System crash? Please help!!! (second post)

[Mynzaboxer]

I have my newer system; PenIII, 1ghz, with WinME networked to my older system Pent III, 350, Win98....only for the purposes of extra storage and file sharing. As I only use 1 keyboard, 1 mouse and 1 monitor, I access the two through an IoGEAR 2port KVM switch.

Everything has worked perfectly until I had a new Satellite Internet System (Starband w/360modem) set up by a 'professional'..USB rather than an Ethernet connection. The modem has it's own software issues which I'm dealing with Starband over. (the Ethernet connect is evidently proving more reliable)

Trouble is........when I went to boot up my 'old' system yesterday, the boot up started then stopped and the following message appeared:

"Windows has detected a Windows Registry Configuration Error, choose Command Prompt (5) only and run ScanReg." I tried to do this but I had no 'keyboard' control. There was a countdown (in seconds) from 26. At that point the boot (or what appeared to be the boot) continued for a bit, then stopped with the message "Memory manager not detected" and towards the bottom of the DOS screen; "cannot find Win.com, unable to continue loading windows". It left me with a C prompt, but again this was useless because I couldn't use the keyboard.

I also tried this after disconnecting my old system from the KVM switch and hooking up the mouse, keyboard and monitor directly. Still nothing.

I called my local computer shop and explained the problem....they were in a rush, but said "no problem... we can fix that.....just be sure to bring your Window's software in? :-(

FYI: I do have the latest version of Virus Scan and ran a scan of all files on the new system and everything came back clear (also, most of the time I don't even turn on my old system). Due to the Satellite Internet connection I also have ZoneAlarm (a firewall) installed.

Have I lost everything here? Any idea what caused the problem? Can anyone suggest something I can try to give me keyboard control and do whatever I need to do to get things up and running on my old system (whatever that may be?) ? Be specific, I ain't that smart

Sure would appreciate some help.

P.S. I also tried using a boot disk without success

 

[KGB]

What happens when you use a boot diskette?

 

[Mynzaboxer]

Thanks for the response.

I've used a couple boot diskettes for this system. The boot diskette I used was the 'Basic Rescue Boot' I made for this system when I use to have Norton Utilities installed. I eventually had to remove the Norton stuff because of software conflicts. But........

it when I attempted a boot with the disk....it loaded normally until I just reach the part where it says 'Windows loading'........after that a Norton Utility screen comes up which gives me the option to run a utility which will scan the CMOS or go to a Dos C prompt. But again the Keyboard is of no use at this point.

What is curious is that I can enter SETUP if I wish (the keyboard is functional at that point).

At this point I don't have the ability to boot up in Software mode, etc.because of no keyboard control......what else is strange is that the old system wasn't acting unstable prior to this......I did a cold boot and bam...a mess.. I can't understand why I suddenly lose the ability to use the keyboard.

Any ideas what else I can do.......