novice needs help [Windows 98 loading]

I know nothing about computers. Some how I have messed my windows 98 version up. The system loads..gives a, c:\> twice one on top of the other. all of my desktop icons when double clicked go to unzip of open with box. I dont know what I did but obviously I did something. can anyone help.

 

I would suggest the simplist possible solution. Shut the computer down, but select the 'Restart in Dos Mode' option.
When the c:\> prompt appears, type in this command;
scanreg /restore
Then just pick a registry dated before this happened with the arrow keys and press Enter. Then reboot.

This won't make the C:\> appearing at boot up go away. That is happening because of "blank lines" in your C:\Autoexec.Bat file. You can open that file with Notepad by right clicking on it in Windows Explorer and selecting Edit.
If it appears to be blank, click anywhere in the Notepad window to get the curser flashing, preferably in the upper left corner of the text area. Now press and hold the DEL button for a second or two, then Save it.

If it is not blank, please post the contents of the C:\Config.Sys and C:\Autoexec.Bat files.

 

Let's keep it all here, so others can benefit, rather than from PM's.

Download this file, double click it and choose Yes when you are prompted to merge with the registry.
http://filext.com/Win98_EXE_Fix.reg

If that doesn't work, follow these instructions from this page, under the Win98 section.

Step 2: Start the Registry Editor

Since the Registry Editor is, itself, an EXE file this can be the hardest part of this process. There are several things you can try. Try each until one of them works. Once the Registry Editor is open and running skip down to Step 3.

* a) The first thing to try is the easiest. Double click on the saved REG file and see if it starts the registry editor and merges. If you are lucky, the REG file will merge and the problem will be solved and you don't need Step 3 below. Unfortunately, this rarely works.

* b) The next thing to try is just as easy. Right click on the saved REG file and select Merge from the options presented. If you are lucky, the REG file will merge and the problem will be solved and you don't need Step 3 below. Unfortunately, this also rarely works.

* c) Similar to (b) just above, right click on the saved REG file and if Registry Editor is shown select that. If not, select the Open With option and browse to the Windows directory (usually either C:\Windows or C:\WINNT). Scroll down to the regedit.exe file and select that. This sometimes works and, if so, the REG file will merge and you don't need Step 3 below.

* d) The next thing to try is to use the Run As command. Open a Windows Explorer window and navigate to the Windows directory (usually either C:\Windows or C:\WINNT). Scroll down to the regedit.exe file. Right click on the file. On the menu that pops up look for the Run As... item and click on it. Sometimes when you do that the editor will start (try this several times in a row; it often takes multiple tries).

* e) If that didn't work, yet another trick to try is to open a Command Prompt window via the Task Manager and try to run Regedit from there. Press the keychord (all three keys together) Control-Alt-Delete once only. Then, press and hold the Control key while you click on the File menu and then the New Task (Run) item. Release the Control key. A Command Prompt window should have opened. At the prompt type the full name REGEDIT.EXE and see if that starts the Registry Editor.

* f) OK, that didn't work. Now, we'll try to trick the system. Open a Command Prompt window (Start | Programs | Accessories | Command Prompt). This should leave you in the C:\Documents and Settings\[username] directory. Issue the sequence of commands in bold:
o C:\Documents and Settings\[username]> CD \
o C:\> CD WINDOWS (or WINNT if that's your system directory)
o C:\Windows> COPY REGEDIT.EXE REGEDIT.COM
o C:\Windows> REGEDIT.COM

What this does is have you navigate to your Windows directory and then make a copy of the REGEDIT.EXE program as the file REGEDIT.COM and then run that .COM file copy. Windows will be fooled by this, see the .EXE headers and run the Regedit program.