Hello, I have the following error message on my home system when I turn it on right after the generic WIndows logo stuff... "WININIT.EXE missing/unable to load" "Press any key to continue" I have extracted the wininit.exe file for the cabs and replaced the file in the WINDOWS dir. Still have the problem! I thought that this might be the "BYMER" worm, but after reviewing the bymer worm removal instructions I do not have the "trademark signature" of the bymer worm that puts a wininit.exe in the WINDOWS/SYSTEM dir and the "bymer.scanner" stuff in the WIN.INI file. Could my problem be the OPASERV virus? Any ideas out there?

hello you might try these links http://computing.net/windowsme/wwwboard/forum/30687.html for next verion of m.e wont start http://computing.net/windowsme/wwwboard/forum/32414.html I went into safe mode and located system.cb, and pasted the contents into notepad to have a look at them... they seemed very basic, as stated. I then did the same with a file I located names system.!~! and the contents seemed more what I would expect from a system.ini file, so I took a chance and pasted it into the worryingly blank system.ini file. I then restarted... and my computer went straight into Win ME, and a sound file played on startup, and the modem works... so it would seem that the drivers for those are still present! I then ran scandisk, and no errors were found! I am amazed this seems to have worked as I frankly know very little about computers, so fingers crossed, but I await problems! That said, if it has not been a very long time I would try to restore the registry using the scanreg command from DOS. SCANREG SYNTAX: Usage: SCANREG [/] SCANREG /? Displays scanreg help SCANREG /BACKUP Backup the registry and related system configuration files. SCANREG /RESTORE Choose a backup to restore. SCANREG /FIX Repairs the registry. SCANREG /COMMENT "" Adds the specified comment to the CAB file while backing up. EXAMPLES: scanreg = Ran alone scanreg will check the registry for errors and if requested backup the registry. scanreg /restore = Must be ran from a MS-DOS prompt and not a shell will allow you to restore an earlier backup of your system registry.

I have a Compaq Presario 5000 series running Windows ME with Norton System Works 2003 Professional and I get this error message also. I need instuction on how to fix this problem in the simplest fashion as I am not computer literate. Thanx.

Hello, I have looked at all and tried some of the items in the first response and I am still having the original problem of having "the message" and slow system performance, the system runs. Therefore I am suspecting that I have some sort of a worm and/or virus that is non destructive to my system. Looks like other people are also having this problem, any one else have ideas?

I have discovered by pure dumb luck that the wininit.exe file was renamed to "wininit.exe.exe". So I renamed the file to "wininit.exe" and the "not loading message" went away. I have encountered this message several times before I was able to get rid of it by using "Goback" that came with the Gateway computer. I am suspecting that the wininit.exe was renamed during the installation of some "ill behaved" software that was installed in the system prior to the problems I had. Please feel free to contact me if you have any further details