Oh what a loser I am!

[chickenseed]

I've only registered on this site in hope that SOMEONE, ANYONE can help me.

I was trying to 'system restore' on a friends computer (obviously not knowing what I was doing!!) once finished it asked me to restart the computer, I did so, however, since shutting down that time it has not worked since. The only message which i can get appear is:

INVALID BOOT.INI FILE
BOOTING FROM C:\WINNT\
NTDETECT

It is an intel pentium 4 and has microsoft millenium edition (not sure if that is of any help!!)

Any help is REALLY appreciated!!

[Restek]

Are you sure this is winME & not winXP or 2000? NTDetect & boot.ini are used by these OS's, not winME.

[chickenseed]

ME stands for millenium edition right? When I (used to) click on start that's what it says down the left hand side........

[Geekgirl]

The BOOT.INI file is used by XP on startup to provide a boot menu – if needed – to select the various OSes that might be installed on your PC.
Fixing it is reasonably simple, but it involves using the Recovery Console and inserting your Windows XP CD.


Are you sure you used the Recovery CD that came with his computer? All these
INVALID BOOT.INI FILE
BOOTING FROM C:\WINNT\
NTDETECT
refer to either 2000 or XP

[PCguy]

If you are 100% positive it is ME, go to www.bootdisk.com and download an ME bootdisk. Next, boot from the floppy you create, saying to go to DOS mode only. Type in this without the quotes "sys.exe a: c:" and reboot.

[chickenseed]

Hmmm Recovery CD? I haven't used any disks or anything, is that what i need to find?

ARGH i'm so confused!!

It's defintitely Millenium Edition.

Sorry for being so thick!

[chickenseed]

Thanks for everyone's expertise!

Can you post the link to which one I need to click on Bootdisk.com??

anyone know what i'm meant to do when I have it?

[chickenseed]

sorry didnt' read above post earlier.

Ok, so i take the disk which I has whatever I downloaded from bootdisk.com
put it in the floppy drive
turn it on
slect DOS mode only
type sys.exe a: c:
then turn it off and then back on???

[PCguy]

Yep. Thats it.

[o0obrian0o0]

ps .... the reason you signed up here is because we kick a$$

[chickenseed]

Me again!!!

Yes, you guys do kick serious ass!!! Thanks

Which file should I download on Bootdisk.com? (Hopefully that will be my last annoying question!)

[teststrips]

I do need to caution you... NTdetect, boot.ini, and C:\winnt all point to windows NT, windows 2000, or windows XP. Those files simply should not exist on a windows ME install. If they had upgraded to one of the above operating systems, these directions simply won't work.

first I want to start at the baisics.
- do you have any floppys or CD's in the drives at all. If you had an unbootable Floppy in the drive or a bad boot CD, it could cause a problem like this.

is a link from bootdisk.com for the WindowsME custom boot disk. You should simply be able to download, then run this program from any Computer.. and it will tell you to put in a floppy, and create the disk.

Then take the disk, put in in your friend's computer boot to it, and when you get a command prompt (ie A:\>)

Type Sys A: C:

Wait till it's done, take out the boot disk from the floppy drive, and re-boot.

[chickenseed]

How can I find out which one it is?

[Geekgirl]

Click this link teststrips provided for you

http://www.infotechcommunity.com/bootdisks/bootmec.exe

[chickenseed]

Morning guys!

Fabulous news!!
the recovery disk has been found!!!!!!!! WOOOHOOO I assume this means I don't have to go to boot disk.com now and make my own?

It's a little red floppy disk