Hey, John!

I seem to be completely locked out of one of my platforms. It isn't the default platform, but it is where the Partition Magic program lives. It's the ME side, the original software and programs that came with the computer. I can't get in to put in the new virus definitions, though I did manage to bring it up in safe mode and ran a scan with what is in there. Nothing turned up. It won't recognize the DSL connection in the safe mode, for some reason, so I couldn't log on from there to download the definitions. I did defrag (from the Win2000 side--as you've remarked before, that Win2000 is pretty aware of what is going on in the computer!) and it was a mess, but it is neat now and I'm still not getting in.

I have explored various backup methods, and I'm down to my old ZipDrive backup to backup the Win2000 stuff, using many disks, then I'll burn them over to a CD. Once I have that, I shudder at the thought of reinstalling the stuff because it means redoing the partitions, putting all of the backup files in, and losing all that is in the ME side that has been installed (I haven't backed it up in a while).

Any thoughts? I'm afraid the kids must have done something and brought in a virus or worm. Could I make some sort of disk of the Antivirus stuff and bring up the ME in the safe mode again then run a scan from the CD? Antivirus runs in both platforms. If I could get it online, I could find a possible fix from symantec. But if I don't know what's wrong, I don't know what fix to look for. Arrggh! Again, any thoughts? My Win2000 side works fine for now.

These 250 meg zip disks are only holding about 2.5% of the backup material at any one time. I'm going to have to copy them over to a CD and reuse them, I don't have enough for what this is going to call for. I can zip probably WinZip them first, and save space that way.

SRS