----------------------------------------- Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition Help for Emergency Startup Disk ----------------------------------------- (c) Copyright Microsoft Corporation, 2000 This document provides complementary or late-breaking information to supplement the Windows Millennium Edition (Windows ME) documentation. To close this Help file, press ALT-F-X. -------- CONTENTS -------- SUMMARY If Windows ME Starts Only in Safe Mode TYPES OF WINDOWS ME INSTALLATION MEDIA AND METHODS Windows Millennium Edition (Retail Version) Windows Millennium Edition (Upgrade Version) How Windows ME Upgrade Setup Searches for Previous Versions Clean Installations OEM Versions of Windows ME IF WINDOWS ME DOES NOT START IN SAFE MODE Using ScanDisk to check your hard disk Using Windows Registry Checker IF SETUP STOPS AND WINDOWS ME WILL NOT START IN SAFE MODE A Note on Anti-Virus Software Setup Stops Responding During Hardware Detection UNINSTALLING WINDOWS ME INSTALLING WINDOWS ME WITH WINDOWS NT OR WINDOWS 2000 INSTALLING WINDOWS ME ON A NEW HARD DISK ======= SUMMARY ======= If you have problems setting up or starting Windows ME, try starting your computer in Safe Mode before trying the steps outlined in this document. If you can start in Safe Mode, see the Windows Millennium Edition Safe Mode Troubleshooter on the Safe Mode warning page. In Safe Mode, you can use Windows Troubleshooting tools, such as System Restore, which are not available from this Startup disk. To start Windows in Safe Mode: 1. Remove the Startup disk, and then restart your computer. 2. As soon as the computer restarts, press and hold down the CTRL key until the Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition Startup Menu appears. 3. On the Startup menu, choose Safe Mode (option 3). 4. Follow the steps in the Safe Mode Troubleshooter. If Windows ME Starts Only in Safe Mode -------------------------------------- If you have followed the steps outlined in the Safe Mode Troubleshooter and are still unable to start Windows normally, do the following: 1. Close this Help file. 2. At the command prompt, type: scanreg /restore and then press ENTER. 3. Select the most recent backup date, and then choose Restore. If you try these steps and still cannot start normally: 1. Restart your computer by using the Windows ME Startup disk, select option 1 on the Startup menu, and then press ENTER. 2. Close the Help file. 3. Try to reinstall Windows ME by following the instructions on your screen. ********** IMPORTANT: If you have installed software that came with your hard disk, be sure to read the documentation that describes how to start your computer by using a floppy disk. ********** ================================================== TYPES OF WINDOWS ME INSTALLATION MEDIA AND METHODS ================================================== The following section describes the versions of Windows ME and their installation requirements. Windows Millennium Edition (Retail Version) ------------------------------------------- This does not require a prior version of Microsoft Windows. Windows Millennium Edition (Upgrade Version) -------------------------------------------- Setup requires an existing copy of Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows 98. How Windows ME Upgrade Setup Searches for Previous Versions ----------------------------------------------------------- Setup searches your computer to find a qualifying product to upgrade. If Setup is unable to find a previous version of Windows on your computer, Setup prompts you to insert the previous version's media to confirm your eligibility for the upgrade. This media can be a CD-ROM, floppy disks, or a folder on the hard disk that contains setup files. If you supply floppy disks, Setup may prompt you for multiple disks. Clean Installations ------------------- You can use the Windows ME Upgrade to install Windows ME on a computer that does not have a prior version of Windows installed, such as after formatting your hard disk. This is commonly called a "clean install." Because the compliance check process is unable to find evidence of a prior version, Setup prompts you to insert your previous version media to confirm your eligibility for the upgrade. This media can be a CD-ROM, floppy disks, or a folder on the hard disk that contains setup files. If you supply floppy disks, Setup may prompt you for multiple disks. For more information about how to install Windows ME on a computer that has no previous operating system, see "How To Install Windows Millennium Edition Onto a New Hard Disk" referenced at the end of this document. OEM versions of Windows ME -------------------------- An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) version of Windows ME is a special release product made available for computer Manufacturers. OEMs can customize these versions of Windows ME specifically for their hardware and software. The Setup procedures and requirements outlined in this document may be different if you have an OEM version of Windows ME. For more information, read the documentation that came with your computer or contact your computer manufacturer. ========================================= IF WINDOWS ME DOES NOT START IN SAFE MODE ========================================= Any of the following conditions can cause Windows ME not to start in Safe Mode: - Your computer is infected with a virus. Run up-to-date anti- virus software to check for a virus and clean your computer if necessary. - Your computer's CMOS settings are not correct. Check your computer's CMOS settings to make sure they are correct. Note that you may need to contact the computer manufacturer to verify these settings. - There is a hardware failure. Note that you may need to contact the computer manufacturer for more information about your hardware. - There is an error on your computer's hard disk. See "Using ScanDisk to check your hard disk." - There is an error in the Windows registry. See "Using the Windows Registry Checker." Using ScanDisk to Check Your Hard Disk -------------------------------------- If you suspect there may be file corruption or other problems with your hard disk(s), run ScanDisk to check for and repair errors. To check all your hard disks for errors: 1. At the command prompt, type: scandisk /all 2. Press ENTER. To perform a full surface scan of your hard disk(s) for maximum protection against data loss: 1. At the command prompt, type: scandisk /all /surface 2. Press ENTER. Using Windows Registry Checker ------------------------------ If you are still unable to start Windows ME in Safe Mode, run the Windows Registry Checker (Scanreg.exe) tool, as there may be a problem with the system registry. To start the Windows Registry Checker: 1. At the command prompt, type: scanreg /restore 2. Press ENTER. Scanreg may not be available if Windows ME has not been successfully installed on your computer. ========================================================= IF SETUP STOPS AND WINDOWS ME WILL NOT START IN SAFE MODE ========================================================= The following section explains what you can do to recover from a failed Windows Setup. For more information about other Setup problems, see the Setup.txt file in the Win9X folder of your Windows ME CD. If you encounter any of these error messages while running Setup: - Invalid system disk - Incorrect MS-DOS version - Missing or corrupted Command.com it is likely that your computer's startup drive needs updated system files. Certain CMOS settings or anti-virus software can prevent Windows Setup from installing the correct system files on your computer. To replace your system files: 1. Restart your computer by using the Windows ME Startup Disk, selecting option 1 on the Startup menu, and then pressing ENTER. 2. Close the Help file. 3. Follow the instructions on the screen to run Setup. 4. Choose "Use Safe Recovery" if prompted. A Note on Anti-Virus Software ----------------------------- If anti-virus programs are left running during Setup, they might prevent Setup from properly updating the system files. ********** IMPORTANT: You might receive a warning message after the first restart during Setup, informing you that the Master Boot Record or other files have changed. If you see such a message, you MUST accept these changes or Setup may fail to update critical files that Windows ME uses to start your computer. ********** Setup Stops Responding During Hardware Detection ------------------------------------------------ If Setup stops responding while it is detecting the hardware in your computer, turn your computer off and wait a few seconds, and then turn it back on. You may need to do this several times. Choose Use "Safe Recovery" when Setup restarts. Setup could stop responding during several different detection modules and will skip areas it fails to complete successfully. ********** IMPORTANT: Use the power switch to turn your computer completely off. Do not use the reset button or press CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart your computer. ********** If Setup still fails to complete successfully, it may be necessary to start your computer in Safe Mode so that you can view the Help topics associated with hardware detection. ======================= UNINSTALLING WINDOWS ME ======================= If the above steps do not work, you can try to uninstall Windows ME and return to your previous version of Windows. To uninstall Windows ME, you must have chosen to save uninstall information during Windows ME Setup. The uninstall information is saved in the Winundo.dat and Winundo.ini files. If these files are deleted, you cannot uninstall Windows ME. ********** IMPORTANT: You should not attempt to Uninstall Windows ME if the partition information for your hard disk or disks has changed since you last installed Windows ME successfully. Windows ME creates a backup copy of your partition information in the Suhdlog.dat file at the end of a successful installation, and Uninstal.exe restores the partition information listed in the Suhdlog.dat file to your hard disk during Uninstall. If the partition information on your hard disk or disks has changed since you last installed successfully (specifically, since the Suhdlog.dat file was created), then you might experience partial or complete data loss as a result of attempting to Uninstall Windows ME. ********** To uninstall Windows ME: 1. Restart your computer using the Windows ME Startup Disk, selecting option 1 on the Startup menu, and then pressing ENTER. 2. Close the Help file. 3. At the command prompt, type each of the following lines, pressing ENTER after each line. smartdrv : cd\\command uninstal.exe NOTE: is the drive letter of the drive containing the Windows folder (the default is C). is the name of the Windows folder (the default is "Windows"). 4. Type Y when you are prompted to continue. This process can take several minutes. NOTE: SmartDrive (Smartdrv.exe) is not required to run Uninstal.exe, but it can significantly speed up the process. ===================================================== INSTALLING WINDOWS ME WITH WINDOWS NT OR WINDOWS 2000 ===================================================== You cannot install Windows ME over any version of Windows 2000 or Windows NT, but they can exist together on a single system. However, for compatibility reasons, it is recommended that you install each to a separate hard disk or partition. If Windows NT is already installed, Windows ME Setup will add itself to the Windows NT boot menu to allow you to multi-boot between Windows ME and Windows NT. ======================================== INSTALLING WINDOWS ME ON A NEW HARD DISK ======================================== See the document "Installing Windows Millennium Edition to a New Hard Disk," located at :\Win9x\Cleanhd.Txt. You might also find the Setup readme useful. It is located at :\Win9X\Setup.txt.