In Windows ME I deleted all my start up items during a diagnostic
start up. Although windows starts in safe mode I am unable to access
any files because of countless error messages and shut down. I have a
start up floppy but can't get to My Computer to access a: I also have
Win ME CD.

Dear Grannyvick:

Thanks for your question. Firstly, let me wish you luck in getting
your computer fixed.

You have a few different options. The best option is to reinstall
Windows. If you put the Windows ME CD into the CDROM drive, the
installation should start right up. Follow the prompts to reinstall
your system. If your system wasn't too badly damaged, all of your
applications and data will remain intact. Reinstalling Windows ME
sounds scary, but it's a very simple process. Windowsreinstall.com has
a graphical step-by-step guide to reinstalling Windows ME. You can
find this here:

[ http://www.windowsreinstall.com/install/winme/installme/index.htm ]

Another option would be to try to fix the problem as it is. You would
either need to do that yourself, or find a computer technician in your
area.

Good luck. If there's something I missed, please request a
clarification, and I'll be glad to help out.

--Sam Kennedy

Search Strategy: "windows me reinstall" on google search.

This was absolutely NO help at all. I've always known I could
reinstall ME! The 2nd & 3rd comments were much better. The 3rd being
the successful one for me.

Hi Grannyvick!

You have my sincerest sympathies.  I hate it when I tinker and mess
things up - and I do it *all the time*!  And it's a pain that your
computer will only start in Safe Mode, because that renders your CDROM
drive about as useless as a cupholder on a bicycle.  Argh. But didn't
you say you had a Start Up floppy (boot disk)?  You're saved!

Do this:

Put your floppy into a:
Turn off your computer (with the disk still in there).
Wait about a minute, then turn your computer back on.  Unless you've
removed the a: drive from the boot sequence (in the BIOS), your system
will read your floppy and ask you if you want to start your computer
with CD-ROM support.  (If you *have* removed a: from the boot
sequence, let me know what you're running and I'll tell you how to
adjust it in the BIOS.  It's a snap!)

Select yes, then let it install the CD-ROM drivers, help file and
Virtual Drive.

Your CDROM drive will then be offset by one letter - if it's normally
D, it will now be E (and so on).

You'll then get a prompt that looks like this:

A:\

At that prompt, type in the offset letter of your CDROM drive, a
colon, and a backslash.  So if the offset letter is E, the line should
look like this:

A:\E:\

Hit Enter.  Now the prompt will look like this:

E:\

Put your WinME CD in your drive now.

At the prompt, type in "setup" (no quotes), so your line looks like
this:

E:\setup

Hit Enter.  Shazzam!  You're all set.  Windows ME virtually installs
itself, and all of your data ought to still be on your drive when it's
completely re-installed.

Good luck!

missy-ga <--re-installs ME regularly for her kids and herself

Hi grannyvick,

I hope you haven't performed any of the above suggestions yet.  If you
have, ignore this comment.

If your computer isn't running, turn it on.  Once you get Windows
running click on "Start" then "Shut Down" and select "Restart in
MS-DOS mode" and click on "OK".  Once your computer restarts, you
should have at a "C:\windows:" prompt on a totally black screen.  If
so, you can skip to step 2 below:

Step:
1. When you're at "C:\>" type the following: "cd windows" and hit
enter
2. When you're at "C:\windows> type the following "cd command" and hit
enter
3. When you're at "C:\windows\command> do the following:
Make sure there are no disks in the A:\ drive or CDs in the CD drive.
Enter the following command line at the "c:\windows\command>" prompt
and hit enter:

scanreg /restore

A "Restore" Window will open:
Select a previous days date and hit enter to restore system files from
that date.  The previous days date you select should be one that you
ran your computer on before this trouble started.

Restart your computer and you should be back to where you before you
wiped out the system files.

Hope this solves the problem for you without re-installing windows.
webbob