scandisk stalls on win98se bootup

[shriddy]

Was using Juno when a large error message occur in a window stating that juno  program occured an error. When I clicked ok to shut  window, the internet connection stopped but windows 98se froze up.I couldn't shut it down so I just turned computer off.   On start up microsoft scandisk starts automaticly,when it reaches 50% complete a  windo appears with message[Scandisk detected an invalid long file name entry on this drive but was unable to fix it .To fix this problem,run scandisk for windows.
     I can't get past this message.I hit enter for ok to close windowbut  keyboard doesn"t respond. The window wont close.I tried hitting exit while scandisk was runing It won't respond either.
     I tried putting in a win98se bootdisk but it doesn't even read floppy on start up.It never did. before either.I think I should mention that if I left a floppy in by mistake on start up  before I never got a messge of an invalid startup disk.
      How can I get start up to not run scandisk ?I can,t get to command prompt. Is there something in bios that is not letting floppy disk not to be read on startup?
      Right now the computer is froze when scandisk message appears.Won,t load win98se
  Thanks

 

[alan1000]

You need to get into BIOS and select the option to boot from floppy first.  If you don't know how to do this, watch the screen carefully when you first switch on;  somewhere you will see an instruction to hit such-and-such a key (or key combination) to enter BIOS and change settings.  If you don't see any such message, google "how to enter BIOS".

Once you're in BIOS, select an option to "boot from floppy disc first", or words to that effect.

You should be able to boot from your Win98SE floppy now.  Once you've got a DOS prompt, run the command "ATTRIB C:\*.* -H -R" (without the quotes) and then run the command "DIR C:\".  This should reveal all the system files in the root directory of C.  If any of the system files has a filename longer than the 8.3 DOS standard (possibly as a result of virus activity), then assuming you can identify what the filenames are supposed to be, you can rename them manually and try rebooting (good luck).

Do the same for the Windows\System\ and Windows\System32\ directories.

If this doesn't work you may well have no alternative but a complete reformat and re-install.  Unless someone who really does know what he is talking about can give you a better answer before then.