Getting Systems.ini error in Windows (*

[noelin]

Im trying to fix my niece's computer.   It is an HP computer running windows 98.    When I start up the computer I get a "Cant findsystem.ini. Need to run windows setup again to install the file. Press any key to continue."   I hit any key and it shuts the computer off.  Im thinking her computer is DOA.  But I do have two questions.  IF I take her start up cds and reset up this  System.ini file, will that make things all better  The other question I have, doing this is it going to wipe out her hard drive when I do this? Im not sure if that is even going to help. Im thinking her computer is DOA like I said.  
Or should I not do anything and take it to a computer repair person to see if they can save the harddrive??

[dl65]

noelin...... Here's something I came across which may help you.

 Re: Cannot Find System.ini .......
  
If your system is not working, restore a copy of the  
registry and that will restore the system.ini file as well.  
Ways of restoring the W98 registry include:  
On the Start Menu, select Shut Down and Restart in MSDOS Mode.  At the  
Windows prompt, type:  scanreg /restore      and hit enter.  
Boot to the boot menu by holding down either the ctrl or F8 key after the  
ram count occurs on the boot screen.  Select Command Prompt Only and at the C: prompt, type:  scanreg /restore and hit enter.  
  
Boot with the W98 start up floppy disk--CDRom support doesn't matter.  At  
the A: prompt, type:  C:     and hit enter.  At the C: prompt, type:  CD  Windows\Command       and hit enter.  At the Command prompt ,type:scanreg /restore      and hit enter.  
  
Once the registry restore screen appears, select the date of the registry  
that you wish to restore by highlighting it and then click enter.  If you  
see a registry named:  Rbbad.cab, that is a copy of the registry that has  already been replaced.  


Good luck

dl65  

 

[Sogekihei]

I am not familiar with HP restore disks, but doing a restore will fix the problem.  The .ini file is what boots windows.  Some restore disks will let you do a repair, which will leave the data on your nieces machine intact, the only other option given your information that it fails to load windows (assuming the load disk option previously mentioned does not work) is to do a full restore, which of course wipes the hard drive clean.

In my experience taking it to a repair shop will just be a waste of money for a problem like this, unless you really need that data recovered, in which case find a data recovery service, not a compy repair.  They would just end up wiping the computer clean anyway, as it is the simplest solution.

My advice would be to pop in the restore disks and see what options it gives you, if it lets you do a 'Repair' then do that, if not then either buy a new hard drive to do the restore on / install new windows, or just do a complete reformat.

[GX1_Man]

Or save the data and THEN reformat. Here's one way:

http://www.computerhope.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?num=1152393515

Or you could have the hard drive slaved to another machine with a CDRW and burn the data to CD's.