Hi,

I am new and struggling! I hope someone will be able to help. My computer is old and was running ME. It was a bit unreliable (eg. internet explorer would crash if you had multiple windows open and shut one) so I decided to upgrade to Windows XP Home. The upgrade started and then wouldn't continue.

When I turn on my machine now with no cd in the drive it starts to boot up but then asks me to select the system I want to use and XP setup is highlighted. I can not move the shaded area on to Windows ME so can't get back on to my old operating system.

When it continues to XP setup I have the option to continue or repair installation, if I choose continue it asks me to enter the disk but then doesn't do anything even when I'm pressing enter. If I choose to repair it takes me to the XP recovery console with a c:\> prompt and don't know what to do next.

If I start the pc with the ME recovery disk in it warns me that all files will be deleted and asks me to type y or n. When I type the y to continue it doesn't appear on screen and nothing happens. I've tried every letter on the keyboard and nothing appears on screen. I've tried two keyboards just in case it's the keyboard but the same thing happens with both.

Any advice would be massively appreciated.

I will speculate that XP loaded or overwrote the Boot Sector before failing to install.

The fact that it failed to install generally indicates a hardware failure or incompatability.

In order to try and recover ME use the XP Recovery Console.

From c:\> type BOOTCFG

Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console

BOOTCFG

Use this command for boot configuration and recovery. This command has the following options:

bootcfg /add
bootcfg /rebuild
bootcfg /scan
bootcfg /list
bootcfg /disableredirect
bootcfg /redirect [portbaudrate] | [useBiosSettings]
Examples:
bootcfg /redirect com1 115200
bootcfg /redirect useBiosSettings

You can use the following options:

/add : Adds a Windows installation to the boot menu list.
/rebuild : Iterates through all Windows installations so that you can specify which installations to add.
/scan : Scans all disks for Windows installations and displays the results so that you can specify which installations to add.
/default : Sets the default boot entry.
/list : Lists the entries already in the boot menu list.
/disableredirect : Disables redirection in the boot loader.
/redirect : Enables redirection in the boot loader, with the specified configuration.

Try /LIST first and verify that ME is still listed.

Then try /REBUILD and remove XP

Thanks so much for your reply jephree.
When I type /list it says there are currently no bootable entries to display. When I try /rebuild it searches then says -
Error: Failed to successfully scan disks for windows installations. This error may be caused by a corrupt file system, which would prevent Bootcfg from successfully scanning. Use chkdsk to detect any disk errors.
Note: This operation must complete successfully in order for the /add or /rebuild commands to be utilised.

When I then do chkdsk it says -
AUTOCHK.EXE could not be located in either the startup directory or the cdrom drive.
Type the full path <including drive letter> for the location of AUTOCHK.EXE

Is there anything else I can do or is it terminal for the old faithful pc?

Who is the computer manufacturer?

If the ME CD is a full Microsoft CD you should be able to wipe the drive then reinstall ME.

KillDisk will wipe your drive:

http://www.killdisk.com/

It's an Advent pc and recovery CD.

I have managed to get my sister's XP disk to work and complete the XP install so I think my XP disk must have been faulty. Will using my sister's disk upset microsoft?

I think that the now broken version of ME is still installed as when I start the pc up it still shows the bit where it asks me which operating system to use (Microsoft windows or Microsoft windows XP) but it doesn't let me move the cursor off XP. Is there a way that I can make sure that the old version is gone without the worry of having to install XP again? My virus scan takes forever now!

The legality of the XP depends on what 25 character key you used.

You can only use one per computer. In other words if you used your sister's key she would have to remove her version of XP. One key = one computer.

If you did not "activate" XP it will only work for 30 days and is technically illegal.

You can remove the ME entry by editing the BOOT.INI