My husband has an old machine running Windows ME. It's always been a bit flakey, but now we can't even boot the thing. We are getting a new Mac for ourselves for Xmas, but we have over 400 albums ripped onto his machine--we're just using it mainly for storage and to import to MP3 players. We're music nerds, but not looking forward to the prospect of ripping all of those albums again. We need to be able to get into Windows, put all those MP3s on discs or jumpdrives or something and start from scratch on that machine.

Here's what the little bugger is doing:
It goes through the Windows ME screen but immediately goes to a black screen
On that black screen there's a startup menu
From the startup menu I select option 3: Safe Mode
Next screen reads: "The following file is missing or corrupted: C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS
No matter what option I choose, I get the same message

I downloaded a boot disk, and this is what happens with that:
No matter what option I choose from the Windows ME Startup Menu it comes back saying "Data error reading drive C Abort, Retry, Fail?"

This is where I am lost... I have no idea what to do at this point other than taking it to one of those computer repair places in a strip mall? Any one wanna help me save $100??

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hello mouseteeth and welcome to pchf

none of the techs are online right now but they will be shortly and will help you fix your problem

see ya around
genie3251

These error messages can occur for the following reasons.
An incorrect WinBootDir entry in the Msdos.sys file.
A missing or corrupted Ifshlp.sys file.A missing or corrupted Vmm32.vxd file.
Or A missing or corrupted Imagehlp.dll file.

To resolve this issue, restart the computer with a Windows Millennium Edition Startup disk, and then perform each step until the problem is resolved:
1.Modify the WinBootDir entry in the Msdos.sys file to point to the correct location of the Windows folder.
2.Extract a new copy of the Ifshlp.sys file to the Windows folder and extract a new copy of the Imagehlp.dll file to the Windows\System folder.For additional information about extracting files, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft How to Extract Original Compressed Windows Files
3.If you determine that the Vmm32.vxd file is missing or corrupt, you must rename the file to Vmm32.old in the C:\Windows\System folder, and then reinstall Windows Millennium Edition to re-create this file.

Hope this helps...and btw imho ME is the most unstable sys mocrosoft came out with. I would just junk it and start a new...but that is just mho

yea ME is lucky to boot at all some times strait out the box< load that oll pc down with some pc 100/133 ram and put xp on it.

Failing the steps provided by dragonlordrebel, you can boot to a command prompt, deltree the windows directory, and just reinstall windows without formatting. This gives you the option to install a more stable copy of win98se, get your albumns off the computer, and do it properly.

Good Morning...and it sounds like you are having the same problem as I am... I feel so frustrated that i really am beside myself..... uh.. i think i have red enough today to try to figure out what i can do...with what I have ... right now i have an old gateway in da house... and emachine.... (running ok ) and the compaq deskpro...and my compaq laptop.... I want to get another system going... tho, old .. for my son .... he came home with this thing and wants me to check it out! no software with it,,,,,i havenever ran across something like this ....