disk. This will return your computer to the state it was in prior to the restore. Turn your computer on, and insert the startup disk into your floppy disk drive. Select one of the startup options from the Microsoft Windows Millennium Startup Menu. If the last action you performed on your computer before starting with the startup disk was a restoration, then a message appears that recommends that you revert your last restore. Type 1 to select Revert the Restore Changes Made to my System (recommended). If you select 2, you will not have the opportunity to revert this restoration from the startup disk again. To repair the condition you were originally trying to fix, use System Restore again to roll back to another restore point. Warnings If you do not undo the restore changes when prompted, and you make other changes while running your computer from the startup disk, you will not have another opportunity to undo this particular restore from the startup disk. You must create your startup disk when your system is stable. You cannot create one once your system is unable to start Windows. For more information, click Related Topics below. Help may not be available when you start Windows from the startup disk. You may want to print this topic now for future reference. This is from Me help and may or may not work. It's worth a try.

Why did I use the startup disk in the first place? A friend recommended me to create a startup disk just in case of any future startup problems. The problem started when I decided to test the disk I created, thinking that it was just an alternative way to start the computer in the usual way. Of course I was wrong. My computer never started up normally ever since (how I regretted not heeding the warning "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"). When I use the safe mode, a diagnosis notice "windows bypassing startup files" comes out. I've tried almost everything mentioned in the help section of the disk, except the de- re-installing of the windows, from scanreg/restore to a full scandisk but to no avail. I forgot to mention that on some lucky ocassion it does start, the mouse cursor gets out of control, moving in all direction with the slightest move of the mouse. I saw something about ms mouse on the last step of the step-by-step loading (configuration?) of the startup files. I wonder if that's got anything to do with it. Perhaps the last part of the file is not being properly or fully loaded? It's a novice's wild guess, but please don't laugh if it's too naive.

Sorry to hear that. Here's how it's supposed to work. Make disk Shut down Insert disk and start machine...it does its thing and now you know it'll start. Shut down Remove disk Start machine Machine boots normally However if the boot disk gets copied to the root directory (C:\) of the drive in can do this. I don't recall any other reason. Skip

Check the size of the hidden file IO.SYS in the root C:\ directory. If it is 110,080 bytes it is the correct one. If it is 116,736, it is the wrong one and someone must have booted from a ME startup diskette and done a SYS C: command. You can replace it with a copy from another Windows ME, or you can rebuild Windows ME by running SETUP in the C:\Windows\Options\Install folder.