Whats the BEST way to install ME ???

[Jerry625]

I am presently using Windows 98SE OS. I want to install the Windows ME. How do I proceede? Do I uninstall 98SE first or can I just install ME over it? Thanks in advance
Jerry625

 

[edfair]

Best always to do a fresh install. To the point of using fdisk and deleting the current partitions.

There are some advantages with ME but I think you will find the majority of the experienced people here will suggest that you stay with SE.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[Jerry625]

Thanks Ed! Actualy I posted this question on behalf of my brother. I sent him my old Gateway G6-400. Before I sent it to him I replaced the hard drive and installed Windows 98 and then upgraded it to Windows 98SE. When I shiped it to him it had nothing on it but the basic Gateway restore hardware. He proceded to install Windows ME without unistalling Windows 98SE (without my knowledge). Now he has a real mess. He supposedly has unintstalled ME but now his 98Se is all fouled up . I suppose many files have been corrupted.Is there any place we could point him to get some very simplfied instructions on the A B C,s of undoing the damage already done. Mainly he would need simplified steps on how to uninstall and reinstall windows 98SE. I am no genius and would feel much better to have instructions from a more knowleable source. Any suggestions ED??
Thanks again

 

[edfair]

Download a 98SE boot disk from

http://www.bootdisk.com

, several choices, run the program from there and it will create the boot disk for you immediately, or save the create program locally and run it locally and ir creates the disk from there.
Boot with the floppy, run fdisk , delete partition.
Reboot to BIOS and set the CD to be higher in the boot string than the hard drive, then boot with the ME CD and let it install.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[Jerry625]

I really think he would be better off to stick with Windows 98SE and (as you noted in first reply) would be better off to disregard ME completely. I will pass this info on to him and hope he can use it . Mainly, I believe he is going to just stay with 98SE but it has been so badly corrupted by the over install of ME I think he has to unstall & re-install it. It appears that "BOOTDISK.COM" would be the best bet for him.Thanks very much Ed and I will attempt to grade your assistance with a star (if I can find it)

 

[dbMark]

I always found Win98/se to be quite picky with video and audio drivers. If I didn't have the right drivers, I was stuck, so whatever you do, don't lose your drivers! WinMe is great for having most of the basic drivers on hand for default installs unless the hardware is a bit old. It was always easier for me to work with WinMe, but I always heard others saying how solid Win98se was.

Also, WinMe copies all files to the hard drive then installed from there. Win98/se installs from the CD, then later every time you need something, it asks for the CD again. If you have extraspace on the hard drive, after you format the hard drive, create a directory, named something like Win98se, and use XCOPY to copy everything there from the CD, and run SetUp from there. That way the install files are always available.