Windows ME desktop problems

[oswaldtherabbit]

So mostly I browse through Netscape, but there are a few sites I frequent that work better on IE. Lately IE has been crashing alot, and yesterday it would not open at all without giving some error in some random .dll file and closing, rendering it useless.

So I tried using the Add/Remove Programs utility to fix it, no good. I scanned for Viruses TWICE, no good. I downloaded IE and all its patches again, no good. Finally I figured that I would erase IE and start from scatch.

NO GOOD.

I used the Add/Remove Programs utility to delete Internet Explorer from my computer. The computer restarted. NO desktop came up. I got a mouse, my wallpaper, and NOTHING else. ***?!?! I would imagine that WINDOWS Explorer got trashed as well.

Luckily we have one of those dorky HP computers with all the extra buttons at the top of the keyboard for opening the most plebian programs, some photo filer being one of them. From there we sussed out where the dos prompt was, got into an .ini file that let us change the program priority from Explorer to Program Manager. So now to run any program we have to find its .exe file.

So at least now we can use the computer, but it a major drag not having the desktop and Explorer. We can now back up all our **** onto cds and reinstall Windows, but restoring EVERYTHING is going to be a major drag.

My question is: Does anyone know an easy way out of this mess? Some restoritive option that will NOT result in losing everthing off our hard drive?

[catfishjoe_1]

Easy? Can you boot to safe mode? Can you access system restore? If you can that would be the easiest way to get back some functionality to your pc. You might have to go back aways to get a good restore point.
cat

[GaryRouth]

Catfishjoe_1's suggestion should leave your personal data, & most programs installed before that restore point, intact. System Restore mainly restores system files. Any programs installed since the restore point will probably need to be reinstalled. There's a pretty good Help file on System Restore available from your Windows Help menu.

To enter Safe Mode, if you haven't tried it before, try pressing the F8 key while the computer 1st starts (before you see the Windows ME splash screen]. If that doesn't get you to Safe Mode, you can try holding down the CTRL or Shift keys while starting up. All three methods should work.

If for any reason you've disabled System Restore, post again & let us know - we'll have to try something else.

Best of luck
. . . Gary