When I boot Windows Me, the desktop wallpaper shows up but nothing else. No start key, no icons, no bar at the bottom, nothing. If I hit the window key, nothing happens. If I ctrl-alt-del to bring up task manager, NOTHING is running in background. Same thing happens in safe mode. Any idea? Or where can I get a floppy boot disc to re-install windows?

www.bootdisc.com

You can try booting into DOS and at prompt type in scanreg/restore and then pick a date right befor problem, it might work.

It's

scanreg /restore

With a space after the scanreg command and before the /restore switch.

But before you try doing that and provided you don't use Windows network logon, Windows logon, have LAN setup and use some form of independent logon through Windows, etc. Then try replacing explorer.exe from DOS.

You can get a full WinME Startup Disk, there, if you want.

Boot with it and get to an A:\> prompt and type:

ext

and press enter. Now follow the on screen rountine, and your replacing explorer.exe from your cab files.

Specify file for extraction:
explorer.exe

Restore File From - you put:
c:\windows\options\install

or failing that:

c:\windows\options\cabs

Restore File To, you put:
c:\windows

Let DOS run through the extraction rountine, pressing yes/no where applicable, when it's finished take the bootdisk out and try booting normally into Windows.

See if that get's Windows fully loading.

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The space is not required.

Best

The space is required.

See for yourself. Go to Start >> Run and type either of:

scanreg/fix

scanreg/restore

They won't work.

Now type either of:

scanreg /fix

scanreg /restore

And they will work.

Look at any MSKB article involving command line references to switches and you will note the space where it's required. Example ...

MSKB 228779 - "SCANREG /RESTORE" Command May Not Restore Registry

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A look at the syntax demo ....

Microsoft Resources -- Windows XP Professional Product Documentation -- Command-line reference A-Z

Microsft Resources -- Windows XP Professional Product Documentation -- System File Checker (sfc)

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Viking you are correct from Start/Run the space is required but from dos it is not. We are talking WInME not XP .
Try scanreg/? in a dos window or in pure dos and it will work but Start/Run one receives a error.

Your half right -- It all depends what machine your sat in front of, there's quite a few OEM's that won't recognize certain DOS CL syntax. The one syntax which works for both none OEM and OEM in DOS or Windows is putting a space after the command and before the switch.

Which is why, I guess, it's one reason every single MSKB article denotes the same syntax. 9x/NT based, makes no difference because that's the syntax that's guaranteed to work.

There are exceptions to saying that though, you get some really retarded OEM machines that won't recognize even really basic DOS commands, 40937 is one example.

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43907

number dyslexia. 8-\

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I have the same exact proble, I got the boot disk from puregeeks.com and got the ME one. I put it in and it said a:/> And I typed ext and said bad command name.

How do I bring up dos? is it in c:/>

I dont know how to bring up dos when I first start computer.

Wayne (by budman468) this isn't really your thread and Galen (by galenbh) hasn't got back yet.

But try it all ways.

Get an ME bootdisk from bootdisk.com and try that using the same commands. Also try the commands from the c:\> prompt with both disks too. Try the extract (the full word) command as well.

Post back, just saying, yes/no and which one worked or didn't, don't go into any great details because it isn't your thread.

If I think of anything I'll email you, rather than you start a seperate thread.

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lol dont get mad over a thread.

what do you mean extract?

Ok I tried this:
put in one disk, typed command it loaded with like Windows Me Boot disk then I typed ext, nothing. I typed c: and then scanreg/restore and scanreg /restore. Then i went on to the other disk. Same thing. Nothing happened. I may start a new thread. Help please.

Viking, sorry, i just checked it from real DOS and not from DOS box. We all know that is is good practice to put spaces all over the place because the command interpreter discards extra spaces.

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jubalsams - No, I'm talking about certain OEM machines not running the DOS commands and switches without a space being inserted. It's playing the percentages when you tell people to use the space, as I said before, most work without the space. All work with the space (my experience).

No one here has a crystal ball when they answer a post, they can't tell who has what machine and they don't know it's OEM make up.

Playing the percentages = telling them to put the space.

Except where it don't work at all :-D

budman468 - you typed (without quotes) "ext" before - yes. This time (without quotes) type - extract

And it's not a case of me getting mad, it's a case of the original poster getting pissed because someone has butted into his thread. You'd get a bit pissed to, if it happened to you.

BUT it is relevant to what we're talking about so ....

If you wanna fire a new thread up, detail your problem and why your arriving at extracting files from DOS in the first place and what it is your doing / typing to do this.

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lol I dont see the poster getting mad because others has the same problem