Windows ME will not continue past the Windows logo screen 1

[LizzyK]

I may have multiple problems here, and am not sure which is the culprit. To make matters worse it is my bosses computer!
Her computer was having issues with Nortan AntiVirus Definitions not downloading. I was directed by the Norton site to uninstall the LiveUpdate files, and then reinstall them. After uninstalling them the coputer said to reboot, which I tried to do. After rebooting, I got as far as the desktop (with icons, start menu and taskbar all in place) but noticed that the hard drive was still spinning. After a minute or two, the computer froze solid, not responding to Ctl+Alt+Del or anything else. I shut if off and then tried to start it again. There is a flicker of a messege that is unreadable then the POST and then the Windows Me screen. Then it goes to a picture (which I assume she had put in for a desktop or something at some point) and the disk spins for a moment and you get the icon that the computer is busy. After a moment the icon turns off and the computer completely freezes there. This happens every time, no matter what mode I try to run it in.

 

[mattjurado]

So you can't even boot to safe mode?

Have you tried the pause/break key on your keyboard to stop the computer at that error that "flashes" by? If you do it too quickly, hit the enter key to continue booting and then hit pause again.

When playing with Norton, OS problems are always a possibility, but the constant disk activity is a bit unusual. I would guess virus/spyware, but the new message when POST is happening might be a hardware problem.

Try this, open the case, disconnect all data and power cables from all components, then reconnect them. For the time being, you might leave the floppy and cd-rom disconnected. Reseat any and all PCI/VGA adapter cards. Try booting now.

If that doesn't help, you might pull the hard drive out, slave it off a different machine. If the drive is readable, first salvage any documents, data, e-mail files first. Now run virus/spyware scans on it, and run scandisk on it. See what you get. If you have a lot of bad sectors, or clicking, or disk errors in the system log of event viewer (I'm assuming the PC you would slave it off of is 2000 or XP, but it doesn't have to be), then you probably want to ghost the hard drive.

Matt J.

Please always take the time to backup any and all data before performing any actions suggested for ANY problem, regardless of how minor a change it might seem. Also test the backup to make sure it is intact.

 

[LizzyK]

Hi, thanks for answering so quickly.
I was able to read the message and it said "Dell's Disk Monitoring System has detected that drive 0 on the primary EIDE controller is operating outside of Normal Specifications, it is advisable to immediately back up your data and replace your hard disk drive by calling yur support desk or Dell Computer Corp."
I spoke with her assistant and apparently the computer has been acting up lately and this message has been appearing before I ever touched it (wish I had known that one!) She apparently had seen it flash by but had also not been able to read it.
I will go ahead and try disconnecting the cables and let you know how it works out.
LizzyK
I have never slaved a hard disk off another machine, may need some tips on that one!
Thanks again

 

[mattjurado]

Yeah it sounds like the drive is bad. Basically, when you place it into another computer, look at the hard drive that is in there already. Set it to Master if it isn't already (there is a jumper you can set to Master, Slave, or Cable select). Set the jumper on your failing drive to Slave. Make sure the two hard drives are connected on the same cable (you may have to disconnect your cd drive if they are on the same cable). Alternatively, if there are two ide data cables, make sure you don't touch the one that your exsiting drive is on, and take the second one and plug it into your drive that is failing (again, disconnect your cd drive or any other device that may be on that cable).

Matt J.

Please always take the time to backup any and all data before performing any actions suggested for ANY problem, regardless of how minor a change it might seem. Also test the backup to make sure it is intact.

 

[LizzyK]

Again thanks. Yes, the computer I will slave it to is will most likely be a XP operating system. Forgive my ignorance on the subject but when slaving the hard drive, how is it accessed in the computer with the XP OS? Are you given an option of which drive to load the OS from when you first start up? Also, it there is a virus on the bad drive, can it affect my master computer. Lastly, if by some chance I can access the files on the bad drive, how do I back them up to the other drive?
LizzyK

 

[mattjurado]

No, if its set to slave on the primary hard drive channel, or it its on the secondary, Windows should boot as normal off of the existing drive. Windows will detect it, associate a disk driver for it, and may prompt you to reboot. When its done, if you go to My Computer, you'll see a new drive letter. As for how to back them up, you simply copy and paste them off of the failing drive to the good one.

Matt J.

Please always take the time to backup any and all data before performing any actions suggested for ANY problem, regardless of how minor a change it might seem. Also test the backup to make sure it is intact.

 

[LizzyK]

Thank you so much for the info. I put in a new drive and upgraded some other things while I was at it. I was able to access her files by slaving the drive and save what she needed (thank goodness!). She would like to get her contact list off of outlook and a few old e-mails if possible. I got all of the other files she needed, but I couldn't find those. Any suggestions?

 

[mattjurado]

If its outlook, all data should be in her .pst file. Search for *.pst, and then in Outlook, import that file.

If its outlook express, search for *.wab.

Matt J.

Please always take the time to backup any and all data before performing any actions suggested for ANY problem, regardless of how minor a change it might seem. Also test the backup to make sure it is intact.

 

[LizzyK]

Once again, thanks! It worked perfectly.