WINDOWS ME - NO Safe Boot option

[rmccallon2]

My son-in-law's Dell pc will not start Windows ME - I get 'WINDOWS could not upgrade the file %1 from %2 %1: %2' continously. I had just installed software that comes with the FUGI FinePix camera and a USB cable. Several pieces of software were also installed (QuickTime, etc. Can't remember them all).
I would like th start the PC in Safe mode and go from there. I have tried holding down PF8 and PF5 but it did now work. I would really appreicate some help on this as I feel somewhat guilty. I am at home and cannot check but I am certain they have NO EMERGENCY BOOT DISK, or even know what it is.
Thanks in advance

Sometimes we just don't know what we don't know

 

[wolluf]

Try the Ctrl key to get into boot menu for safe mode.

You can get an ME boot floppy from

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

 

[rmccallon2]

Many Thanks - luckily I did not need it. Today, Windows ME came up as normal (after I had downloaded a Boot Disk, etc.). It did not do that yesterday. I told my daughter to just let it run until she went to bed and that was all. Apparently it healed itself and the software that I installed worked fine today. Another of life's mysteries, of which there are many when it comes to software.
THANKS AGAIN !

Sometimes we just don't know what we don't know

 

[TyMeissner]

I hope your satisfaction with Win ME's "self healing" properties is NOT short lived.

The obvious downside of an OS that "repairs itself" without user involvement is that same capability can BREAK your system without your involvement. In fact, its this "feature" (among others) that makes Windows ME so infamously unstable.
Since upgrading to Win Me 3 years ago, I've had to re-format my C:\ (OS only) drive and do a complete reinstall almost 2 dozen times. I've NEVER had to do that back when I ran 16 bit versions (WIn3.1) of Windows.

I'm hoping that Win XP Pro will eliminate these shameful vulnerabilities.

Windows setup TIP:

When 1st setting up your computer, partition your hard drive so you have SEPARATE PARTITIONS for:

1 operating system ONLY
2 applications programs
3 data / documents
4 swap file

If you want to be able to access HD contents from DOS you have to limit maximun partition size to 2 Gb.
Protecting your precious data in this manner will save you very much grief. And last, but not least: BACKUP YOUR SYSTEM. I use an idendical HD to "mirror" my primary HD as well as backing up each partition to CDs.


Ty meissner - Microsoft hater.