Cleaning C/Drive

[bphillip]

We've got an older computer that the kids use for schoolwork that runs Windows Millennium. It seems like it always crashes or keeps popping up error messages and shutting programs down. I wanted to replace the OS with XP. Can I get rid of Millennium manually by deleting all the folders and manually delete everything else off of the harddrive? I'm not that good with this stuff, I thought it would be easier to do a clean install.Can I do it this way?
Thanks...bp

[grab_grab_the_haddock]

you cant upgrade from winME to XP, a clean install is definately in order, and it will be worthwhile too, winME is a bunch of crap winXP has rock solid stability, just what you need for a family p.c

just make sure you have the resources to run XP comfortably, you need at least 128MB of ram , and preferably 256MB.

[r_xq]

Originally posted by cheapprick
That's an impractical way to do it. You would want to either upgrade to XP(bad option), or fdisk away your partion, format the drive and then start fresh.

You really should start fresh. Create a bootup disk with a copy of fdisk on it first. Use fdisk to delete your primary partition. Then format the c drive using the disk. At that point restart your computer with the disk and start your install.

Warning* - obviously this will remove EVERY file on your hard drive. You might want to try boosting the ram first and see if millenium boosts it's performance first. If not, format away.

no, he just needs to get a copy of XP on CD, insert it in his CD drive, then install over ME.

You really think what you said makes much sense to him?

[cheapprick]

Yeah maybe not, sorry bphillip. It looked good to me.


btw - r_xq, new person or new name? roxq?

[grab_grab_the_haddock]

r_x is right, you dont need to do all that fdisk stuff if your installing XP, it really is a shitload more user friendly.

By the way, r_x are you that rude, miserable scottish bastard?

[r_xq]

Originally posted by grab_grab_the_haddock
r_x is right, you dont need to do all that fdisk stuff if your installing XP, it really is a shitload more user friendly.

By the way, r_x are you that rude, miserable scottish bastard?

yes, its me. my other account mysteriously stopped working

[bphillip]

Thanks for the replies, and yes I'm about as dumb as a box of rocks when it comes to anything techie on a puter.(I thought the puter was just for finding porn:santa )
I put the cd of XP in and started setup.Then it tells me that putting xp on the same partition with another OS isn't recommended. I have no idea how to format(whatever that is)so I thought if I deleted everything on the drive I'd be safe???????

[Etnies]

bphillip said he was not good with computers so why tell him to fdisk his drive?

just put the xp disk in your drive and it will ask if you want to overwrite the previous windows or upgrade either option will be ok, choose upgrade if you know that you might want to roll back to windows me else choose fresh install.

Also as far as I was aware you CAN upgrade from windows ME.

win ME wasn't a pile of crap, it just isnt as good as XP

[grab_grab_the_haddock]

no you certainly cant put two operating systems on the same partition or you will end up with a horrible mess, and deleting the files by hand is NOT the answer, you need to perform a clean install.
I would of thought the windows cd would give you the option of formatting the partition. It should be in there someplace! screw around with it!
If not you may have to go into the bios and change your boot device to CDrom, then boot from your XP cd. I dunno if u know how to do this but its really not that hard (shit i even managed it once!)

and winME IS a pile of steaming shit

[r_xq]

Originally posted by bphillip
Thanks for the replies, and yes I'm about as dumb as a box of rocks when it comes to anything techie on a puter.(I thought the puter was just for finding porn:santa )
I put the cd of XP in and started setup.Then it tells me that putting xp on the same partition with another OS isn't recommended. I have no idea how to format(whatever that is)so I thought if I deleted everything on the drive I'd be safe???????

Im pretty sure that you can install over ME without any problems. i know XP Pro lets you format the drive during installation. not sure about XP home edition

[grab_grab_the_haddock]

yeh XP home does allow you to do this cos ive done it.

[Etnies]

@grab_grab_the_haddock

please give reasons why windows ME is crap, dont just say it is.

I had ME before I got XP pro and it served its purpose, it was better than 98, and 95 just as the next version of windows will be better than XP.

I expect when that does come out you'll no doubt be saying XP was crap.

[grab_grab_the_haddock]

well ive been benchmarking longhorn these past few days, and XP is a pile of shit.

[bphillip]

Just got xp installed. It installed over Me and deleted all the stuff that was there.

Now there's another problem(I think)
It says I have 30 days to register either via the internet or by phone.
Well this computer won't have the internet and I got this copy of
XP from a family member, so .......

Do I have to register it?
Will it self destruct after the 1 month is over?
Is there a reg hack to do away with the registration process?

Thanks again....bp

[cheapprick]

Yes unfortunately it will stop working after 30 days, unless you have a pirated copy called the "Devil's own". If your using it and it comes up saying XP home edition, then yes it is going to stop working after a month. MS did that so people couldn't lend their cd around to friends. LOL which is actually the case here. If it pops up as professional edition, it probably is the "Devil's own" copy.

[CCSDUDE]

I believe the name for TDO copy is....

usa_2600__****************************

I think you get the idea.....lol

I'll PM you with a s2d link for it....

Krell: Exactly! Never use any info that's "real".
Hell, call yourself "roosterman" or whatever ya want....

Tata....

[maartendc]

Mmmh,

That pc crashing, doesn't mean that it need to be formatted. It's just win Me. It's normal that Me crashes 10 times a day and gives you an error message after 2 minutes.. Those are built in features. Microsoft has disabled those cool features in XP though, too bad. Now there's dust on my reset button! Thanx a lot Microsoft! :(

[Krell]

.

[nasrules]

u CAN upgrade Me to XP, i did it, an it works great. u can either do a clean install with an xp cd, or you can manually format using the dos command

format c:

i wouldnt do this however unless ur sure of wot ur doing

to get round the 30day thing u need to use a volume licensing (corporate) key, im lucky to actually have a legal one! i dunno if corp keys work with normal version (i think so), and i had a way to make a normal cd into an upgrade only or full or oem or corporate cd that i made a document from lotsa bits of info an it worked but i lost it when i had to wipe coz ie6sp1 fuked up my ME.

if u need to change ur key u can either boot from ur cd and choose the system recovery thing (not the one where u press F5 or sumthing to do automated sys recovery but in the full setup thing. OR you can look for xpkeychange or the like on p2p apps. that sys recovery thing in xp rocks, unless u get a virus u dont need to format ur pc yesss!

[grab_grab_the_haddock]

you posted some useful stuff there krell. dont let the garbage grind you down. people are generally smart enough to tell the wheat from the chaff. at least the people who matter are.

[MoonMan]

Originally posted by Etnies
@grab_grab_the_haddock

please give reasons why windows ME is crap, dont just say it is.

I had ME before I got XP pro and it served its purpose, it was better than 98, and 95 just as the next version of windows will be better than XP.

I expect when that does come out you'll no doubt be saying XP was crap.

ME is crap, if you don't know this then you must use your computer only for solitare and word processing.

Krell: ?
Don't let the idiocy get under your skin man, you can only do so much.

[Etnies]

Moonman

choose one of the following
-----------------------------------------------------
windows me is crap because

a. i have no opinion and was just kissing grab the haddocks arse

b. erm i didn't really think of a reason i just like to say things are crap without saying why.
---------------------------------------------------

i agree windows me wasn't as good as XP, but to say its crap is bull. it did everything i required.

p.s. I'm an studying for my finals in electronic engineering, so use my pc for more than solitaire... try programming in matlab, c, C++, pic, mplab, vhdl and simulate in multisim, pspice, protel.

oh i just noticed you agreed with the other thing grab the hadock said, so i'd choose option 'b' if i were you.

[Etnies]

sorry that was meant to say, choose option a.. sorry if i confused you.

now how does this game go again red card on black card and put the aces at the top...........

[Krell]

I can always make time to come back and tell Etnies he's a little bitch. Take some advice Mr. Scorch jr, you are WAY too new and unlearned to cop an attitude here.

And before you hold your breath with that " Ooowwee weee Im an Electronics Engineer", you had better shut your mouth, learn to listen, and figure out who here IS an Electronics Engineer. Run that thru your pspice and see if you can find the logic in it. No one is impressed, and it still doesnt qualify you to make value judements on an O/S, its just your OPINION. Further more, moonman and grab grab are worth 10 of you.

ps: I was a designer when your mother was still wiping your ass.

[The Hunter]

Originally posted by Etnies
sorry that was meant to say, choose option a.. sorry if i confused you.

now how does this game go again red card on black card and put the aces at the top........... This is a help thread, if you wish to have war take it somewhere else.

[Etnies]

i am totally willing to hear someone opinion if they back it up.

and mummy he started it!!!!

[CCSDUDE]

Enties: It's been talked over to DEATH...
Heres one such instance of it being talked to death....
http://www.zeropaid.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=3608&perpage=15&pagenumber=2

Go search for "WinME" and run through allllll the threads....

ME by itself sucks...tweaked to hell it works, but that's after much tweaking. Most don't wanna tweak to hell......

Krell, I ain't horning in on yer help, it's kinda impossible considering it's a public help forum. Hunter, if you can add a section called "Krell's Korner" with the description being "Krell helps the noobs here" that would be great. *NO sarcasm bro....I'm being serious*

Now onto this dudes set up.....

1) Download a copy of XP....(someone will send you a sig2dat for it...I have but it doesn't seem to work.)
2) Burn it to disc - use Easy CD if you have it.
3) Create or download a boot disk
4) Make sure said boot disk has Format.com and Fdisk.exe on it.
5) Reboot your PC with the boot disk in the floppy drive.
6) Type in "fdisk" without the quotes.
7) Hit the number corresponding to "delete partition".
8) Delete all partitions....
9) Create partition (just let it create a partition of maxim size)
10) Reboot leaving the floppy in.
11) Type in "format c: /s" without the quotes.
12) Format....give your drive a name if you wish to.
13) Reboot with the XP disc in the CD rom drive.
A) If it doesn't boot to XP's install procedures...
Pop your boot floppy in then type "D:\"
with out the quotes...then type "setup" without
with out the quotes. It should take you
through the set up....now if that doesn't
work....
B) Go into your BIOS and make sure your CD ROM
is set to be booted from....(if you can't
figure out how to change it ask on the board)

Enjoy....

Now as for Enties......Grab/Krell/MoonMan are worth 10+ of you bro....so chill out.

Tata.....

[toddot4u]

orjust get a hand on win. xp pro or home burn it , load it into computer when it starts up in dos and it should if not already set in bios u need to change boot order to have boot from cd rom then it should load the boot from windows menu come up but first must press any key and from there its all easy as 1,2,3....

[The Hunter]

CCS, if any of the experienced members wish to offer help in such a thread I will ask the other mods, and discuss it with them. Those interested will see a reply after it is discussed. Also a good thought, and thanks.

[toddot4u]

go into dos not msdos in windows but the real dos<LOL> then type format c:
after that type y
your very welcome ur majesty:sw

[bphillip]

Thanks again all, these forums are great for us "technologically challenged". I'll do the download(thanks CCSDUDE) and try to do it the right way this time.
I've got this borrowed version on now, some things run ok, but other things will load and then they won't run right . Also I found some of my kids' old files still in C Drive , but they looked like they'd been run thru a meat grinder.
I'm tryin to learn this stuff as I go, hope it's easier to figure out than women, still workin on that one.:upside