Help! What is an installation diskette?

[kittya]

I'm sorry for being thick. I just went to turn my laptop on and a message comes up saying"the application is not a valid image. Please check against your installation diskette"! It won't let me do anything at all on it. Does this mean I have to take it into a repair shop? I can't afford a new one at the mo.

Is that the exact message?

Does it perhaps mention a file? Perhaps something like "The application or DLL something.something is not a valid image"? If so what is something.something?

Can you also confirm which version of Windows you have (I'm presuming that this is Windows), XP, Vista or 7 perhaps?

With some more information someone can help you out.

Xp (I told you it's old!) do you want the full thing. It means nothing to me. C:\WINDOWS\system32\WINSPOOL.DRV
if it helps I did install safari today. I don't know it that's what did it. Thank you so much

Anyone?

This may help. Then I recommend two things:

Check that you installed Safari from a genuine source ie www.apple.com/safari NOT by clicking a link on another web site or an email.

Run a full anti-malware scan.

I got it from apple. Could you tell me how to run a scan because it's not letting me click onto anything. There's no icons up. I will look at that link. Thanks.

I can turn it on but I can't press the start button as it's not coming up. There's nothing to click onto. I'm going to have to take it in aren't I?

Try booting the machine in "safe mode".

Follow the instructions here:
support.microsoft.com/kb/315222

My usual habit is to rapidly tap F8 from the moment I turn the machine on. If I hold it down the keyboard can lock up, if I wait to press it I often miss the exact right time. So tapping for me seems to work...

When the list of options appears the one you want is "Safe Mode"

If the machine then boots then try the fix suggested by MrAnchovy above.

I pressed f8 it just made a loud noise!

£40 I had no choice. I hate losing all my photos and stuff!

"I pressed f8 it just made a loud noise!"

A beeping sort of a noise?

Try tapping it rapidly rather than holding it down.

Also try tapping it from the point that the very first thing appears on the screen.

A loud beeping noise that only stopped when I stopped tapping. Then the message came up again.

Try delaying the tapping until a little after something appears on the screen.

I find this very fiddly too, maybe I'm just rubbish at this bit :)