Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

[Guest Topazprincess77]

Hello,

I have Windows ME OS on one of my computers, it came from a

questionable background with many viruses and spyware, I have tried

and tried to get this computer up and running. The original goal was

to get it online, I have DSL and it refused to load webpages. I spent

a little more than a week, night and day removing unwanted programs/

spywares/viruses/adwares/etc. Straightening out annoying settings and

so on, either way she worked beautifully....for a fews months, went

online and did everything you could ask of it.

 

And then...this is where it goes bad...because the of issues with the

computer there was no virus software on it...it was taken to a risky

website and it all went downhill from there. It started running slow

and was constantly lagged down with nasty bugs running in the

background all the time. I wanted to fix it the right way this time so

I figured my best shot was the get the floppy drive working, I sent it

to be cleaned out on the inside, removal of dust and what not. Well it

was returned without a working floppy drive or cd drive! Any disc put

in it now just whirrs for a few seconds and then does nothing.

 

If I get an XP upgrade will it still force the computer to boot and go

on with the install? As of currently it will only boot in safe mode an

area I know nothing about....

 

Any help would be appreciated...

Thanks,

Topaz.

[Guest Malke]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

Topazprincess77 wrote:

> Hello,

> I have Windows ME OS on one of my computers, it came from a

> questionable background with many viruses and spyware, I have tried

> and tried to get this computer up and running. The original goal was

> to get it online, I have DSL and it refused to load webpages. I spent

> a little more than a week, night and day removing unwanted programs/

> spywares/viruses/adwares/etc. Straightening out annoying settings and

> so on, either way she worked beautifully....for a fews months, went

> online and did everything you could ask of it.

>

> And then...this is where it goes bad...because the of issues with the

> computer there was no virus software on it...it was taken to a risky

> website and it all went downhill from there. It started running slow

> and was constantly lagged down with nasty bugs running in the

> background all the time. I wanted to fix it the right way this time so

> I figured my best shot was the get the floppy drive working, I sent it

> to be cleaned out on the inside, removal of dust and what not. Well it

> was returned without a working floppy drive or cd drive! Any disc put

> in it now just whirrs for a few seconds and then does nothing.

>

> If I get an XP upgrade will it still force the computer to boot and go

> on with the install? As of currently it will only boot in safe mode an

> area I know nothing about....

 

No. You will not be able to update the computer to XP without a working CD

drive. The computer may not be suitable for XP, either. You should take it

back to where you got it fixed and have them fix the broken hardware. Or

take it somewhere else trustworthy if you are dissatisfied with the work

the first place did and have them diagnose the whole computer. This

computer is extremely old in computer-years and the motherboard may have

died. It will not be worth trying to replace a motherboard in such an old

machine.

 

Malke

--

MS-MVP

Elephant Boy Computers

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com

Don't Panic!

[Guest Daave]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

Topazprincess77 wrote:

> Hello,

> I have Windows ME OS on one of my computers, it came from a

> questionable background with many viruses and spyware, I have tried

> and tried to get this computer up and running. The original goal was

> to get it online, I have DSL and it refused to load webpages. I spent

> a little more than a week, night and day removing unwanted programs/

> spywares/viruses/adwares/etc. Straightening out annoying settings and

> so on, either way she worked beautifully....for a fews months, went

> online and did everything you could ask of it.

>

> And then...this is where it goes bad...because the of issues with the

> computer there was no virus software on it...it was taken to a risky

> website and it all went downhill from there. It started running slow

> and was constantly lagged down with nasty bugs running in the

> background all the time. I wanted to fix it the right way this time so

> I figured my best shot was the get the floppy drive working, I sent it

> to be cleaned out on the inside, removal of dust and what not. Well it

> was returned without a working floppy drive or cd drive! Any disc put

> in it now just whirrs for a few seconds and then does nothing.

>

> If I get an XP upgrade will it still force the computer to boot and go

> on with the install? As of currently it will only boot in safe mode an

> area I know nothing about....

 

What are the specs of this computer? Do you have a Windows ME

installation disk? Are you able to enter the BIOS to configure your PC

to boot off the CD-ROM drive? Are you able to copy your data to an

external hard drive?

[Guest Topazprincess77]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

Hello again....

 

Why would the machine be unsuitable? ME ---DOES--- Upgrade to XP, also

98 will even upgrade to XP so why would this ME be unsuitable?

 

Also no I do not have the recovery discs...they were stolen along with

a bag of music CD's during moving. I could probably get the specs,

where would I find them? I know it has a good size hard-drive for a ME

it's 40 gigs, twice the space of the PC I'm using right now which is

an old 98...I also have a very old 95 that I got when I was 11...10

years ago and it still works beautifully, yet another reason for me to

ask why ME would be SO old and unsuitable?

 

I wouldn't even consider upgrading a beautiful OS to XP if I wasn't

forced to, I don't care for the XP OS at all, but I'm thinking it's my

only option.

 

And I dont have to get into the BIOS the pc is already set up to boot

from disk first, so that shouldn't be a problem and also I believe the

CD drive DOES work but that maybe a virus is preventing the computer

from running a standard disk, a bootable disk is more forceful then

trying to pop in a video game or music disk...

 

I just don't wanna waste the money on an upgrade if it's not going to

work, but in theory it sounds like it should.....

 

So do you think it will work and if not, why?

 

Thanks again!

Topaz.

[Guest IceMage]

RE: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

There is a possibility that the machine is preventing CD-ROM access while

booting to windows ME. If not, get a working CD-ROM drive, and get a copy of

Windows XP. I would do a reformat and install. You may need to edit your

BIOS to boot to CD. Regardless, you will need a working CD-ROM drive. The

one in your old computers should work fine! So if you're comfortable pulling

it out, and putting it in your other computer as a donor, then go ahead.

 

I recommend Method 4 from the following guide:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316941

---

Scott

 

 

"Topazprincess77" wrote:

> Hello,

> I have Windows ME OS on one of my computers, it came from a

> questionable background with many viruses and spyware, I have tried

> and tried to get this computer up and running. The original goal was

> to get it online, I have DSL and it refused to load webpages. I spent

> a little more than a week, night and day removing unwanted programs/

> spywares/viruses/adwares/etc. Straightening out annoying settings and

> so on, either way she worked beautifully....for a fews months, went

> online and did everything you could ask of it.

>

> And then...this is where it goes bad...because the of issues with the

> computer there was no virus software on it...it was taken to a risky

> website and it all went downhill from there. It started running slow

> and was constantly lagged down with nasty bugs running in the

> background all the time. I wanted to fix it the right way this time so

> I figured my best shot was the get the floppy drive working, I sent it

> to be cleaned out on the inside, removal of dust and what not. Well it

> was returned without a working floppy drive or cd drive! Any disc put

> in it now just whirrs for a few seconds and then does nothing.

>

> If I get an XP upgrade will it still force the computer to boot and go

> on with the install? As of currently it will only boot in safe mode an

> area I know nothing about....

>

> Any help would be appreciated...

> Thanks,

> Topaz.

>

[Guest PD43]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

Topazprincess77 <topazprincess77@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Why would the machine be unsuitable? ME ---DOES--- Upgrade to XP, also

>98 will even upgrade to XP so why would this ME be unsuitable?

 

Because the hardware might not meet specifications... i.e., there

might not be XP drivers for some of it.

 

You like ME, but it was one of the absolute WORST operating systems MS

has ever produced. And it's existence was only to scrape up some more

cash for MS while XP was being prepared.

[Guest Daave]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

Topazprincess77 wrote:

> Why would the machine be unsuitable? ME ---DOES--- Upgrade to XP, also

> 98 will even upgrade to XP so why would this ME be unsuitable?

 

Depending on the specs of your PC (speed of processor, amount of memory,

size of hard drive), it might be better suited to run either 98SE or ME.

Even though it might *technically* be able to run XP, you might notice a

great performance hit.

> Also no I do not have the recovery discs...they were stolen along with

> a bag of music CD's during moving. I could probably get the specs,

> where would I find them? I know it has a good size hard-drive for a ME

> it's 40 gigs, twice the space of the PC I'm using right now which is

> an old 98...I also have a very old 95 that I got when I was 11...10

> years ago and it still works beautifully, yet another reason for me to

> ask why ME would be SO old and unsuitable?

 

Truthfully, I'm not extremely familiar with ME, but I know it's not the

most stable OS out there. I also know that many users would prefer to

run 98SE. ME is probably not the most secure OS, but if you practiced

safe hex, you would more than likely be fine. That being said, from your

post, it seems like someone *hasn't* been practicing safe hex!

 

If your PC can handle it, I would recommend a clean install of XP (if

you really want to move to XP and are able to). If you were to purchase

an Upgrade version of XP, you would need qualifying media as part of the

installation (e.g., an ME installation disk) in order to perform the

install. Or if that's not what your PC came with then you would need to

restore your PC to its factory-fresh condition, but you would need the

missing restore disk for this. So you would probably be best off

purchasing a generic OEM XP installation disk *IF* your PC can handle

running XP (This would be cheaper than purchasing a Full Retail XP disk,

but you will only be licensed to use it on that particular PC. The

Retail license may be transferred.). You would need to copy your data to

an external hard drive, obtain the necessary drivers for your PC, and

then perform the clean install.

 

What is the make and model of the PC? If you enter this information into

a search engine, you should get useful hits. Also, what is the

information when you right-click My Computer and select Properties? We

need to know CPU speed and amount of RAM. Although a 40GB hard drive

isn't huge, it's sufficient.

> I wouldn't even consider upgrading a beautiful OS to XP if I wasn't

> forced to, I don't care for the XP OS at all, but I'm thinking it's my

> only option.

 

It's not your only option. But you crack me up when you say that ME is

"a beautiful OS!" You are really in the minority on that one!

> And I dont have to get into the BIOS the pc is already set up to boot

> from disk first, so that shouldn't be a problem and also I believe the

> CD drive DOES work but that maybe a virus is preventing the computer

> from running a standard disk, a bootable disk is more forceful then

> trying to pop in a video game or music disk...

>

> I just don't wanna waste the money on an upgrade if it's not going to

> work, but in theory it sounds like it should.....

 

You might be best off obtaining an ME restore disk for your PC. Since I

doubt you can get one from the manufacturer, you may want to try

http://www.restoredisks.com .

 

Then you could copy your data and restore your PC.

 

If you decide to stick with ME, be sure to visit an ME newsgroup or

forum if you have questions down the road.

[Guest JS]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

I had two Windows ME computers, one was purchased in 2000 and the other in

2001, both run XP just fine. I choose a 'Clean Install', starting with

downloaded all the necessary drives from Dell's web site and then installing

XP. Since you indicated that you no longer have the ME product CD, you will

need to find and old Win98 CD to use the XP Upgrade version. If you are

unable to find a Win98 CD than you will need to purchase a Full retail

version of XP (I do not recommend an OEM version of XP since it is tied to

the PC you install it on and if you should later decide to install XP on a

newer PC you can not do so with the OEM version).

 

JS

 

"Topazprincess77" <topazprincess77@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:1c09d555-f924-4bc1-af02-563d055825e0@c33g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...

> Hello,

> I have Windows ME OS on one of my computers, it came from a

> questionable background with many viruses and spyware, I have tried

> and tried to get this computer up and running. The original goal was

> to get it online, I have DSL and it refused to load webpages. I spent

> a little more than a week, night and day removing unwanted programs/

> spywares/viruses/adwares/etc. Straightening out annoying settings and

> so on, either way she worked beautifully....for a fews months, went

> online and did everything you could ask of it.

>

> And then...this is where it goes bad...because the of issues with the

> computer there was no virus software on it...it was taken to a risky

> website and it all went downhill from there. It started running slow

> and was constantly lagged down with nasty bugs running in the

> background all the time. I wanted to fix it the right way this time so

> I figured my best shot was the get the floppy drive working, I sent it

> to be cleaned out on the inside, removal of dust and what not. Well it

> was returned without a working floppy drive or cd drive! Any disc put

> in it now just whirrs for a few seconds and then does nothing.

>

> If I get an XP upgrade will it still force the computer to boot and go

> on with the install? As of currently it will only boot in safe mode an

> area I know nothing about....

>

> Any help would be appreciated...

> Thanks,

> Topaz.

[Guest Malke]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

Topazprincess77 wrote:

 

See comments inline.

>

> Why would the machine be unsuitable? ME ---DOES--- Upgrade to XP, also

> 98 will even upgrade to XP so why would this ME be unsuitable?

 

I didn't say it would be unsuitable; I said it *might* be unsuitable because

you didn't give us the computer specs. XP requires a lot more hardware

power than Win9x/ME did. It will also be important to have XP drivers for

your hardware. With very old hardware, this can be difficult, especially

since so much OEM hardware is proprietary. Or it may not be difficult to

find XP drivers, but it is foolish not to check first. See the end of this

post for how to find out what hardware is in your computer.

> Also no I do not have the recovery discs...they were stolen along with

> a bag of music CD's during moving. I could probably get the specs,

> where would I find them? I know it has a good size hard-drive for a ME

> it's 40 gigs, twice the space of the PC I'm using right now which is

> an old 98...I also have a very old 95 that I got when I was 11...10

> years ago and it still works beautifully, yet another reason for me to

> ask why ME would be SO old and unsuitable?

 

A 40GB hard drive will work for XP. You need at least 256MB of RAM, with

512MB being much better. I forget offhand the lower limit for the

processor, but a PIII 400 or 500 will do. XP will be slow but quite usable

for email, web-surfing, and 2D programs like an older Office suite.

> I wouldn't even consider upgrading a beautiful OS to XP if I wasn't

> forced to, I don't care for the XP OS at all, but I'm thinking it's my

> only option.

 

It isn't an option if XP won't run on that machine. You need to be sure that

it will before you go buy XP. You might also want to purchase recovery

disks from the computer mftr. instead. If the computer mftr. no longer

carries restore disks for such an old machine, you can look on this

website:

 

http://restoredisks.com/

 

I haven't purchased anything from them, but other people have posted here in

the newsgroup that they did and were satisfied.

> And I dont have to get into the BIOS the pc is already set up to boot

> from disk first, so that shouldn't be a problem and also I believe the

> CD drive DOES work but that maybe a virus is preventing the computer

> from running a standard disk, a bootable disk is more forceful then

> trying to pop in a video game or music disk...

 

Well, you didn't say that. You just said the optical and floppy drives

didn't work.

>

> I just don't wanna waste the money on an upgrade if it's not going to

> work, but in theory it sounds like it should.....

 

Never try and upgrade a faulty operating system. It will fail and you

certainly won't get rid of spyware, viruses, and other damage done to the

operating system by installing XP. If you want to salvage this computer, do

a clean install, preferably with the operating system for which the

computer was designed. Since you are one of the few people on the planet

who actually liked WinME, that would be the best OS for you to stick with.

Just make sure you install a firewall and antivirus and understand that ME,

like the Win9x OSs, is not a secure operating system and you need to be

extra careful with it on the Internet.

 

Here is general information about how to find out what hardware is in your

computer:

 

1. Read any documentation you got when you bought the computer.

2. If the computer is OEM, go to the OEM's website for your specific model

machine and look at the specs (you'll be there to get the drivers anyway)

3. Download, install and run a free system inventory program like Belarc

Advisor or System Information for Windows.

 

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html - Belarc Advisor

http://www.gtopala.com/ - System Information for Windows

 

 

Malke

--

MS-MVP

Elephant Boy Computers

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com

Don't Panic!

[Guest VanguardLH]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

"Topazprincess77" wrote in message

news:1c09d555-f924-4bc1-af02-563d055825e0@c33g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...

> Hello,

> I have Windows ME OS on one of my computers, it came from a

> questionable background with many viruses and spyware, I have tried

> and tried to get this computer up and running.

 

To me that sounds like you know that you have an illegal copy of

Windows ME on the host and want to upgrade to Windows XP. You cannot

legally *upgrade* from an illegal copy. Get an OEM version (cheaper

than a retail version) and start afresh.

[Guest HeyBub]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

Topazprincess77 wrote:

> If I get an XP upgrade will it still force the computer to boot and go

> on with the install? As of currently it will only boot in safe mode an

> area I know nothing about....

>

> Any help would be appreciated...

 

"Safe" mode is a running system with minimal drivers, add-ons, and resident

programs. For more information, select "Help" then "safe mode."

 

I'd start over with a working system. You can get Win98 installation

materials on Ebay for $30-$40 (be sure to check the reputation of the

seller). You may have an acquantaince that has an old, unused, version of

Win98 lying about that you can use long enough to run the Windows XP

Advisor.

 

It is possible in the extreme that on any given machine, XP will not work

and cannot be made to work.

[Guest Patrick Keenan]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

"Topazprincess77" <topazprincess77@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:008abf59-7858-4cf0-affc-3c316f9e3155@p25g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...

> Hello again....

>

> Why would the machine be unsuitable? ME ---DOES--- Upgrade to XP,

 

You need to distinguish between the hardware and the OS.

> also

> 98 will even upgrade to XP so why would this ME be unsuitable?

 

The hardware may be inadequate or insufficient for XP, or drivers may not be

available.

 

> Also no I do not have the recovery discs...

 

That's a problem because without an ME install CD, you cannot wipe the drive

and install XP clean with an XP Upgrade Edtion disk (these are significantly

less expensive). You don't need to install ME first - but early in the

XP install you will be asked to provide the upgrade qualifier, which is the

ME CD. You put it in when asked and take it out when prompted, a few

seconds later.

> they were stolen along with

> a bag of music CD's during moving. I could probably get the specs,

> where would I find them? I know it has a good size hard-drive for a ME

> it's 40 gigs, twice the space of the PC I'm using right now which is

> an old 98...I also have a very old 95 that I got when I was 11...10

> years ago and it still works beautifully, yet another reason for me to

> ask why ME would be SO old and unsuitable?

 

Again it's not a question of Windows ME. It's a question of the hardware.

>

> I wouldn't even consider upgrading a beautiful OS to XP if I wasn't

> forced to, I don't care for the XP OS at all, but I'm thinking it's my

> only option.

>

> And I dont have to get into the BIOS the pc is already set up to boot

> from disk first, so that shouldn't be a problem and also I believe the

> CD drive DOES work but that maybe a virus is preventing the computer

> from running a standard disk, a bootable disk is more forceful then

> trying to pop in a video game or music disk...

 

Here's an inexpensive test. Get a friend or an internet cafe to go to the

Ubuntu site and download and burn the newest Ubuntu Desktop to CD. Ubuntu

is a popular, fairly easy to use Linux-based operating system that you can

run from CD.

 

Put that disk in the CD drive and power-cycle the PC, turn the power off

then on.

 

If it doesn't boot to the Ubuntu and at least attempt to load the Desktop,

the CD drive is not working or the CD is not first in the boot order.

 

>

> I just don't wanna waste the money on an upgrade if it's not going to

> work, but in theory it sounds like it should.....

>

> So do you think it will work and if not, why?

 

Need to know what the system hardware specs are, to answer that question.

 

HTH

-pk

>

> Thanks again!

> Topaz.

>

[Guest Bill in Co.]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

I think a clean (formatted disk) install of WinME would be your best bet at

this point, since you KNOW the system was originally set up for (and ran

well with) WinME, and you don't have to worry about the performance hits and

*potential compatibility problems* of being able to run WinXP. But you'll

have to search around to find a new WinME CD, though. And/or iF you can't

find a new WinME CD, another option would be Win98SE.

 

But if you can't find either, I suppose you could always bite the bullet,

and try WinXP. (Just be prepared for some potential compatibility problems

there, and definite performance hits, on an older computer). Still, you

had said you preferred ME, and your machine ran well with that, so I'd go

that route.

 

Topazprincess77 wrote:

> Hello,

> I have Windows ME OS on one of my computers, it came from a

> questionable background with many viruses and spyware, I have tried

> and tried to get this computer up and running. The original goal was

> to get it online, I have DSL and it refused to load webpages. I spent

> a little more than a week, night and day removing unwanted programs/

> spywares/viruses/adwares/etc. Straightening out annoying settings and

> so on, either way she worked beautifully....for a fews months, went

> online and did everything you could ask of it.

>

> And then...this is where it goes bad...because the of issues with the

> computer there was no virus software on it...it was taken to a risky

> website and it all went downhill from there. It started running slow

> and was constantly lagged down with nasty bugs running in the

> background all the time. I wanted to fix it the right way this time so

> I figured my best shot was the get the floppy drive working, I sent it

> to be cleaned out on the inside, removal of dust and what not. Well it

> was returned without a working floppy drive or cd drive! Any disc put

> in it now just whirrs for a few seconds and then does nothing.

>

> If I get an XP upgrade will it still force the computer to boot and go

> on with the install? As of currently it will only boot in safe mode an

> area I know nothing about....

>

> Any help would be appreciated...

> Thanks,

> Topaz.

[Guest Topazprincess77]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

Hello everyone,

Thank you all so much for replying and trying to help me, I really,

really do appreciate it alot, thank you.

 

Also lets just clarify a few things...Ideally I prefer w98 SE, as it

truly is my favorite OS and yet I can appreciate and enjoy w95 and ME

as well, my issues with XP is that MS changed too much. They took what

was a long running beautiful interface and altered too many things,

there is just some stuff about XP that annoys me, while I know it is a

more "Stable" OS...I am sure in few years it will be looked at like

junk as well, everything is always getting better, more stable, more

secure, etc. But with vista and all the other new gen OS' it will be

proven faulty as well, not that there is anything wrong with XP, that

is just how evolution works.

 

I have two XP's in my house as well, along with the 95, 98 SE and the

ME. Three are online, we want to fix the ME and four online, everyone

in my family has their own computer but we're currently one short.

 

ALSO I assure you that this is NOT an illegal machine, It was my

aunts, but many people were allowed to use the computer freely and

many installed questionable things and or went to questionable sites.

The computer was and has for years been without anti-virus software,

that is partially why I say questionable because it was at the mercy

of any threat.

The machine was bought Legally from a girl my aunt knew, the previous

owner bought it brand new and had it for few months but she hated the

thing. So she sold it to my aunt for $700 it came with all its papers,

books, software, recovery disks, warranty, etc. But when my aunt moved

to this state to live with us, she had a couple she knew help her move

and she had a bag of cd's, mostly music cd's worth well over $200 that

the couple stole from her, in that bag was the recovery disks.

 

Yet we still have all the papers and booklets, etc. Warranty long

ended though.

 

The machine is aprox. 7yrs old.

 

I would love to get the ME running smooth, I would be fine with it

running w98 SE, ME or XP...Since my aunt will mostly be the only one

using it, the OS doesn't matter much to me, so long as it works.

Also I had no idea you could "downgrade" to an older OS, we could

really put w98 SE on there?

 

Patrick:

I don't know much about linux and never heard of ubuntu, could you

explain this in more detail?

 

Also as I said before the current state of the PC is an unresponsive,

but reactive floppy and cd drive...meaning it will recognize media put

in and try to run it, but never seems to be able to get it going. It

only starts in safe mode and refuses to boot in windows, I can throw

it into DOS though, but those are the only start modes it wants to run

right now. I also know hardly nothing about Safe Mode and DOS so they

are very unfamilliar territory to me. It will not open any programs as

I said because it only goes in safe mode I am prompted with a message

telling me it will not open/start these things in safe mode.

 

I am completely un-concerned about what is currently on the PC...I

want it wiped clean, don't want nothing from it. Just wanna get the

darn thing running again...

 

I'll work on getting the specs, but as its in a box right now I can't

exactly type in the #'s from the machine, so thats gonna be tricky.

I'll go check out the restoredisks website and I await more info on

the linux thingy.

 

Thank you all again,

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Topaz

[Guest Daave]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

Topazprincess77 wrote:

> Ideally I prefer w98 SE, as it truly is my favorite OS

 

<snip>

> ALSO I assure you that this is NOT an illegal machine

 

<snip>

> The machine is aprox. 7yrs old.

 

<snip>

> I am completely un-concerned about what is currently on the PC...I

> want it wiped clean, don't want nothing from it. Just wanna get the

> darn thing running again...

 

It sounds like you have a license to run Windows ME on this particular

PC. What is the make and model? Does it have a Certificate of

Authenticity sticker affixed to the case? If so, what operating system

is it? DO NOT tell us the product key!!!!!

 

You already know about http://www.restoredisks.com/ . If you prefer

98SE, you could perform a cleean install of that as well. Disks can be

found at:

 

http://www.pricewatch.com/software_oper_system/windows_98_se.htm

 

Make sure you buy from a reputable business. Get the disk (not just a

license)! Retail or generic OEM will suffice. Here's one hit:

 

http://www.trustprice.com/Microsoft_Windows_98_2nd_Second/730-00847_CD_/partinfo-id-555674.html

 

And more:

 

http://www.9software.com/Windows_98_SE_Second_Edition_OEM_p/win98seoem.htm

 

http://www.9software.com/product_p/win98seretcd.htm

 

And another:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-98-Second-Edition/dp/B00002JV62

 

For further assistance, you should check out the following newsgroup (to

which I am now cross-posting):

 

microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion

[Guest Topazprincess77]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

Alright...

Yes I do have a liscence, the PC is 100% legal, it does have its

authenticity sticker on it as well.

I believe it's a HP Pavillion XE748 and it runs ME.

[Guest Bob Harris]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

Your computer may have several levels of problems.

 

First, you already know it has some malware (virus, Trojan, etc).

 

As for the cleaning you mention, that sounds like mechanical cleaning, such

as vacuuming. That would not help with any software issues.

 

As for the floppy and CD drive, if they were working before you sent it out,

demand that the company that did the cleaning repair/replace them. If they

were not working beforehand, then you were merely guessing/hoping that some

sort of cleaning would fix them. It did not.

 

At this point I would suggest several fairly drastic actions:

 

1. Disconnect from the internet.

2. Get a new floppy drive and a new CD drive. Given the cost, I would go

for a DVD-writer, which also reads DVDs, and reads and writes CDs. A plain

CD reader will be cheaper, but not by much. Check both local stores and

on-line stores. Note that CD-reading is automatic with 98 and higher, and

that is all you need to install programs. But, CD\DVD writing requires

extra software. Some software often comes with the hardware, but it may

have minimal functionality. Better software can be purchased separately

(e.g., full Nero or full Easy Media Creator), and there are even some decent

free writing packages. Do not worry about these software packages, until

after you get the PC working and then want to write a CD or DVD:

 

http://www.deepburner.com/ (offers basic free burner and enhanced version

for a price)

 

3. Using either a boot floppy or a bootable CD, erase the hard drive. Not

just format, but erase/overwrite every single bit on it, including the boot

record. Use something like FDISK to remove all partitions, or a special disk

wiping software. See the following link for a bootable CD with many tools:

 

http://ubcd.sourceforge.net/

 

4. Create new partitions via boot floppy (i.e., FDISK) or via bootable CD,

partitioning or disk preparation tools. Choose FAT32 for 98 or ME. This

can be optional, if all you want is one big C:\ partition. However, I

strongly recommend a separate partition for personal files, if not a

separate hard drive.

 

5. Install your favorite operating system. Operating system CDs are

bootable, and will usually create one big partition (C:\), unless you

pre-make partitions, or perform a custom installation. If considering

upgrading to XP, first check whether your hardware meets the minimum

requirements for XP, and whether you have a full set of drivers for any

peripherals. XP will automatically handle most mice, keyboards, simple

monitors, some printers. You could run the XP upgrade advisor, free from

Microsoft, after you re-install ME. If things look good, then you could

either upgrade to XP, or better yet, do a clean install of XP. This advisor

can be downloaded on another computer and then copied to yours.

 

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/upgrading/advisor.mspx

 

Hint: To be happy with XP, have a minimum of 256 Meg of RAM. And, more is

better. XP may run on 128 Meg or less, but you won't like it.

 

6. Before going on the internet, and before reading any DOC, XLS, etc.

(which might be infected), install an antivirus !!! Also install a

firewall. If cost is an issue, there are several free ones. Be sure to

check that they support your operating system. Some only support XP or

higher. AVG is a free antivirus that support 98 and higher, thus ME. See

the following links for some options:

 

http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads29.html

http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads34.html

 

Caution: Do not install more than one antivirus and one firewall. Two or

more may fight each other.

 

6. Also install a anti-spyware program, which is different than anti-virus.

A good free one is Spybot Search & Destroy:

 

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

 

Others are listed here:

 

http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads31.html

 

7. Re-connect to the internet. You may need to run some installation CD

for the DSL. Contact your ISP about that.

 

8. Get some backup software, such as Norton GHOST or Acronis TrueImage, or

similar product. Get a USB hard drive, and make an image of the

C:\partition. Also make a copy (not an image) of your personal data. How,

in the event that the PC gets a software problem, whether it be a bad

install/uninstall or a virus, you will have the option to restore the PC.

Note that most backup/restore programs will not fix a boot record problem,

unless you backup/restore the entire hard drive. But, that can be done

separately via FDISK. The latest version of TrueImage is one that can

backup/restore the boot record as part of a partition backup. (If you have

one big C:\ drive partition is almost the same as whole drive, except for

the boot record.)

 

9. Install any other software, such as office suite, CD writer, etc.

 

10. Occasionally make a new image of the C:\ partition. Frequently make a

copy of your personal files. In fact, occasionally write personal files to

CD or DVD. Use standard optical format (not drag&drop), finalize (or close)

the CD\DVD, store in a dark, cool, dry place.

 

11. Update your antivirus definitions at least weekly !!! Some anti-virus

programs check for new definitions and pop-up asking you to download them,

some do it automatically (if you let them), but others require you to

manually go get them. Learn which type you have.

 

12. Check for ant-spyware updates every week or two. This is usually less

important than antivirus, but at DSL speed, it should only take seconds to

check and less than an minute to update. That is time worth spending.

 

Good luck.

 

 

 

"Topazprincess77" <topazprincess77@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:1c09d555-f924-4bc1-af02-563d055825e0@c33g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...

> Hello,

> I have Windows ME OS on one of my computers, it came from a

> questionable background with many viruses and spyware, I have tried

> and tried to get this computer up and running. The original goal was

> to get it online, I have DSL and it refused to load webpages. I spent

> a little more than a week, night and day removing unwanted programs/

> spywares/viruses/adwares/etc. Straightening out annoying settings and

> so on, either way she worked beautifully....for a fews months, went

> online and did everything you could ask of it.

>

> And then...this is where it goes bad...because the of issues with the

> computer there was no virus software on it...it was taken to a risky

> website and it all went downhill from there. It started running slow

> and was constantly lagged down with nasty bugs running in the

> background all the time. I wanted to fix it the right way this time so

> I figured my best shot was the get the floppy drive working, I sent it

> to be cleaned out on the inside, removal of dust and what not. Well it

> was returned without a working floppy drive or cd drive! Any disc put

> in it now just whirrs for a few seconds and then does nothing.

>

> If I get an XP upgrade will it still force the computer to boot and go

> on with the install? As of currently it will only boot in safe mode an

> area I know nothing about....

>

> Any help would be appreciated...

> Thanks,

> Topaz.

[Guest Gary S. Terhune]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

Right-click My Computer, then click Properties. What are the Speed and RAM

numbers?

 

--

Gary S. Terhune

MS-MVP Shell/User

http://www.grystmill.com

 

"Topazprincess77" <topazprincess77@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:8388af16-0c01-4abc-9936-85b540744128@c33g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...

> Alright...

> Yes I do have a liscence, the PC is 100% legal, it does have its

> authenticity sticker on it as well.

> I believe it's a HP Pavillion XE748 and it runs ME.

[Guest Gary S. Terhune]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

Max out that RAM to 512MB and you should be fine.

 

--

Gary S. Terhune

MS-MVP Shell/User

http://www.grystmill.com

 

"Topazprincess77" <topazprincess77@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:8388af16-0c01-4abc-9936-85b540744128@c33g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...

> Alright...

> Yes I do have a liscence, the PC is 100% legal, it does have its

> authenticity sticker on it as well.

> I believe it's a HP Pavillion XE748 and it runs ME.

[Guest Gary S. Terhune]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

Sorry, forget that. I thought you were upgrading to XP. I can't see your

original post.

 

--

Gary S. Terhune

MS-MVP Shell/User

http://www.grystmill.com

 

"Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message

news:ON5z%23GrhIHA.4744@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> Max out that RAM to 512MB and you should be fine.

>

> --

> Gary S. Terhune

> MS-MVP Shell/User

> http://www.grystmill.com

>

> "Topazprincess77" <topazprincess77@hotmail.com> wrote in message

> news:8388af16-0c01-4abc-9936-85b540744128@c33g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...

>> Alright...

>> Yes I do have a liscence, the PC is 100% legal, it does have its

>> authenticity sticker on it as well.

>> I believe it's a HP Pavillion XE748 and it runs ME.

>

[Guest Daave]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

Topazprincess77 wrote:

> Alright...

> Yes I do have a liscence, the PC is 100% legal, it does have its

> authenticity sticker on it as well.

> I believe it's a HP Pavillion XE748 and it runs ME.

 

Restoredisks.com will sell it to you for $26.99, including standard

shipping.

 

Or you can install 98SE instead if you wish.

 

If you need drivers, see:

 

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareCategory?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=59947&lang=en&

 

Note the operating systems.

[Guest Daave]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

Gary, she was replying to me. The problem is that she snipped

everything! Here's the post:

 

news:eJAaXJqhIHA.5900@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl

 

 

Gary S. Terhune wrote:

> Sorry, forget that. I thought you were upgrading to XP. I can't see

> your original post.

>

>

> "Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message

> news:ON5z%23GrhIHA.4744@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>> Max out that RAM to 512MB and you should be fine.

>>

>> --

>> Gary S. Terhune

>> MS-MVP Shell/User

>> http://www.grystmill.com

>>

>> "Topazprincess77" <topazprincess77@hotmail.com> wrote in message

>> news:8388af16-0c01-4abc-9936-85b540744128@c33g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...

>>> Alright...

>>> Yes I do have a liscence, the PC is 100% legal, it does have its

>>> authenticity sticker on it as well.

>>> I believe it's a HP Pavillion XE748 and it runs ME.

[Guest PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

Full thread:

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/browse_frm/thread/47c9ae0ae9c8e6d5

 

OP's first post:

 

<QP>

I have Windows ME OS on one of my computers, it came from a questionable

background with many viruses and spyware, I have tried and tried to get this

computer up and running. The original goal was to get it online, I have DSL

and it refused to load webpages. I spent a little more than a week, night

and day removing unwanted programs/ spywares/viruses/adwares/etc.

Straightening out annoying settings and so on, either way she worked

beautifully....for a fews months, went online and did everything you could

ask of it.

 

And then...this is where it goes bad...because the of issues with the

computer there was no virus software on it...it was taken to a risky website

and it all went downhill from there. It started running slow and was

constantly lagged down with nasty bugs running in the background all the

time. I wanted to fix it the right way this time so I figured my best shot

was the get the floppy drive working, I sent it to be cleaned out on the

inside, removal of dust and what not. Well it was returned without a working

floppy drive or cd drive! Any disc put in it now just whirrs for a few

seconds and then does nothing.

 

If I get an XP upgrade will it still force the computer to boot and go on

with the install? As of currently it will only boot in safe mode an area I

know nothing about....

</QP>

Source:

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/msg/8f2ae26263ebac5f

--

~Robear

 

Gary S. Terhune wrote:

> Sorry, forget that. I thought you were upgrading to XP. I can't see your

> original post.

<snip>

[Guest Gary S. Terhune]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

OK, then I think I'll stay away, thank you, <g>.

 

--

Gary S. Terhune

MS-MVP Shell/User

http://www.grystmill.com

 

"PA Bear [MS MVP]" <PABearMVP@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:eJ%23UKkshIHA.6084@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> Full thread:

> http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/browse_frm/thread/47c9ae0ae9c8e6d5

>

> OP's first post:

>

> <QP>

> I have Windows ME OS on one of my computers, it came from a questionable

> background with many viruses and spyware, I have tried and tried to get

> this computer up and running. The original goal was to get it online, I

> have DSL and it refused to load webpages. I spent a little more than a

> week, night and day removing unwanted programs/

> spywares/viruses/adwares/etc. Straightening out annoying settings and so

> on, either way she worked beautifully....for a fews months, went online

> and did everything you could ask of it.

>

> And then...this is where it goes bad...because the of issues with the

> computer there was no virus software on it...it was taken to a risky

> website and it all went downhill from there. It started running slow and

> was constantly lagged down with nasty bugs running in the background all

> the time. I wanted to fix it the right way this time so I figured my best

> shot was the get the floppy drive working, I sent it to be cleaned out on

> the inside, removal of dust and what not. Well it was returned without a

> working floppy drive or cd drive! Any disc put in it now just whirrs for a

> few seconds and then does nothing.

>

> If I get an XP upgrade will it still force the computer to boot and go on

> with the install? As of currently it will only boot in safe mode an area I

> know nothing about....

> </QP>

> Source:

> http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/msg/8f2ae26263ebac5f

> --

> ~Robear

>

> Gary S. Terhune wrote:

>> Sorry, forget that. I thought you were upgrading to XP. I can't see your

>> original post.

> <snip>

[Guest MEB]

Re: Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me?

 

 

This post is to summarize where the issues presently stand for those who

might wish to help you.

 

To answer the question "Will Windows XP Upgrade Help Me", NO based upon

your statement lower in the threads that it is infected. An upgrade would

likely just transfer whatever is infecting your computer to the XP OS.

To use XP you would need the FULL install disk, as you would have to format

the existing disk to remove whatever is corrupting it. You would also need

to ensure the computer is XP capable. This would also cause you to loose the

HP restore partition, as well as ME restore points, if they were used.

 

IF it starts at all [apparently use Millenium], then the normal procedure

would be to further attempt to remove the existing corruption code via

removal tools. You also state that for some reason anti-virus and

anti-SpyWare tools could not be installed, perhaps an explanation is order

for WHY you though they could not be installed.

In the lower threads, I see that you now have no CD or floppy disk. Here

the issue MAY be that someone messed up the BIOS settings so these are no

longer detected at POST. You state its an HP Pavilion XE748:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/prodinfoCategory?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=59947&lang=en

 

--

 

MEB

http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com

_________

 

 

"Topazprincess77" <topazprincess77@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:8388af16-0c01-4abc-9936-85b540744128@c33g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...

| Alright...

| Yes I do have a liscence, the PC is 100% legal, it does have its

| authenticity sticker on it as well.

| I believe it's a HP Pavillion XE748 and it runs ME.