Windows only boots to Safe Mode

[PapaSmurf]

Hey guys I run a local Computer repair shop in my town and got a Compaq Presario Laptop in today has more problems than I know what to do with. The first and bigest problem is that the laptop is running the dreaded Windows ME. Now when ever I try and boot the computer up it takes me into Safe Mode only. I've tried checking msconfig and the bios to no avail. I know in XP there is a switch that you can type into the boot.ini file that makes it start up into safemode but there is no boot.ini file in ME. If there is anyone out there who knows how to work with ME plz help me out I am compleatly stuck here. I cant use the cdrom because the laser is aparently broken or something. Windows, and the bios register that the CD-rom is there but when I put a CD in windows wont read it and I cant boot off it (I was gonna try Knoppix). Also the mouse does not work so I have to do everything with the keybaord. PLZ PLZ PLZ help me out I am compleatly stuck here and dont want to look stupid when I have to give this lady her computer back still broken. I know why the mouse isnt working, it's because of a outdated driver so I should be able to log onto the internet and dl the drivers for it.

Papa Smurf

[XTC46]

What happens when you tap F8 (like you would to get into safe mode) it does give anoption for nomal start up. Try that, also try last known good.

Hook up an external mouse. Try an external CD drive. Take the drive out and slave it to another computer and run chkdisk on it. Hell run a virus scan while you are there.

And what do you mean winME has no boot.ini All windows OS's have boot.ini. But if im not mistaken me and 2000 do not include msconfig. Although you can donwload the msconfig.exe file from MS and install it on the machine. (maybe ME does, I know 2000 pro doesnt, I havent touched an ME machine in years, and I plan on keeping it that way.)

You have a lot you can still do before giving up these are just some starters.

[PapaSmurf]

Sry It's like 2 in the morning and this is the 5th site I've posted this problem on. To be more specific F8 takes me to a boot menu with these 4 options.
1 Normal Mode
2 Logged Mode (Bootlog.txt)
3 Safe Mode
4 Step-by-Step confermation

No mater what I try it restarts the comp and takes me back to the menu. At which point I have to turn off the comp, let it sit for about 10 min then try restarting it and it will boot up into safe mode and take me into scan disk. I've cleaned up all the errors found in scandisk. As for an external mouse I've tried both USB and PS/2 Mice and niether work. As for the Hard drive It seems to be sodered to the mother board and I can not remove it. I dont currently have an external CD rom to connect to it. I downloaded Adaware, Spybot S&D, ewido, and AntiVir onto it and all have come up clean. Thanks for all your help and sry about the lack of info like I said its like 2 in the moring

[XTC46]

there iwll be a last known good option. pick that and see what happens.

If its booting straight into safemode it means there is a problem, if its trying for scandisck it sounds like a diskerror, probably phsical dmg to the drive. If you cant pull the drive out, id say screw it and give it back, its not worth the effort.

[PapaSmurf]

Thats what im gonna do I just tried to start the comp back up and now the screen in going out. So im gonna give it back to her and let her know it would be cheaper to buy a new one than to try and repair it. Thanks for all your help

[Agent_Steal]

Just curios when you boot the laptop computer up do you get any errors about the registry ???

Could it be that the registry is corrupt ??? Just a wild guess ....

[Und3ertak3r]

hmmm..

Could be either a corrupted System.ini or Config.sys

most likely Config.sys had a number of ME machines with one of these.. normaly caused by a badly installed parasite.. have had a few that seemed to have been over written by a GIF file.. so check these out.. msconfig should give you the clue.. but you will need to be in command promt/DOS mode to restore the original system files.. (always had the original there..)

outside that you could have a hardware issue.. .. a check of the hdd useing some of the other tools like Hiren's or UBCD or ERCD (these also have AV scan tools that can work)


see how you go..

[XTC46]

just out of curiosity...how the hell did they solder a plastic IDE cable to a metal hard drive?

[nihil]

Hmmm,

I run Windows ME on several machines. I would suggest that in safe mode it does not load the drivers for the CD or USB devices.

You neeed to check the BIOS to see that the boot sequence is Floppy-CD-HDD (assuming that there is a floppy)

Also, get a serial mouse it has a default driver that will load in safe mode.

If you can get into safe mode then run scandisk with auto correct on and do a full surface scan. Tell it to produce a log so you can see if there is any disk damage.

Then try to run defrag..........if that comes up with an error then I would say that the HDD is on the way out. It very much sounds as if that is the case anyway.

If you set the BIOS to boot from the CD then you should at least see the CD ready light flicker. If it does not then the drive is probably shot.

Good luck!

[rcgreen]

It' always frustrating when you have more than one problem.
If the cdrom drive worked, you'd have a place to start.

If the owner will spring for a new drive, then you can begin
to attack the OS problem. Short of that, it's a nightmare.
If you had unlimited time you could work around the non functional
cd, but who has unlimited time?