Uninstall Windows ME! Anyone else Help????

Discussion in 'Windows - General discussion' started by ForKids, Sep 25, 2006.

  1. ForKids

    ForKids Member

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    Hi all, I am helping a friend and his computer is so messed up and has barely anything good on it.. I think it would be easier to reinstall windows me. But I cant seem to do it.. WHen im in dos and want to format c: it says another program is accessing it. When I try to load the windows me and ask for a full erase and new install it goes throught the steps but does not erase anything... Im confused. Can someone tell me how to do a full erase then reinstall????? Thanks in advance!
     
  2. ashwin18

    ashwin18 Regular member

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    Windows ME may have locked your hard disk.
    Download and create a *Windows 98 OEM* bootdisk from http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm
    Boot the comp with that, selsct to start with CDRom support, then format from dos as usual.

    BTW: I would strongly suggest you ask your friend to switch over to another OS. Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, all are better then the buggy Windoes ME
     
  3. ForKids

    ForKids Member

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    Ok this did not work. I downloaded the file you said and then burned it on a disk booted the computer with disk it did nothing. When I went to the file on the disk and clicked it, It wants me to format a floppy disk which I did and before it completed it had errors. Said missing files. Is there any other way to format the c dirve? Like I stated above it says another process is using the drive and it cannot be formatted. Please advise! Thanks
     
  4. ForKids

    ForKids Member

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    Ok I just noticed the guy who was helping me is suspended!!! Anyone else out there that can help me?????????????
     
  5. pyffy

    pyffy Regular member

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    Hi There,
    you say that
    is that dos after booting the pc from a boot disk? or from a dos window from within Windows ME?

    A re install of windows ME isn't as straight forward as Windows 98. you need to use a boot disk (get one here)

    http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

    Take a read through this page and it explains the procedure in easy terms.

    http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winme_install.asp

    Good luck and shout if you need more help.
     
  6. Morph416

    Morph416 Active member

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    Windows ME has a boot menu...though you don't see it unless you press F8 during startup. You cannot format the main C drive thru DOS if you've already booted into Windows.

    You should be able to press F8 during startup, which will give you a four choice option menu, one being "start the computer with MSDOS" or something like that..it's been a while. Once you're back to the command prompt, you should be able to format C.

    However, the Windows ME CD should be bootable, and if it is...set the BIOS to boot from CD first..insert the CD and again you'll see that four choice menu.

    Next option: Use an XP CD to do the work. Set BIOS to boot from CD first, insert XP CD and get thru the first steps of installing XP until you get to the partitioning section. Delete all partitions then create a new one. After creating a new one, just exit XP setup and run the Windows ME CD.
     
  7. waine

    waine Member

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    I have replaced my brother's ME system with XP Home Edition without any
    problems. You may have a virus or ME has locked-up your computer. If, XP
    installation does have a problem installing. Contact on another pc, the
    hardisk mfg.'s website, and download a free maintenance tool. It will bootup from a floppy disk that you will be required too make. Follow the
    directions and reboot when finished. Try re-installing XP. You should be
    OK.
     
  8. ForKids

    ForKids Member

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    I guess im lost when it comes to the boot disk. I downloaded the file windows me boot disk from the web site you stated. Then I burned it on a disk using record now. Should that be all I need???? Just put the disk in and it should boot? Because Yesterday it did nothing so I went in through the disk and click on it and it wanted me to make a floppy. Which I tried but he only had a bad floppy... So I guess my question is for one thing I need the windows me boot disk not the windows 98 like someone else told me. And do I need to make a floppy with it or should it work by the file being burned on a disk? Thanks again
     
  9. borhan9

    borhan9 Active member

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    When you go to the bootdisk website you should download the Windows 98 Bootdisk not anything else.

    Then you should copy the files to a A:\ Disk and then leave the disc in your a:\ and then just restart the PC and it should boot from that.

    Then you should be able to format your hard drive using that disk.

    By putting in the following command

    [bold]C:\>format c: \s[/bold]

    and this should format your drive and then go to bios and change the boot sequence to read the CD Drive first and then put in the OS CD and restart the computer and go through the installation.

    At the website choose the following file and download it and copy it to a disk.

    [bold]Windows 98 SE OEM[/bold]

    I hope that clears it up.
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2006

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