Startup problem caused by software install

[CONFUSED AGAIN]

Newbie - Apologies if not posted to correct forum.

Have installed Sony sonicstage music software on to Sony Vaio notebook.
OS - WIN ME.

On rebooting the following message appears on the screen,
"please wait while setup updates your configuration files.
This may take a few minutes."

I have left the pc for hours, but nothing happens, so cannot get further with the startup.
The pc has just come back from having a replacement hd put in by Sony after hd failure.

Have tried starting with a ME floppy boot disk but end up with the same message.
I don't have a Win cd, only a sony recovery disk. Tried booting with this but again same message.

I presume the install must be corrupt. Any advice on how I can start the pc would be most welcome.

[ErnieK]

Hi there Confused and Welcome to the forums.

Have you tried booting into safe mode and uninstlling the software from there?

Do you know anyone in your area that has WinME? if so you could borrow thier disk.

What part of Scotland are you from? Anywhere near the Borders? if so I mightbe able to arrange the loan of a disk for you. PM me and let me know.

[CONFUSED AGAIN]

Hi ErnieK

Have tried safe mode with no success, just takes me to the same message, then stops. I would have expected the process to time out and stop.

Can get to Dos using ME boot disk, but don't know enough to get round problem.

Am getting a Win ME cd tomorrow to try and boot from. Don't know if it shall get win to startup so that I can try to uninstall the software.

If not suppose it means a format and reinstall. Just great!

[ErnieK]

In win98 you can rstore an old registry from the dos promt by doing the following, but I am not sure if this works in WinME

Go to C:\ (or what ever your boot drive is) and type scanreg /restore

There is a sapce between the scanreg and the /

If this works oyu should be given a choice of the past 5 boots (on different days) choose one and try. I recommend that you choose the date farthest from your problem starting.

[CONFUSED AGAIN]

Tried restoring the registry using scanreg from the boot disk but still no joy.

Have now tried booting from WinME CD which also has not helped.

Nothing seems to be able to stop the pc trying to complete the configuration update

Do not know what to do now, other than format and reinstall. Certainly not paying for Sony support.

[Sylvander]

If you don't have backups now, as soon as your back up and running again set up a backup system.

Here's some notes on the topic that I keep handy:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
RECOVER USING BACKUPS [by me]
The easy way to recover from all software [including configuration] problems [without even having to discover the cause], is:

1) As you proceed forward in time, make backups of everything on your C: drive.
Do this at regular intervals, particularly before making software changes [un/installing programs or changing configuration] and keep a log of all this.
2) When you hit trouble caused by a bad configuration change and no hardware or software changes have been made, [use "scanreg /restore" in Win98, or a restore point in WinXP, to] restore a previous good configuration.
3) When the trouble involves more than just the configuration, but involves the files [including the configuration perhaps] but no hardware has been changed [this is important because the software must match the hardware], then:
----------------------------------------------------------
Re-format the C: drive and restore your latest good backup.
----------------------------------------------------------
The software will "jump back" to the way it was when the PC worked.
If this doesn’t fix things, then it probably is not a software problem but a hardware problem

It helps if you keep the C: drive "lean & mean".
I move as much as possible off the C: drive [and keep it as small as possible].
The "Windows" & "Program Files" folders account for 95% of the used space on my C: drive.
All the data that changes day by day [or are considered vital] are re-homed on another physical drive [although another partition would do].
When I "jump back" I still have up to date:
a. My Documents. [Use “TweakUI” to move their home]
b. E-mails for all identities. [use the email client to move their home]
c. Internet Explorer Favourites. [Use “TweakUI” to move their home]
d. Temporary Internet Files. [use the browser (Internet Explorer) to move them]
e. Re-home the Windows Address Book as shown here http://tinyurl.com/24q6l . Use the key “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WAB\WAB4\Wab FileName” to specify its new address. [Its normal home address [in Win98] is C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book.]
f. Any other storage of data files you wouldn’t want to “jump back”.

You can, of course, back up your other partitions/drives separately [and probably much less frequently].
------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUOTE
The AVG Rescue Disk is a special diskette where the most important parts of your computer’s boot up data will be saved. In this backup diskette, the contents of the Partition Table, Boot sectors and some other internal data will be saved. These areas are often targets of computer virus attacks and their damage can (and mostly will) cause the malfunction of the whole operating system – your computer cannot be started.

Repairing such destruction can be very difficult job. But if you have a backup copy, restoring the damaged areas is easy and safe.

In addition to the backup copy of the system areas there is a special AVG-SOS program stored on the rescue disk to handle the saved data.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Sylvander]

Meanwhile, how about trying "Step-by-step Confirmation" in the startup menu to see if you can spot anything useful.

You might be able to prevent the step [don't hit enter at that command line] that's causing the problem.

[ErnieK]

Confused
follow this link. Dave has put up a few boot-up trouble shooting tips. Hopefully something here will help out.

http://computing.net/windowsme/wwwboard/forum/30687.html

Below is MS's tips for WinME trouble shooting
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=273738
This one will walk oyu through the troubleshooting process a step at a time. Print it out and keep beside you when oyu follow it.

[CONFUSED AGAIN]

Hi Guys

Have tried step by step confirmation without success and tried all D tips. copied Win on top of it's self. verything proceeded with no problems until restarting, when it ground to a halt, displaying original message, updating configuration files.

probably now get on to sony

cheers for all your help