Critical file list for ME

[algraff]

I asked a beginning student to cleanup the hard drive on an ME system...and didn't stand over him while he was doing it. In the process he got an error message about a file which he does not recall the name of. To get rid of the error message he just deleted that file. [big sigh] And of course it had to be some sort of critical system file, the OS won't run now. Add to this that we don't have the original ME install CD or any other ME systems on hand.
To make a long story short, can anybody point me to a list of critical files that ME requires to run...and where I might find them?

 

[SkipCox]

With a little luck...you can do an over the top install.

Boot with a 98 or Me boot disk and look for C:\Windows\Options\Cabs and if you're lucky enough to have the cab files copied onto your hard drive just start setup (type the command: setup). When Windows asks if you want to use the directory C:\Windows.000, instead choose "Other" and type in C:\Windows; the original directory with no .000. You may or may not need your CD-key handy...just in case though.

If you've lost your CD-key and before you start the reinstall look for it by starting regedit from the Start/Run box, then navigate to the key HKEY_Local_Machine/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion... if you click on "Current Version", you should see a list of keys and values in the box displaying on your right. One of these will read "ProductKey" and will consist of 5 sets of 5 alphanumeric characters...your CD key.

If this works for you, any missing files you need to run Me will be reinstalled and no data will be deleted from the hdd. Some installed applications will need to be reinstalled.

Good luck, been a couple of years since I did an "over the top" with Me.

Skip

http://skipcox.net

 

[algraff]

No such luck. The system belongs to someone whom I doubt has the install CD. I think she said she was given the system by somebody else. The cab files seem to all be there but the setup/install program isn't. There is an OEMSETUP program, but it just asks you to insert the CD. Trying to extract any individual files from the cabs just locks it up and leaves a zero byte file. I also tried SCANREG /RESTORE in desperation but didn't get anywhere with that either.

I'm going to try using the extract program from another version of Windows on Monday and have left a message the owner's answering machine asking her to bring in the CD if she does have it [not holding my breath on that one]. I asked the student who deleted the file what the name of it was, but all he could remember was that "it began with the letters CMD."

As it stands at the moment, the OS halts and gives an error message saying it's unable to load explorer.exe and to reinstall Windows with no reference or debugging numbers. I thought that if I could find a list of critical files Windows ME needs to run I could compare it to what's there...if I'm ever able to extract them from the cabs that is.

It's getting to be one of those Murphy's Law situtations.

 

[BeenThereDoneThat]

algraff:

The deleted file should still be in the recycle bin. It is a bit difficult, however "....This page shows you how to restore deleted files from C:\Recycled (that's the Recycle Bin) working in true MS-DOS from a Windows 9x boot disk..."

http://thpc.info/safe/deleted.html

Win ME is one of the 9x systems.


Chuck

 

[wolluf]

List of files in C:\windows\options\install (not cabs) folder for ME installation I've got in virtual machine:-

BASE2 CAB 2,239,963 08/06/00 17:00 BASE2.CAB
CATALOG CAB 2,033,798 08/06/00 17:00 CATALOG.CAB
CLEANHD TXT 13,809 08/06/00 17:00 CLEANHD.TXT
CRYPT32 DLL 468,752 12/09/02 15:51 CRYPT32.DLL
CRYPTDLG DLL 90,384 25/09/02 12:36 CRYPTDLG.DLL
DELTEMP COM 496 08/06/00 17:00 DELTEMP.COM
DOSSETUP BIN 85,404 08/06/00 17:00 DOSSETUP.BIN
DRIVER5 CAB 6,123,008 08/06/00 17:00 DRIVER5.CAB
DRIVER6 CAB 8,192,000 08/06/00 17:00 DRIVER6.CAB
DRIVER7 CAB 1,928,446 08/06/00 17:00 DRIVER7.CAB
DUNZIP32 DLL 98,064 18/06/02 16:33 DUNZIP32.DLL
DZIP32 DLL 130,320 18/06/02 16:33 DZIP32.DLL
EXTRACT EXE 53,767 08/06/00 17:00 EXTRACT.EXE
HELPCTR EXE 499,984 08/01/03 9:24 HELPCTR.EXE
HH EXE 10,752 10/06/02 12:56 HH.EXE
HHCTRL OCX 516,192 16/12/02 13:10 HHCTRL.OCX
HHCTRLUI DLL 88,064 20/05/02 11:09 HHCTRLUI.DLL
HHSETUP DLL 37,888 10/06/02 12:56 HHSETUP.DLL
HTML32 CNV 311,864 26/06/03 22:19 HTML32.CNV
INTL TXT 6,965 08/06/00 17:00 INTL.TXT
ITIRCL DLL 143,872 10/06/02 12:56 ITIRCL.DLL
ITSS DLL 122,368 10/06/02 12:56 ITSS.DLL
MINI CAB 686,680 08/06/00 17:00 MINI.CAB
MSCONV97 DLL 116,288 26/06/03 22:19 MSCONV97.DLL
NET3 CAB 1,190,400 08/06/00 17:00 NET3.CAB
NET4 CAB 2,068,753 08/06/00 17:00 NET4.CAB
PRECOPY1 CAB 2,696,606 08/06/00 17:00 PRECOPY1.CAB
SAVE32 COM 920 08/06/00 17:00 SAVE32.COM
SCANDISK EXE 245,324 08/06/00 17:00 SCANDISK.EXE
SCANDISK PIF 2,857 08/06/00 17:00 SCANDISK.PIF
SCANPROG EXE 4,630 08/06/00 17:00 SCANPROG.EXE
SCANREG EXE 172,494 08/06/00 17:00 SCANREG.EXE
SETUP EXE 5,712 08/06/00 17:00 SETUP.EXE
SETUP TXT 37,455 08/06/00 17:00 SETUP.TXT
SETUP0 WAV 439,824 08/06/00 17:00 SETUP0.WAV
SMARTDRV EXE 45,379 08/06/00 17:00 SMARTDRV.EXE
SMGR DLL 225,552 23/02/01 13:45 SMGR.DLL
SUBACK BIN 244,918 08/06/00 17:00 SUBACK.BIN
SUBACK16 BIN 122,998 08/06/00 17:00 SUBACK16.BIN
SUHELPER BIN 1,488 08/06/00 17:00 SUHELPER.BIN
VSERVER VXD 112,896 25/09/00 18:34 VSERVER.VXD
W9XSETUP BIN 187,520 08/06/00 17:00 W9XSETUP.BIN
WB16OFF EXE 537 08/06/00 17:00 WB16OFF.EXE
WIN1024 BIN 18,720 08/06/00 17:00 WIN1024.BIN
WIN640 BIN 7,788 08/06/00 17:00 WIN640.BIN
WIN800 BIN 11,664 08/06/00 17:00 WIN800.BIN
WINME WMV 11,624,034 08/06/00 17:00 WINME.WMV
WIN_10 CAB 8,192,000 08/06/00 17:00 WIN_10.CAB
WIN_11 CAB 8,192,000 08/06/00 17:00 WIN_11.CAB
WIN_12 CAB 8,192,000 08/06/00 17:00 WIN_12.CAB
WIN_13 CAB 8,192,000 08/06/00 17:00 WIN_13.CAB
WIN_14 CAB 8,192,000 08/06/00 17:00 WIN_14.CAB
WIN_15 CAB 8,192,000 08/06/00 17:00 WIN_15.CAB
WIN_16 CAB 8,192,000 08/06/00 17:00 WIN_16.CAB
WIN_17 CAB 8,192,000 08/06/00 17:00 WIN_17.CAB
WIN_18 CAB 8,192,000 08/06/00 17:00 WIN_18.CAB
WIN_19 CAB 8,192,000 08/06/00 17:00 WIN_19.CAB
WIN_20 CAB 8,192,000 08/06/00 17:00 WIN_20.CAB
WIN_21 CAB 8,192,000 08/06/00 17:00 WIN_21.CAB
WIN_22 CAB 6,166,571 08/06/00 17:00 WIN_22.CAB
WIN_8 CAB 6,263,296 08/06/00 17:00 WIN_8.CAB
WIN_9 CAB 8,192,000 08/06/00 17:00 WIN_9.CAB
WIN_OL CAB 1,049,932 08/06/00 17:00 WIN_OL.CAB
XENROLL DLL 172,664 09/07/02 8:45 XENROLL.DLL
XMSMMGR EXE 14,144 08/06/00 17:00 XMSMMGR.EXE
ZIPFLDR DLL 193,296 10/09/02 16:13 ZIPFLDR.DLL

Is yours anything like? Mine obviously has setup.exe - could email you this if it would help (though you'll obviously need key - and if you can't actually run the o/s you'd need another method to extract it from the registry files (should be in system.dat somewhere) - like loading that into regedit on another machine.

 

[algraff]

BeenThereDoneThat, wolluf:
Thanks for the replies folks, it looks like between your two comments there might be some hope in resurrecting the system after all.

I won't be able to work on it again until Monday, but I'll dig into it then and let y'all know how it goes.

 

[BeenThereDoneThat]

algraff:

Before you do anything - go to this page:

http://ftp.tpnet.pl/vol/d4/windows/ftp.winsite.com/win95/sysutil/

Scroll down to diag.exe and download it. Copy it to the boot floppy you will be using and when you boot up ... at the A:\ prompt type in Diag and press enter. This will give you some info, including the 25 digit product key that you may need later.

Chuck

 

[algraff]

Final resolution:
Owner of the system decided she wanted to upgrade to XP anyway...problem solved. Just finished doing the installation. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions anyway.