So I finally bought a laptop, but no restore CD

[Guest mm]

OT, in that most of this is about winME, but you guys will know more

than others will.

 

I finally bought a laptop, and if I had had more time (it arrived

today Thursday and I'm leaving Saturday) I might have bought something

else, but it was only 92 dollars plus 30 shipping, and it does look

nice, etc.

 

And it's loaded with WinME, but he enclosed a Restore CD for win98.

This isn't of much value is it? Not worth taking with me?

 

OTOH, I already have an original install CD that a friend gave me for

WinME. Won't that have all the advantages and more of a Restore CD?

 

Should I use it and put all the .cab files on the laptop, so I will

have all the drivers with me? Or is there a better idea?

 

 

I should make a start-up floppy or CD, shouldn't I? Thanks.

 

 

 

If you are inclined to email me

for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)

[Guest Mart]

Re: So I finally bought a laptop, but no restore CD

 

As it's WinMe, then there *should be* a full (complete) set of the

Installation files included in either the Windows/Options/Instal or CABS

folder (depending whether installed from a MS retail copy or an OEM copy of

WinMe)

 

Assuming that you may need to do a clean install at some future date, take a

look at (and print out) the "cleanhd.txt" file in the win9x folder on your

WinMe CD. You can also view the "Windows Millennium Edition Cleanhd.txt File

Contents" at:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;271673

Study it carefully and be sure you have a note of your 'productid' code (the

25 digit code that is supplied with your CD - or use Belarc Advisor from

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html ) and - if your WinMe CD is an

'upgrade' version (rather than a 'full version') - some proof of a 'previous

version' - e.g. your Win98 CD (N.B not required for OEM)

 

You might also find the following KB article, "How to Use the Fdisk Tool and

the Format Tool to Partition or Repartition a Hard Disk" helpful.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;255867

 

Use your WinMe Startup (floppy) Disk to format your C: drive and remember

that ALL data will all be erased when you format the disk.

Boot from the floppy and select option 4) Minimal and at the A:\> prompt,

type :-

"format c:" (no quotes and note the space between t and c and the colon

after the c)

Then Press Return.

 

If you require a start-up floppy, you can create one in Control Panel |

Add/Remove Programs | System Disk or

download a WinMe startup disk image utility onto your hard disk and create a

floppy bootdisk. You can get the utility from

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm BE SURE TO READ THE INSTRUCTIONS

 

HTH and good luck

 

Mart

 

 

 

"mm" <NOPSAMmm2005@bigfoot.com> wrote in message

news:blc2i315ie7ch0ec6bnm5e42rh6nrnbh53@4ax.com...

> OT, in that most of this is about winME, but you guys will know more

> than others will.

>

> I finally bought a laptop, and if I had had more time (it arrived

> today Thursday and I'm leaving Saturday) I might have bought something

> else, but it was only 92 dollars plus 30 shipping, and it does look

> nice, etc.

>

> And it's loaded with WinME, but he enclosed a Restore CD for win98.

> This isn't of much value is it? Not worth taking with me?

>

> OTOH, I already have an original install CD that a friend gave me for

> WinME. Won't that have all the advantages and more of a Restore CD?

>

> Should I use it and put all the .cab files on the laptop, so I will

> have all the drivers with me? Or is there a better idea?

>

>

> I should make a start-up floppy or CD, shouldn't I? Thanks.

>

>

>

> If you are inclined to email me

> for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)

[Guest Ron Badour]

Re: So I finally bought a laptop, but no restore CD

 

If the Restore CD is for the laptop (is the computer's brand name on it?),

then it is indeed valuable since that indicates that the laptop was later

upgraded to WinME. WinME almost always worked best when it upgraded a good

working copy of W98 or it was an OEM version specifically tailored for a

particular PC. Installing a retail version clean (ESPECIALLY to a laptop it

was not specifically designed for) often was dicey. The original ME disk

you were given probably won't even work well with the laptop.

 

--

Regards

 

Ron Badour

MS MVP 1997 - 2008

 

 

"mm" <NOPSAMmm2005@bigfoot.com> wrote in message

news:blc2i315ie7ch0ec6bnm5e42rh6nrnbh53@4ax.com...

> OT, in that most of this is about winME, but you guys will know more

> than others will.

>

> I finally bought a laptop, and if I had had more time (it arrived

> today Thursday and I'm leaving Saturday) I might have bought something

> else, but it was only 92 dollars plus 30 shipping, and it does look

> nice, etc.

>

> And it's loaded with WinME, but he enclosed a Restore CD for win98.

> This isn't of much value is it? Not worth taking with me?

>

> OTOH, I already have an original install CD that a friend gave me for

> WinME. Won't that have all the advantages and more of a Restore CD?

>

> Should I use it and put all the .cab files on the laptop, so I will

> have all the drivers with me? Or is there a better idea?

>

>

> I should make a start-up floppy or CD, shouldn't I? Thanks.

>

>

>

> If you are inclined to email me

> for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)