When i turn on my computer I get a message saying that the computer could not load the system registry and to run scan reg/ fix because at the moment there it will use up too much memory or something.
after this windows appears to start in safe mode (the desktop background is a strange colour) and then i get a message saying that windows has detected new hardware, i have tried doing cancel and also letting windows try and find it but nothing works. I haven’t unplugged or plugged any hardware in, nor have I installed any recent software.
after all this the desktop backgorund just stays there and nothing loads up. therefore, how am i supposed to run the “system registry” from scan reg/ fix if the screen just stays blank?
Thanks all
EDIT: The system is Windows ME (millenium edition)
By the sounds of it, something has corrupted the Windows registry. This could be the result of a virus, or a misbehaving/incompatible driver
The registry is a vital part of the Windows operating system. If anything goes wrong you can run into serious problems as you are discovering.
Fixing the registry is normally pretty simple, however you will loose some Windows and application settings.
Follow these steps
1a) Boot your computer, and just before Windows starts to load press F8. Then select ‘safe mode command prompt’
or
1b)Download the Windows ME boot disk here. Insert a blank floppy disk and double click on the file. It will extract onto the floppy. Then boot your computer with the floppy inside.
At the command prompt A:> type ’ scanreg/ fix ’ or scanreg /f ’
You will have a new registry now and should be able to boot into ME
I’m not sure whether you need to be in Safe mode Command Prompt to carry out that command, but if you’re in normal Safe mode with start menu etc then try typing: scanreg /fix into the run dialog box in start>run.
Boot into Windows (if you can) and click Start > Run. Then type ’ scanreg /fix’.
If you can’t get to the start button, try the keyboard short cut ’ Windows key+R ’
or
Click start > shutdown and then select reboot in MS-DOS. I’m not if this is available in ME
i have managed to re-write the registry, however when i restart the computer it seems to detect new hardware (everything, hard drives, different ports) and they all install correctly, then it says that it needs to install the software/ driver for my monitor - i cannot detect software that works and no installation cd came with the monitor, at the moment the only thing that i can view is the display at 16colours, and when i open things like my computer nothing is displayed, i think this may be linked to the monitor problem as windows detects how many items/ objects are in there.
How did you restore the registy - What method did you use?
As for your monitor, although drivers do exist you don’t normally need them. You should be able to download the drivers from the manufacturer’s website. They will either come in an executable or zip file.
I suspect Windows has not detected your Video card correctly. Can you confirm that the video card is indeed recognised and installed?
If the drivers for your video card aren’t installed, then Windows will use a generic driver called VGA.
VGA works will all video cards, but only provides a maximum resolution of 640x480 @ 16 colours.
Tell me what video card you have installed, and I will fish around for the best driver for you.
cheers mate, i got a list of a load of drivers to install (except it was divided into the different sections of device manager) and i selected VGA so this must be why…
thanks for all your help, the video card is: NVIDA GeForce 2MX 32MB dedicated Video memory
