Windows Me

This page provides instructions for completing both an Upgrade of Me over an existing Windows 9x system and a clean install onto a freshly formatted partition.

Internet Explorer 5.5 SP1 - The version of IE 5.5 that ships with the Windows Me CD is buggy. You should upgrade to IE 5.5 with Service Pack 1 as soon as possible. This will elimate many of the common problems that people have with IE crashes.

Internet Explorer 6.0 Public Preview - This is still a beta release but works well. Remember that if you do upgrade to IE 6 with this beta you should remember to uninstall it prior to reinstalling Windows Me or when the final version of IE 6 is released. Alternative link here

Using System Restore - This MVP site contains everything you need to know about using one of the best features that Me offers. Also included are links to Knowledge Base articles to further enhance your use of this valuable system tool

ActiveWin.comWindows Me Section

Windows Me Independent Review - authored by "Moon" this site gives an independent overview of the pros and cons the author found with installing Me. There is also a place to vote for or against Me which is a neat feature! I like the unbiased approach the author took when writing about his experience.

Windows Me DOS - Run DOS programs by creating a dual boot DOS system for Me. This works great for Partition Magic and Drive Image Pro users!

Windows Me FAQ - from the same MVPs who brought you the Windows Me DOS fix you find several other helpful tips to fix problems with Me.

Ultimate BootDisk for Windows Me - This freeware bootdisk contains all the apps you need to troubleshoot your Windows Me system from DOS. Included are partitioning software, virus scanning, system tests, installers and much more. Make sure you click on the "Please Read Instructions" icon on the Home page before you download the Windows Me version of the Ultimate BootDisk.

ME Quick Boot Disk - Me doesn't enable you to make a bootable floppy other than the Me Startup Disk. Download this little batch file I created to facilitate this. Just check out the readme.txt file for instructions

Windows Media Player 6.4 - Do you dislike the bulk of Media Player 7? If so use Media Player 6.4 and associate your media files with it instead. Select a media file with a single left click to highlight. Next hold down the Shift Key and give it a right click. Choose "Open With..." and in the Open With Box scroll to find Windows Media Player. Check the box that says "Always use this program....." and Ok out. Reverse the procedure to re-associate with MP7 if you desire to.

Adding QuickView to Windows Me - QuickView was removed from Windows Me but you can get some of the functionality back with a tip at this link.

NewsGroup Help

These groups have been put together by Microsoft to assist you with different problems related to Windows Me. Clicking a link will open Outlook Express and launch you into the newsgroup. You will need to subscribe to the group if you wish to have it remain in OLE.

microsoft.public.windowsme.general
    microsoft.public.windowsme.hardware
        microsoft.public.windowsme.internet
            microsoft.public.windowsme.new-user
                microsoft.public.windowsme.setup
                    microsoft.public.windowsme.software

[TOP]

Upgrading Windows 9x
These instructions are the same whether you are using the Windows Me Promotional Disk , the Windows Me Upgrade Disk or the Windows Me Full version. The only difference between the two upgrades is that the Promo version will only upgrade an Windows 98 or 98 SE systems. The Windows Me Upgrade for Windows 95/98 will upgrade either system. An upgrade can be done with a Full version disk as well. (note that Windows Me will not upgrade Windows 3x). Consult the compatibility links below for hardware and software issues.

1) Before you do the upgrade make sure you clean your system. Run a virus scan. Open My Computer and right click the C drive. Then select "Properties" and click the Disk Cleanup button. Clean up all of the Temporary Internet files, the Recycle Bin and other Temporary file folders by checking the box next to the item shown. Once your disk is clean then click on the Tools Tab and select the option to Defragment your drive. This will make sure your system is nice and tidy for the upgrade.
Remember the three most important first steps in installing a new system is to Backup, Backup, Backup

2) The next thing you should do is uninstall your antivirus program if you have one. Just disabling it with Ctrl+Alt+Del is not enough because Millennium (Me) will reboot 2 times before it finishes. Your virus program will restart when the computer reboots unless it is disabled from auto starting. While you could set it to not autostart during the Me install it is best to simply uninstall it. You can reinstall the antivirus program once you have finished installing Me. Uninstall disk management tools like Norton System Works, Nuts & Bolts etc. If you wish to use these types of disk maintenance programs you should upgrade to versions that support Windows Me as older version can be very problematic. Be aware that Norton Antivirus 2000 and lower causes problems with Me. You should upgrade to the NAV 2001 version after you install Me.

3)You are now ready to upgrade. Close all of your programs first and disconnect from the Internet. Do not use Ctrl+Alt+Del for this as it may interfere with the setup. Now put the Windows Me CD into the CD-Rom drive. A screen should pop open that refers to Windows Me and will ask you if you want to upgrade. Click OK. Personally I advise running setup from DOS rather than from Windows. Boot with any startup disk that has CD-Rom support like your Windows 98 Startup Disk and then run setup from the CD-Rom drive.

4) The Me installation will begin and will take about 40- 50 minutes. First it will do a check of your system to make sure you have enough room and that the hard drive is in good shape. Next it will ask if you Agree to the License agreement. If you click OK then you will be asked for your Product Key. This is found on the Jewel Case or Disk Cover that came with the Windows Me CD

5) Next you will be asked if you want to save your current Setup. This will take about 110MB of space. If you have the space it is a good idea to answer Yes. This way, if you don't like Me, you can go back to the version you were using. If you do like Me you can delete the backup later.

6)Next you will be asked to make a Windows Startup Disk. You should make one by putting a floppy into the drive. The Windows Me Startup disk is a Real DOS disk and can be used just as the previous versions where used.

7) Once this is done you can sit back while Windows Me installs. It will take about 35 minutes depending on the speed of your computer. I said it will restart your computer twice during the upgrade process.

8) When Me is finally installed it will play a short video which you can cancel by pressing ALT+F4 or let it run.

9) When your computer is finished installing and you are back at the new Windows Me Desktop you should right click on My Computer and select "Properties" then click the Device Manager Tab. If there are any Yellow marks next to your hardware you will need to install drivers for the hardware from the original disks or updates from the hardware manufacturer's site.

10) Once you have your system setup and running you should find that all of your previous settings work fine. At this point it will be wise to go to Programs->Accessories->System Tools->System Restore and "Create a new restore point".

11) Spend some time with the Online Help file found at Start->Help.

12) Internet Explorer 5.5 SP1 - The version of IE 5.5 that ships with the Windows Me CD is buggy. You should upgrade to IE 5.5 with Service Pack 1 as soon as possible. This will elimate many of the common problems that people have with Windows Me instability.

[TOP]

Clean Install of Windows Me
A clean install refers to installing, from DOS, to a freshly formatted partition. A clean install is usually done with a Windows Me Full Version CD but a clean install can also be done with a Windows Me Upgrade or Promotional Disk provided you have a prior version of Windows 9x to satisfy the request for Authenticity that is checked for at the beginning of the install. (note that the Promo version of Windows Me will need a Windows 98 or 98SE disk to satisfy the request. A Restore CD of the type that often ships with new PCs will not satisfy the request.)

1) To clean install you need to prepare the disk. If your Hard Drive has already been FDISKed it will contain at least one partition. This partition needs to be formatted. You can use any DOS boot disk that is DOS 6.22 or higher. Preferably you should use a disk with CD-Rom support. It must also contain the file FORMAT.COM. A Windows 98 Startup Disk works fine. If you need help with FDISK go here . If you need a boot disk you can get one here www.bootdisk.com

2) Boot with the boot disk and at the A:> type FORMAT C: and format the drive. Once it is finished with the format you can switch to the location of your Windows Me CD. Just type the drive letter for your CD-Rom at the A:>. If you use a Windows 98 Startup Disk and you have only one hard drive and one partition your CD-Rom drive letter will be E. This is because the Startup Disk builds a RAM disk for Help files and designates this RAM disk as D.

3) Once you have switched to the location of the Windows Me CD you can type SETUP.EXE and the installation will begin. The installation time is generally a bit longer for a clean install than an upgrade given that all your hardware needs to be detected and drivers installed. It should not take longer than 45 - 60 minutes depending on your system speed.

4) During the install Windows Me will check your hard drive by running scandisk first. Then it will check for the required amount of space. Finally you will be asked for your agreement with the End User License. If you Agree you will be asked to supply your Product Key. This is found in the packaging that your Windows Me CD came in.

5) Next you will be advised to make a Windows Startup Disk. You should make one by putting a floppy into the drive. The Windows Me Startup disk is a Real DOS disk and can be used just as the previous versions were used.

6) You will be prompted to supply information about yourself and your location. Then you can sit back and wait while Windows Me installs. It will reboot itself twice during the installation process.

7) Before coming to the final Desktop you will be asked to supply a username and password. You must type a user name but DO NOT enter a password. (If you wish to setup passwords you can do so later through the control Panel.) Just click the OK button and you will see Windows Me make some final system configurations and then you will be greeted with a short video about the operating system. You can cancel this at any time by pressing ALT+F4

8) Because Windows Me has limited drivers you may need to reinstall your old drivers for some hardware. When your computer is finished installing and you are back at the new Windows Me Desktop you should right click on My Computer and select "Properties" then click the Device Manager Tab. If there are any Yellow marks next to your hardware you will need to install drivers for the hardware from the original disks or updates from the hardware manufacturer's site.

9) Once you have your system setup and running you should go to Programs->Accessories->System Tools->System Restore and "Create a new restore point".

10) Spend some time with the Online Help file found at Start->Help.

11) Internet Explorer 5.5 SP1 - The version of IE 5.5 that ships with the Windows Me CD is buggy. You should upgrade to IE 5.5 with Service Pack 1 as soon as possible. This will elimate many of the common problems that people have with Windows Me instability.

[TOP]

Reverting Back To Windows 9x Without Reformatting

If you did an upgrade over Windows 9x and saved your previous setup you can revert back to that version through the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel. Just select the option to "Remove Windows Millennium Edition" and you will have a wee bit of clean up to do after such as deleting the "_Restore" folder left behind by Windows Me. Of course you already knew that.

But what if you chose not to save your old Windows 9x setup? Or you did a clean install, installed your favorite apps, ran Me for awhile and then decided you want to revert back to Windows 9x? Generally you are told you have to reformat and do a fresh install of your favorite OS. This can be a real PIA. However I've found that you can use a process for doing a "Clean Install Without Reformatting". You will need to have a Windows 9x Startup Disk that corresponds to the OS you are reverting back and you will need your Windows 9x CD but the process is fairly painless. I've done this a couple of times and it seems to work fine.

The instructions below will tell you how to retain most of your data and information on your drive. Primarily you will be erasing the Windows Operating System files stored in the C:\Windows directory. The information stored in other locations such as My Documents and folders you created that reside outside of C:\Windows will not be erased. The usual warning still applies and that is to make sure you Backup any important data.

Getting Ready

1) You need a Windows 9x Startup Disk which corresponds to the OS you are reinstalling. Do not use a Windows Me Startup disk for this. You can download an appropriate version from here www.bootdisk.com if you don't have one. Ensure that the Startup Disk contains an application file called DELTREE.EXE . If Deltree.exe is not on your Startup Disk then do a search for it on your Hard Drive and copy it to the Startup Disk. Try booting with the Startup Disk to ensure that it works!

2) Make sure you have driver disks for your Modem or have your settings written down for your DSL or Cable connections. Ensure that you have access to drivers for your Hardware. You can visit this site to find drivers if needed The Driver Zone

3) If your Windows OS is working then start transferring the data you don't wish to loose out of C:\Windows. Remember that you will be deleting your C:\Windows directory and all subfolders. You should create a new folder in C:\ and call it something like Backup. Then copy these folders into it -

C:\Windows\Application Data - this folder contains your Outlook Express settings, saved E-mail, newsgroups and settings, Addressbook, and Quick Launch Toolbar items
C:\Windows\Favorites - this folder contains your Internet Favorites bookmarks
C:\My Documents - if you save important info to this folder make sure it is backed up too.
ICQ and other database files that contain your contacts or special settings

4) Remove your System Restore Points. This will free up a lot of space on your system. Go to Control Panel->System Properties->Performance Tab->File Settings->Troubleshooting Tab and check the box to "Disable System Restore". OK out and reboot when prompted.

5) Do a Disk Cleanup and Defrag.

6) Make sure you have the Product Key for your Windows 9x CD-Rom available as you will need to enter it. If you are doing the install with a Windows Upgrade disk make sure you have a version of your previous OS handy to satisfy the authenticity check during the Windows setup. Have your ISP username and password written down as you will need them to setup your internet accounts after the install.

7) Because this procedure will completely strip out your current operating system all of the registry entries will be gone. After the install you will need to reinstall all of your programs/applications and games again. However because you have retained the Program Files folder all of the programs will still be on the Hard Drive usually compete with their settings. For example if you use ICQ then your database of contacts will remain and you won't have to enter them again. If you have special setting in PaintShop Pro then you won't need to set these again either. The same should hold true for your games. However if any settings were written into the registry they will be gone.

Go For It

1) Boot with the Windows 9x Startup disk and at the A:> type and press the Enter Key after each command that follows:

SYS C:
This will transfer the Windows 9x system back to the hard drive.

DELTREE C:\PROGRA~1\INTERN~1
DELTREE C:\PROGRA~1\OUTLOO~1
DELTREE C:\WINDOWS
That will erase Internet Explore 5.5 and Outlook Express 5.5 and will erase your Windows directory and all subfolders and their contents. The process takes a lot longer than Formatting so give it time.

2) When finished you can then change drives to the location of your CD-Rom and type SETUP.EXE . The setup will begin by doing a scandisk and then will ask for your Product Key. It will also require an authenticity check if you are using an Upgrade disk. Windows9x Setup will search for the necessary files and then prompt you to put the CD back into the drive and setup will finish.

3) When prompted for the location to install Windows make sure you enter C:\WINDOWS as the location. Along the way you will need to enter info about yourself and your system and the system should reboot a couple of times during the install process.

4) When you are prompted for a Username and Password you can enter your name as the Username but do not enter anything for the password.

5) You will finally be greeted by the Windows 9x Desktop and will notice that you will have to reset your screen display if you were not using the defaults before.

6) You will notice that the "_Restore" folder is visible in C:\. This was the folder that contained your System Restore Checkpoints under Windows Me. You can simply delete the folder.

Configuring Windows

1) Go to Control Panel->System Properties->Device Manager and check to see that your hardware has been found and installed properly. If there is a Yellow Mark (! banged out) next to any of your hardware you will need to install the drivers for it. Click the Properties button for each device that is banged out and then choose the Driver Tab. You can click on Update Drivers Button and follow the Wizard to install the drivers off the disks that came with your device.

2) Each time you install drivers you will have to reboot. You can save time by clicking cancel and then moving to the next device if you have more than one banged out.

3) Run the Internet Connection Wizard to re-establish your connection for Internet Explorer. If the modem does not connect at first try a reboot before you try reinstalling software. Some modems seem to require an extra reboot even though you are not instructed to do so!

4) Go to the Windows Update Site and download all of the relevant patches and upgrades starting with the Virtual Machine (even though it is not listed first). This can take some time and requires reboots along the way. You can also go to the Windows Corporate site and download and save many of the updates

5) Install WinZip and Tweakui first off.

6) Go to Start->Settings->Folder Options->View Tab and uncheck "Hide file extensions for known file types" and check on "Show all files"

7) Open any folder and go to View and uncheck "As WebPage" then go to View->Folder Options->View Tab and click "Like Current Folder" . You can always go back and reset these later but for ease of reinstalling I find it best to keep it as friendly as possible.

8) If you wish to import the Addressbook you were using in Windows Me you will need to upgrade Internet Explorer to IE 5.5. You can do that from here Internet Explorer 5.5 SP1

Tidying Up
1) Run Go to Start->Run type DEFRAG and hit Enter key and defrag your disk

2) Go to Start->Run type scanregw and backup your registry.

Helpful Hints

- Before you get into this ensure that you have the latest drivers for all of your hardware. Take nothing for granted, remember that Windows 98 was released in June 98---that is a long time ago in computer years <G>

- Make sure you have backups of all your important data.

- You will need to reinstall all of your applications and programs again so if you have downloaded programs make sure you know where to find them. The same holds true for additional screensavers that you like.

- Remember to backup copies of your Address Book and e-mail folders as these will be lost during the Deltree. If you use OLE you can find your Address Book at C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book with the extension .wab. Your e-mail folders are found at C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express. I simply made a backup of the folder C:\Windows\Application Data and then copied it back onto my C:\Windows directory. I then had my Address Book and all of my e-mail folders intact. If you changed the name for the user when you where installing Win 98 you will need to change the name of your Address Book to reflect this. If you can't remember the name you used you can find it by launching OLE and then looking under File. It will be listed in "Log Off". You must make sure your Address Book has that name. Just make the appropriate change to the .wab file. (My Log Off says "Harry Ohrn" therefore my Address Book is called "Harry Ohrn.wab")

- Backup a copy of your Favorites folder. This is found in C:\Windows\Favorites. Just save the entire Favorites folder and then copy it back onto the C:\Windows directory again after the reinstall. It will overwrite the Favorites folder that is created during the re-install and you will have your Favorites back.

- Make sure you have recorded the settings for your internet connection from both Dial Up Networking and Internet Properties as you will have to re-establish all of those. An easy way to do this is to open a window then press Alt+PrintScreen to take a snap shot and save it using MsPaint as a .gif file. You can then open these up after the reinstall and see your settings. A great little freeware program PrintKey simplifies this process.

- Remember that Tweakui and Windows Messaging will not auto install so you will need to get these yourself. The version of Tweakui on the Win98 CD is buggy you can get a functional version by going here Tweakui For 98 and checking out Tweakui For 98. Make sure you have a copy of WinZip to install. You can link to that site from WinZip 8.0

- Windows Messaging and MS Fax are found on the Win98 CD at \tools\oldWin95\messages\us Read the .txt file before installing

[TOP]

Tips Before Purchase, Setup and After Setup of Windows Millennium Edition (Me)

FAQs & Highlights for Windows Millennium Edition