Get to my CD drive while in Safe Mode.

[gchop]

Ok Team, here's the deal:

System: Win ME, Pent III, 256 RAM

Opened Sunday paper, saw OfficeMax offer of a free HP PS/2 mouse, bought it, plugged it in, worked fine.

Went to install the Mouse software from the included CD, encountered an error during the install. Went to re-boot, now Windows does not come back, instead get a message (Windows has detected new hardware and is locating the software for it), and this message box remains forever. I get stopped here every time. My desktop never comes back.

Booted up in Safe mode to uninstall the hardware, I can't get to my CD drive, only to C:\ or A:\. Also, in Safe Mode, tried System Restore, this does not work.

I tried manually deleteing the new files, did not work. I tried booting off the Start Up Disk, run o/s with CD support, don't know how to get to Add/Remove Hardware while in DOS.

I then tried to re-install WIN ME, get a set up error during the file copy process.

I am hosed!

Any help/thoughts are mucho appreciado.

- Alan in NC

[osprey4]

How about removing all non-essential hardware, remove the HP mouse and use a generic mouse.

What kind of error message are you getting using System Restore?

[gchop]

Error msg. with System Restore is not enough disk space available. The slider bar on that window is nearly up all the way, and you can't increase anyway while in Safe Mode - catch 22, there.

[osprey4]

Did you try putting the old mouse back in and removing non-essential hardware?

How much free disk space have you got? Does SR list the usual restore points?

[gchop]

I did not plug in the old mouse, and when you say remove non-essential hardware, what do you mean?

Free disk space is roughly 1.5 gigabytes. There are restore points available, as recent as yesterday morning.

[yeadon563]

When u boot into safemode, do u try to delete the device from Device Manager? Have u tried to use the last known good config opition?

Yeadon563

[yeadon563]

When u boot into safemode, do u try to delete the device from Device Manager? Have u tried to use the last known good config opition?

Yeadon563

[gchop]

That sounds like a good option, I'll try it, thanks.

[osprey4]

And then when you're done, post back and let us know if it worked.

[DoctorReno]

Reinstalling your OS at this point is like amputating your leg from the neck down because of a hang nail. Also you really can't do the Add Remove Hardware from the Startup disk because you are in DOS not Windows

Put your old mouse back on and see if ME loads and will run. If not do the Safe Mode route. Either way go to Start, Settings, Add remove hardware and see if the new mouse is shown there. If so delete it there.
You can also do the device manager route and uninstall the new mouse if it shows there.
Before attempting to install the new mouse I would also uninstall the old mouse in Safe Mode so that there will only be one mouse in the configuration.

If it hangs on you again you might want to do Ctrl Alt Delete to get into the task manager and end the installation task if it is hanging and try installing the new mouse thru the Add Remove Hardware Wizard.

Finally, you have 1.5 Gb free. What is the total size of your HD?

Do let us know what happens.