[jpiprotar]

Hello

Please can you tell me the steps on uninstalling Windows Me from the PC.

Thanking you in Advance

J

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Do you plan on installing it back in, or installing a new OS. If you plan on installing a new OS then I would format and delete the partion. To do this you are going to need to make a boot disk. Do you have the Windows ME CD, if so then:

Start -> Settings -> Contorl Panel -> Add/Remove Programs -> Click the tab "Boot Disk" -> (Going to need a floppy disk for this next step, by doing this it will delete everything off the floppy disk) Insert the floppy disk -> Click "Create Boot Disk" -> (It will ask for the CD) Insert the CD -> Click "Ok"

If you dont have the Windows ME CD then download from Bootdisk.com the Windows 98SE boot disk (the Windows ME Boot disk doesnt work all the times, using the 98SE will be fine). After it is done downloading then have a floppy ready and double-click the file that you just downloaded.

After you have a boot disk, using either method, then restart the computer. Select the option for no CD-ROM support. When you get to a black screen with A:\ type format C: and press enter

This is how the screen should look:

A:\format C:

It is going to ask you if you are sure press Y and enter if needed. Based on the size of your hard drive this can take a while. After it is done formating it will ask you to lable the drive just press enter. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del this will restart the computer. Select the option for no CD-ROM support and when you get back to that black screen with A:\ type fdisk

This is how the screen should look:

A:\fdisk

You will come to a screen with alot of text press Enter. You should came to a screen that has five options. Press 4 and then press Enter. Press 1 and then Enter. You should now be at a screen with a spreadsheet table like on the upper-half of the screen. There should be a mumber to the far left (1) press 1 and then enter for the lable name (or what ever the lable is under the coul. Lable, it should be blanck unless you enter one when the hard drive was done formating). It is going to ask you if you are sure, press Y and then Enter. Keep pressing ESC intill you get to the screen with:

A:\

Now if you are going to be installing Windows XP then place the Windows XP CD in the CD-ROM Drive, removed the floppy, and press Ctrl+Alt+Del. Now Windows XP will run it setup when it asks you for what type of file system pick NTFS and make sure that is doesnt say quick for the formating.

If you are going to install another OS then Windows XP or have any questions about this then reply before doing. By formating the hard drive all data(files) will be erased. So I would back them up to a thumbdrive or on to a CD-R/RW. And when you start to do this I would Print this out so that you have it step by step. Hope that this helps, and reply or PM me with any question.

Edited by DHooper, 30 December 2004 - 05:18 AM.

[DHooper]

Do you plan on installing it back in, or installing a new OS. If you plan on installing a new OS then I would format and delete the partion. To do this you are going to need to make a boot disk. Do you have the Windows ME CD, if so then:

Start -> Settings -> Contorl Panel -> Add/Remove Programs -> Click the tab "Boot Disk" -> (Going to need a floppy disk for this next step, by doing this it will delete everything off the floppy disk) Insert the floppy disk -> Click "Create Boot Disk" -> (It will ask for the CD) Insert the CD -> Click "Ok"

If you dont have the Windows ME CD then download from Bootdisk.com the Windows 98SE boot disk (the Windows ME Boot disk doesnt work all the times, using the 98SE will be fine). After it is done downloading then have a floppy ready and double-click the file that you just downloaded.

After you have a boot disk, using either method, then restart the computer. Select the option for no CD-ROM support. When you get to a black screen with A:\ type format C: and press enter

This is how the screen should look:

A:\format C:

It is going to ask you if you are sure press Y and enter if needed. Based on the size of your hard drive this can take a while. After it is done formating it will ask you to lable the drive just press enter. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del this will restart the computer. Select the option for no CD-ROM support and when you get back to that black screen with A:\ type fdisk

This is how the screen should look:

A:\fdisk

You will come to a screen with alot of text press Enter. You should came to a screen that has five options. Press 4 and then press Enter. Press 1 and then Enter. You should now be at a screen with a spreadsheet table like on the upper-half of the screen. There should be a mumber to the far left (1) press 1 and then enter for the lable name (or what ever the lable is under the coul. Lable, it should be blanck unless you enter one when the hard drive was done formating). It is going to ask you if you are sure, press Y and then Enter. Keep pressing ESC intill you get to the screen with:

A:\

Now if you are going to be installing Windows XP then place the Windows XP CD in the CD-ROM Drive, removed the floppy, and press Ctrl+Alt+Del. Now Windows XP will run it setup when it asks you for what type of file system pick NTFS and make sure that is doesnt say quick for the formating.

If you are going to install another OS then Windows XP or have any questions about this then reply before doing. By formating the hard drive all data(files) will be erased. So I would back them up to a thumbdrive or on to a CD-R/RW. And when you start to do this I would Print this out so that you have it step by step. Hope that this helps, and reply or PM me with any question.

Edited by DHooper, 30 December 2004 - 05:18 AM.

[kdowning]

is there no way to uninstall without reformating the hard drive - I actually have 2 OS on computer ME and 2000 because I couldn't figure out how to uninstall ME. Is there anyway to just uninstall ME without having to start all over?

[gerryf]

Sure.....first describe your setup..one drive or two?

[kdowning]

only 1

[gerryf]

So, you're dual-booting with only one drive.

What are the directories for your window installations? Defaults are winnt for 2000 and windows for me.

Also, if you could post a copy of your boot.ini file

[ke6ziu]

Alright...are both of your installs on the same partition, or did you partition your win2k install on a seperate partition running ntfs? If this is the case, you can just format the WinME partition (which I strongly advise you do anyway, cuz ME is garbage anyway...). If this isn't the case, well, back up all of the files that you want to save, format the drive by using a boot disk. Then, repartition the drive using fdisk. The one thing you're gonna want to do is to blow out the Master Boot Record. This can be done by adding the switch (a:\fdisk /mbr). Good luck!!!

[kdowning]

tell me where to find the directories and I'll post them - same for the boot.ini.file

[gerryf]

windows directories are typically winnt, winndows, win9x, winme....where are they on your drive

boot.ini is in the root of your c: drive

[kdowning]

ok - when I searched for winnt* this is what came up
WINNT32 C:\WINDOWS Text Document

WinNT C:\Program Files\Zoom File Folder

WINNT D:\ File Folder

then there were two bitmap Images both on D:\ and a shortcut also on D:\

when I did a search for winndows nothing came up

win9x D:\Progam Files\Charter High-Speed Security Suite\Anti-Virus File Folder

winme search

WINME C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\INSTALL Windows Media Audio
WinME C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\SKINS Windows Media Player

a search for boot.ini didn't bring back any results so I did a search for just boot

1STBOOT C:\WINDOWS Bitmap Image
WUAUBOOT C:\WINDOWS Application
then there are several files and drivers dealing with Symantec Virus all on the C drive
D Drive
bootok D:\WINNT\system32 Application
bootvid.dll D:\WINNT\system32 Application
bootvrfy D:\WINNT\system32 Application
dmboot.sys D:\WINNT\system32\drivers System file
bootcons D:\WINNT\Help Compiled HTML Help
diagboot D:\WINNT\Help Compiled HTML Help
dmboot.sys D:\WINNT\ServicePackFiles\i386 System file
then there's an application extension for Adaptec, s Script File for Adobe Acrobat
and two Applicaion files for Norton AntiVirus all on D

when I did a search for *.ini files there were a lot of Configuration Setting on both C and D drive

do I need to list all of them here?

Hope this was the right info

[gerryf]

So, you have a c and d partition....or drives...you said you only had one drive.

What OS are you searching with? And if I may ask, who set you up this way....most people with a dual boot system are fairly savvy and can answer these questions pretty easily, so I think we need to be extra careful.

When searching, you want to specify hidden files and folders.

[kdowning]

I set myself up this way - but not on purpose

I had ME but was experiencing all kinds of problems with it so thought I would just install 2000 and wipe everything out but somehow ended with a dual system

I ran the search from 2000 - ME will no longer operate long enough for me to do anything in it

I don't see an option for searching for hidden files and folders

[ke6ziu]

"[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows 2000 Profession"
This is my boot.ini on my win2kpro install. If you have another windoze o/s on the drive, the boot.ini will reflect that in the file. It does it by newest to oldest. (ie. 2000, ME, 98, 3.1, etc...)...Again, create a boot disk, then format the drive from the boot disk using a:\format c:...After the drive has been formatted, you'll want to blow out the MBR (master boot record, the first few spaces on the hdd that tells the bios what o/s you have on the drive. If you had a linux install, you'd have either a lilo or grub loader, but since you have windoze, you can use fdisk to repartition the drive...) by using fdisk. To do this type at the a:\>fdisk /mbr...very important you do this, or else you'll still have problems...by doing this, you start with a completely formatted drive, totally clean of any o/s. Then, install Win2k. When prompted, choose ntfs for the file system. NTFS is more stable for your needs than FAT32. If you decide to install FAT32, you can update to NTFS later on using the convert command...(c:\>convert c: /FS:NTFS is the syntax). The following is the dos arguments for convert:

CONVERT volume /FS:NTFS [/V]

volume Specifies the drive letter (followed by a colon),
mount point, or volume name.
/FS:NTFS Specifies that the volume to be converted to NTFS.
/V Specifies that Convert should be run in verbose mode.

If both o/s' are present on the same drive, you definately have the drive partitioned for FAT32...
For more security info for win2k, you'll have to check this doc out...very helpful for Win2k security...

Attached Files

•  securewin2k.txt   54.02KB   122 downloads

Edited by ke6ziu, 17 April 2005 - 06:40 PM.

[kdowning]

no offense or anything but I didn't understand a word you just said. Could you break that down for someone who's not completely computer literate - not a dummy by any means but not a genius by any stretch of the imagination

[ke6ziu]

no offense or anything but I didn't understand a word you just said.  Could you break that down for someone who's not completely computer literate - not a dummy by any means but not a genius by any stretch of the imagination

Ok...sorry, too much time in the server room, I guess...Anyway, you need to create a boot disk under ME, if you can. Next, save and backup whatever data you wish to save (very important that you do this...especially if you've spent any time trying to find the data in the first place ). After you have backed up your data, put the boot disk into the floppy drive, and reboot. You might have to check the boot sequence of your specific computer to see if your computer boots from the floppy drive first. To do this, you usually have to hit F8 during bootup...You might see something in your computer before the o/s boots asking you if you want to enter setup. This is when you usually hit F8. To be sure, check your computer dox. After all that, boot up using the boot disk, then use format
The syntax for format is: a:\>format c:
This will clear the drive. Next, use fdisk. Use the mbr switch to clear out the master boot record. (a:\>fdisk /mbr) This will blow out the master boot record. Finally, insert your win2k cd into the drive and reboot...When the computer reboots, follow the instructions given to you by the cdinstall. Hopefully, your problems will be solved (not entirely...but it'll be a start )...