How to boot into Safe Mode and perform Scan Disk in Windows 95/98
This is one solution for the problem when you try to boot to Windows and ScanDisk comes up and freezes..
1) Turn the PC on or reset, as soon as you see the logo (Gateway/Dell/Packard Bell etc...) start taping F8 at the top of your keyboard.(not too fast, the PC may start to beep, which means you were taping too fast, it may give you a keyboard error, just press escape and continue to tap F8 a little slower) You will get to a menu, choose Safe Mode, using your cursor keys ( up/down arrows) and press enter.
2) Eventually you will get to the desktop, click OK on the notice that you're running in safe mode. At the desk top, it will look funny, there's only 16 colors in safe mode (safe mode is like under the hood of windows in a way, strictly for trouble shooting)
3) Go to: Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, ScanDisk.
4) When scan disk comes up, be sure that the C: drive is highlighted (which by default it should be) and click the dot by Thorough and put a check next to Automatically fix errors. Then click Start.
This will take probably an hour or so depending on the size of your drive. It may freeze or give an error.
If it completes (and it will tell you when it is finished) then go to Start / Shut Down / Restart and hopefully boot back to normal Windows. You may have lost some data.
If it gives an error or freezes, contact your computer manufacturers support center.