Microsoft KB Archive/183091

= Cannot Complete Setup After Receiving Scanreg Error Message =

Article ID: 183091

Article Last Modified on 1/22/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
 * Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q183091



SYMPTOMS
When you attempt to install Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition (Me), you may receive the following error message from Registry Checker (Scanreg.exe):

Windows found an error in your system files and was unable to fix the problem. Try deleting some files to free up disk space on your Windows drive. If that doesn't work then you will need to install Windows to a new directory.

However, if you attempt to install Windows 98 in a different folder, you may receive the same error message and Setup may not finish.



CAUSE
This problem can occur if you have a damaged registry.

This error can also be caused by insufficient (or not properly installed) RAM.



RESOLUTION
To work around this problem, use one of the following methods, and then run Setup again:
 * Rename the Windows folder.
 * Rename the registry files.

WARNING: Using any of these methods causes Windows to lose information about third-party drivers, customized features, installed programs, and e-mail and Internet settings. After you use either of these methods, you must reconfigure all settings and reinstall all programs.

NOTE: Before you run Windows 98 or Windows Me Setup, you may want to back up all your data using an MS-DOS-based backup program, or by copying your data files to floppy disks.

We recommend that you perform these steps after restarting your computer and choosing Safe Mode Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu. To do so in Microsoft Windows 95, restart your computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key, and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu. For Windows 98 or Windows Me, restart your computer, press and hold down the CTRL key until you see the Windows 98 or Windows Me Startup menu, and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only.

For more information about how to use the Startup menu in Windows 98, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: 178548

TITLE : No "Starting Windows 98" Message at Startup

Rename the Windows Folder
Type the following line, and then press ENTER

ren c:\ c:\oldwin

where is the name of your Windows folder.

Rename the Registry Files
Type each of the following lines, pressing ENTER after each line

cd\

attrib -h -r -s system.dat

attrib -h -r -s user.dat

ren system.dat system.old

ren user.dat user.old

where is the name of your Windows folder.

NOTE: As one possible solution, you may want to try uninstalling back to Win95, cleaning up system (removing any unused programs), and reinstalling back to Win98 before doing a clean directory.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows 98/Me.



MORE INFORMATION
Registry Checker is a Windows 98/Me tool to check the registry and attempt to repair it (if it is damaged). Registry Checker is run as a normal part of Windows 98/Me Setup. Each time Windows 98/Me starts after Setup is complete, Registry Checker scans the registry for corruption and creates a backup of the registry if one has not been made for that date. Registry Checker restores a backup of the registry if it cannot repair a damaged registry, or it attempts to repair the registry if no valid backup is available. For more information about Registry Checker, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: 182841

TITLE : Registry Backup Not Listed in Registry Checker Tool

Additional query words: stops

Keywords: kberrmsg kbprb kbsetup KB183091

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