# I killed my computer!  Help!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-killed-my-computer-help/74774>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 3, 2001, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-killed-my-computer-help/74774 "2001-08-03T14:33:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2001, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-killed-my-computer-help/74774/1 "2001-08-03T14:33:29Z")

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…The one at home, obviously, not this one.

I use NetZero, and I’ve had problems logging in from the beginning; only now have I bothered to figure out how to ask them for help. Many times while logging in I’ve gotten this message under a ZCast banner: “This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.”

So I get a response from their Customer Support with some instructions; at the bottom it says, “By the way, you should download Winsock 2 Update,” and there’s a link to the Microsoft download page. I go there, follow their instructions to create a file, and download the update. It also says I need to download a Year 2000 update. So I do that; then I closed all my windows, opened the file with the Winsock 2, double-clicked on it to install it, closed that window and re-started my computer.

Then I got a scary response: my computer said “Windows configuration is invalid” and I needed to “run Windows setup.” It offered to put me into Safe Mode, which sounded good to me. Now all I can get is a blank desktop with the words “Safe Mode” in the four corners of the screen. I can get to a setup menu, but I don’t know how to use it. What do I need to change?

FWIW: I have Windows 95 and IE 5.5. Help!

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**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2001, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-killed-my-computer-help/74774/2 "2001-08-03T15:16:48Z")

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I’m not sure. Try to un-install NetZero and see if that helps. Barring that (I am not really good at troubleshooting) I would back up important data and do a reformat. When is the last time you did a reformat, BTW? Win95 leaves tons-o-clutter in the registry and windows folder when you uninstall old programs. For an average home user, I would do it about once a year or so… but thats just what I would reccomend. Definetly not necessary for all.

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**Author:** ![Tattva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@Tattva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tattva)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2001, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-killed-my-computer-help/74774/3 "2001-08-03T16:44:19Z")

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Follow Microsoft’s directions[here](http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q136/3/37.asp?LN=EN-US&SD=gn&FR=0&qry=troubleshooting%20start%20up%20problems&rnk=7&src=DHCS_MSPSS_gn_SRCH&SPR=W95)

Since you already know that it doesn’t boot into safe mode (hence the screen with the “safe mode” in the corners), go straight to that section.

Good luck.