Un-installation of ME without formatting C:? 1

[Vurk]

Is it possible to un-install Millenium and install win98 without formatting the hard drive? I have so many documents and such to back up, and with ME acting up, I dont know if my CD burner would work correctly. The problem(s) I am having include longer start-up time than when i first installed it, even after defragging, longer app launch times, occasional hang-ups that then keep going with I was doing, and a few other things.
These problems started about a year after initial installation. When they first started, I thought it was a virus, but the virus scanner found nothing, even after updation the virus definitions.

 

[SPYDERIX]

Take a look at my FAQ : faq748-1599

It explains how to re-install without formatting...

<(&quot;BUT&quot>

It might not work, because you want to install a totally differnt O.S.

If someone else in this forum would like to read my FAQ, and provide more feedback, as to whether or not VURK should use my method, keeping in mind he/she wants to install a different version of Windows. I would also like to know, so that I can update my FAQ, and add a comment to it, whether or not people can use that info, to re-install different versions of Windows. Thanks


Nate
&quot;If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space!&quot;

 

[Vurk]

Hi Nate.
I did read your FAQ before posting, but, I do want to install a different OS. Thats why I posted, maybe somebody had an idea.

I was able to install ME over 98 v.1, do you think i could re-install 98 over ME?

 

[SPYDERIX]

It should work, but I'm not sure, never done it before. When you re-install ME over top of ME it just replaces the old O.S. with a new one. But because you are going from ME to 98 your 98 software won't know to un-install all the new features that ME has installed.

My guess is that it would replace the ME O.S. with the 98 O.S. and leave some extra bits behind that belong to ME that 98 doesn't know about.

I hope I'm making any sence here. If the 98 O.S. doesn't completely get rid of the ME O.S. you could have problems, so I don't know what to say. But as I said, I've never done it before.

That's why in my first post I asked that someone else can read the FAQ and assess whether or not this can and or should be done. The forums top experts should look at this and give their opinion as to whether or not this will work.

Good luck. I would like to know your outcome when you do your experiment, so that I can add a comment line to my FAQ as to whether or not people can downgrade their O.S. without having to format.


Nate
&quot;If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space!&quot;

 

[Vurk]

Two questions:
Do you know how to attract the attention of the 'experts'?
Would I have two format both of my hard drives or just the one on which Windows resides?

 

[SPYDERIX]

OK, that changes things quite alot.
You say you have 2 hard-drives yes/no? Or do you just have one partioned into 2 different partitions.

If you have a second hard drive, then copy all your files to the second hard-drive, then format the primary hard dirve, and re-install using your old Windows 98 CD. Then setup the computer to recognize the second hard-drive and copy your files back over to the first one.

Use my FAQ to re-install and format FAQ748-1599

Do you have 2 seperated hard drives???
Nate
&quot;If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space!&quot;

 

[Vurk]

Yes, I have 2 separate harddrives. One has all the windows and driver-related info on it and some programs. Because I'm running ME, I am unsure of having DOS on the computer. I think it has, since i installed ME over the top of 98 in the first place.
Will I need to install the motherboard and video, etc, drivers also?

 

[SPYDERIX]

To get into DOS with Windows ME, you need to make a start up disk.

Goto Control Panels, and then go to Add\Remove Programs
Click on the Start-UP Disk Tab, insert a blank floppy, and click &quot;Create Disk&quot;. Then when you need to get into DOS, put your start-up disk into the computer, and re-start, then when prompted, you will want to enter into either, Start Computer with CD support, Start Computer without CD support, or Minimal Boot, and then you will be in DOS.

Put all your files you want to keep onto the second hard-drive, then format the first hard-drive. Yes you will need to re-install Network, Video, and Modem Drivers, as well as re-installing your programs back onto your primary hard-drive.

If possible, burn a CD with all your files, as an extra precaution, in case after you format your primary drive, it decides it doesn't like your second drive. Not sure how to set up second hard-drives, after a format and re-install.

Hope this helps.
Nate
&quot;If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space!&quot;