Windows 98 setup runs at startup!?

I was getting fatal exception 0E errors when starting IE 6. I downloaded and ran some free programs for antivirus (Avast!), a windows utilities, and a registry defragger and was still having exception 0E messages come up. I ran the defragger and then Win 98 setup started running at startup. I always exit and the computer turns off. If I allow it to continue, will I lose my saved files (1,000+ music files, among others), or will I be presented with an option to repair? Thanks!

Windows 98 setup runs at startup!?avast

Better save your data on a CD or DVD first before u attempt anything. Win 98 is old so upgrade it because it's unstable while running later versions of IE which are meant for Win 2000, Me or XP

Windows 98 setup runs at startup!?ducati

Did you check to see if the 98 CD was in your drive? That may be what's causing the ''setup'' to load. Otherwise, do whatever you can to boot normally so you can rescue your files.

It sounds like your system is beyond repair; the best thing you can do is backup your files as soon as you possibly can.

As soon as you save all your files, you should either reinstall Windows 98 with a new file system or switch operating systems entirely. Back in the day, it was not at all uncommon for people to reinstall Windows 98 once every month or two because the system naturally breaks over time. Good operating systems don't do this.