In MS WinME, screen goes black after bootup splash sreen. Why?

[joshInAlaska]

I'm working on a friends computer that was infected with the Klez virus. It was working for her the other day, but now won't boot up past the splash screen.

My first task was to innoculate the virus. I took out the HD, and slaved it in my isolated computer. I then ran NAV on it, and got most of the infected files innoculated, or quarenteened. After running the Symantec Fixklez removal program, I didn't turn up any sign of klez (I'm guessing that NAV did a thorough job).

So after placing the HD back into the original computer, which is an HP, I started to boot it up. I would get to the MS Windows ME splash screen, but then the screen would go black. The computer is on, and the HD is accessing files, but the screen is black. The monitor is still receiving a signal too.

When I rebooted into safe mode, I was able to start in Safe Mode. I then deleted all of the monitor drivers. After a second reboot, I still went to a black screen. Another reboot into Safe Mode showed that I had the generic monitor driver, which should be good enough, right?

I'm guessing that because I can still access files on the computer, that the FAT hadn't been corrupted, but it might be a startup file. Since I'm not that familiar with ME, I'm hoping someone would know which system file I'll need to replace.

 

[joshInAlaska]

I've narrowed the problem down to my system.ini file. Can someone tell me which part I don't need? I've got it posted below:


[boot]
system.drv=system.drv
drivers=mmsystem.dll
user.exe=user.exe
gdi.exe=gdi.exe
sound.drv=mmsound.drv
dibeng.drv=dibeng.dll
comm.drv=comm.drv
mouse.drv=mouse.drv
keyboard.drv=keyboard.drv
shell=Explorer.exe
*DisplayFallback=0

[386Enh]
ebios=*ebios
device=*vshare
device=*dynapage
mouse=*vmouse, msmouse.vxd
device=*vcd
device=*vpd
device=*int13
woafont=dosapp.fon
keyboard=*vkd
display=*vdd,*vflatd

[drivers]
wavemapper=*.drv
MSACM.imaadpcm=*.acm
MSACM.msadpcm=*.acm
wave=mmsystem.dll
midi=mmsystem.dll

[mci]
cdaudio=mcicda.drv
sequencer=mciseq.drv
waveaudio=mciwave.drv
avivideo=mciavi.drv
videodisc=mcipionr.drv
vcr=mcivisca.drv

[drivers32]
MSACM.imaadpcm=imaadp32.acm
MSACM.msadpcm=msadp32.acm
MSACM.msgsm610=msgsm32.acm
MSACM.msg711=msg711.acm
MSACM.trspch=tssoft32.acm
vidc.CVID=iccvid.dll
VIDC.IV31=ir32_32.dll
VIDC.IV32=ir32_32.dll
vidc.MSVC=msvidc32.dll
VIDC.MRLE=msrle32.dll
msacm.lhacm=lhacm.acm

[Password Lists]
HP AUTHORIZED CUSTOM=C:\WINDOWS\HPAUT013.PWL

 

[joshInAlaska]

I've found the answer. It was something in the boot section of the system.ini file. More specifically, it was a line that didn't show up in my copy 'n paste of the system.ini file at all. It was, display.drv=pnpdrvr.drv, which is the display driver of course. Derr! Now that I've got that figured out, now I can commence with an OS upgrade.