Millenium Won't Boot PLEASE HELP!!!

[atlien]

When I turn on my Dell Dimension 4100 it does a scandisk, then tells me that windows has detected hardware. If I continue in the hardware installation wizard, it asks me to select the drivers to install this unknown hardware. No drivers that I select get me anywhere. And honestly, I think this is a symptom of something much bigger. I haven't connected any new hardware. None. Oh, and plus it doesn't even say what hardware needs installing. It seems that the drivers are gone or something. I don't know. Anyhow, it takes me to a gray screen. No desktop, no icons, nothing.
Anyhow. If I control/alt/delete it shows that no programs are even running yet. None. But it doesn't go forward. The cursor is there and moves but there are no other options. Start menu won't come up. Nothing. Just this grey screen. Started it in safe mode and same thing except with the safe mode words in the corners.
At this point I would be willing to just load a new OS on the thing and move on. But I don't even seem to be able to do that. How can I just start over? If ANYONE has seen this or can just tell me how to get out of this and just start over, I have XP to load on the system. But how do I even get to that point?

Dazed and Confused in Atlanta
atlien

 

[wolluf]

atlien - its easy to install XP (wiping out current ME installation - ie, if you need to retireive documents/data etc, you need to do this first). Just boot from XP install CD. Choose new install, then use its partitioning tools to remove existing ME (fat32) partition & create new one (you could at this point just install into existing partition - would give you access to data etc - but leaves all ME stuff just 'there').

However - I suspect you have a hardware problem (may be just drivers - you give no history) - in which case this needs to be sorted first (could be any hardware item - my favourite to check first is RAM).

post back if you need more.

 

[atlien]

Thanks for the reply. I will check the RAM to see if that is causing any of the problems. But even if it isn't isn't booting, I can STILL simply insert the XP CD and begin an install? I didn't think that it would even do that if Me won't boot. And as of right now, there is no way to save any files or do any backing up. But that's not an issue for me anyhow. I will try installing XP. I'll let you know how that goes. Thanks again.

atlien

 

[onlymel]

Atlien. - first of all make sure your bios is set to boot from CD first and not boot from floppy. After that, all should be plain sailing. It was for me and I had same problem as you have.

Mel in the UK

 

[atlien]

Set bios to boot from CD but system doesn't seem to be recognizing...wait seems to be working now, Mel. Thanks for all the advice guys. This board and all of you posters, rock, as always.

Ingemar in Atlanta