[eL_BeBe]

i had operate WinME a long time ago.. I like it I thought it was a very good Operating sysytem. Until WinMe started to crash. It crashed soo many times that i had wen back on Win98 and then eventually to WinXP

[ekim68]

Originally Posted by chisoxgal

Help!
I am using my sister's computer to send this, seeing as my own HP with Windows ME just died. I tried to turn it on and it said it was shut down improperly before (not true) and before it even got a chance to scan, another window popped up saying: "kb918547 has caused an error in MMSYSTEM.DLL" then my screen freezes and I cannot do ANYTHING. I tried rebooting 3+ times now. Any solutions?

chisoxgal, you'll probably have better results if you move your questions to the following:
http://forums.techguy.org/20-windows-95-98-me/

Many people can help you there. Not necessarily here in the "tips and tricks" forum.

[aarhus2004]

In General.

Observation of the forums in TSG appear to reflect the diminishing numbers of users having Windows Millennium, and an increase in those using the Security forum. The tendency of new members to post their problems in this forum (Tech Tips & Tricks) shows no sign of diminishing.

*****************************************************************

On Windows Updates (WU).

The freeware 'Belarc Advisor', available here is a useful means of finding what one's system has in fact installed in the way of Updates. It is also an excellently informative tool as to a system in general.

Here is a list copied from the Belarc (single page) output as applies to installed WU's on a Windows Millennium computer. It is a complete list with a few exceptions which I note below it:

DirectX
KB904706
Internet Explorer
SP1 (SP1)
Q837009
Q887797
Q916281
Q918439
Windows Media Player
WM308567
WM320920.1
WM828026
KB917734
WinME
UPD273017
UPD273991
UPD290700
UPD311311
UPD323172
UPD323255
UPD329048
UPD329115
UPD811630
UPD812709
UPDQ823559
UPD888113
UPD891711
UPD896358
UPD908519
UPD918547

Excluded on this list are the following:

1 Critical update - Microsoft GDI+ Detection Tool (KB873374) - Not relevant to my system.

4 Recommended updates:

Microsoft .NET Framework version 1.1 - not relevant to my system.
Windows Automatic Updating (Windows Me) - no longer relevant to Windows Millennium.
Euro Conversion Tool - Not of interest.
Windows Movie Maker Update - Not of interest.

The above list supercedes the one posted in this thread here. I should perhaps mention I use I.E. 6, WMP9, do not have MS Word and have Sun Java in place of MSJava.

*****************************************************************

On creating your own folder of WinME Critical and Recommended Updates for the time when WinME updates are no longer available via the Update site and are no longer listed in the MS catalog:

As I continue to download and store the updates from the catalog I am finding differences between the Updates site for auto-install and the catalog of those available for download. Don't, therefore, be surprised if you search without success for some you want. I will post again with more details about those missing from the catalog,

*****************************************************************

On Security - a truly last word - see my posts here and here

I have to concluded that my use of a computer is very conservative indeed and that this reason alone accounts for my success (over a period now stretching to 16 months) of avoiding all infections yet working without the customary array of protective soft and free wares. I do not recommend it but merely share the fact of my experience.

*****************************************************************

The attached HijackThis text file.

All the items shown are in my 'Ignore' list. I do not use System Restore nor a firewall or other security software so your HJT log will reflect those you do use but the basics of the startup axis (items 04) should be identical (*marked). The Trusted Zone sites (015) list is long (apparently) and this reflects my preference for disabling Scripting in I.E. Security tab settings for the Internet Zone.

*****************************************************************

And finally, several favorite freewares, two of which were somehow omitted in all my posts in this thread:

An excellent freeware spell check for Outlook Express here.

And information for those who use the screen capture utility ScreenHunter (I have for many months now and like it well). If you have found that you don't like the latest version 5 here is a difficult-to-find site where version 4 is still available (Jan. '07) here.

If you have concerns about spyware or links to sites known for their spyware here is an excellent checking site by McAfee (thanks to Joe [GoJoAGoGo]). Note however the freeware will not work with WinME.Gif attached for clarity. And as an example of what you can discover I checked out ScreenHunter 4 Free. Here are the results.

And this one, which I consider to be a superior and FREEWARE screen capture (called the FastStone Capture) utility (thanks to Richard [1002richards]), is new to me - and looks really AOK. See here. I should perhaps mention that it is somewhat more complex than my needs dictate but, nevertheless, will please others. I have subsequently found that it will capture an entire window using its scrolling capture option. This is unusual indeed, or so I believe.

Cheers.

Ben.


P.S. Please do not post your problems with WinME here in this thread but instead post them here.

But if you have questions about the tips, tweaks or tricks appearing in the thread then feel free to ask questions about them and, if you have some of your own, then please do post those.

For some humour regarding the easiest ways to destroy your PC these two links, here and here.

[aarhus2004]

Hello,

For those of us living in Europe (update and elsewhere) - an e-mail virus alert here.

And here.

Cheers and take care,

Ben.

[aarhus2004]

As I continue to download and store the updates from the catalog I am finding differences between the Updates site for auto-install and the catalog of those available for download. Don't, therefore, be surprised if you search without success for some you want. I will post again with more details about those missing from the catalog,

Hello WinME users,

The above quote (of mine) in Post 198 ) is is incorrect (of course ). If anything the catalog contains more updates than are perhaps required and this is determined by the scan engine of the Updates site. However I decided to use the Catalog site fully and accept all it has to offer.

The method I (finally) settled-on is a simple two-step one! I downloaded the entire Critical Update collection (for Windows Millennium of course!) - a total of 48, but did not include the 16 which are clearly indicated as being for other than the English language. So the actual total of Critical Updates is listed as being 64 in number. (See the first three of the five attached GIFs). I then did the same with Recommended Updates - a total of 9. (See the last two of the five attached GIFs).

Microsoft bundles these updates in a very tidy fashion. Those which can be installed willy-nilly are clumped together and those which depend on the installation of earlier ones are clumped separately. We cannot make installation mistakes since a warning appears if we try.

The total size-on-disk of all Critical and Recommended Updates is 149.2 mbs This most excellent of freewares tells all - TreeSize Free - from here. I have included GIFs in my next post of the TreeSize output as is relevant to this post. (We can only use a total of 5 items for attachment upload per post).

The order in which we add these updates to our 'basket' is probably irrelevant. Being an order-freak I opted to have them sorted by date and then began at the bottom of the list. I doubt it matters however.

Why would we need this stash? You wouldn't if you prefer to re-install Windows Millennium over itself. You would if you decided to format the drive on which it is installed and/or wanted to partition or re-partition that drive (or disk - if the whole of the disk is given over to Windows Millennium). You might if you thought your old hard-disk was probably getting to the end of its useful life and wanted (in any case) more storage space). You wouldn't if you are convinced Microsoft will keep the old updates available for its antiquated operating system (yes the one more stable than its predecessor but bedeviled - as was its predecessor - by the damn resources issue (resolved by a reboot). The system Microsoft would rather forget it ever created - so say many). I can only offer my view as someone who, having come on the scene when WinME was the in-thing, who is a conservative, and one whose most satisfying computer-learning experience was taking the plunge of doing a format and install - I want the stash just in case.

Cheers.

Ben.

[aarhus2004]

TreeSize Free - a fascinating tool.

Here are the two GIFs which belong to the post above.

Ben.

This is interesting too. Mr Gates advises thus:

"The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor works with 32-bit versions of Windows XP and Windows Vista. It will not work with Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows XP Professional x64 Edition.
Here are answers to some common questions about the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor.
The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor does not collect or send any personal, identifiable data to Microsoft Corporation or third parties. See the Upgrade Advisor privacy statement for details."

WinME doesn't get a mention. Presumably MS doesn't want to taint Vista with the mere mention!!

The Beeb, however, offers great coverage of THE current happening in the world of IT - here.

[ekim68]

Thanks for the info for the latest updates, Ben...I finally got them and have them on CD.
I haven't been to Microsoft in a while and I was actually impressed how smooth it went.

[aarhus2004]

Originally Posted by ekim68

Thanks for the info for the latest updates, Ben...I finally got them and have them on CD.
I haven't been to Microsoft in a while and I was actually impressed how smooth it went.

Hello Mike,

Your post adds a chunk to mine - thanks. I have been spoiled by having partitions and two hard disks. Yep, a CD is the place for them.

Speaking of which - it hasn't made the journey yet, Mike, but I am grateful for your having sent it.

All the best.

Ben.

[ekim68]

Wow, it's been almost two months...I'll send another if you like. Just for the sake of seeing what's what in the postal system...And, for next Christmas...

[aarhus2004]

Hello WinME Users,

The latest summary of topics and links in this thread may be seen here.

Best wishes to all.

Ben.

[ekim68]

Ben, good to see you back...

http://forums.techguy.org/announceme...arhus2004.html

[aarhus2004]

Hello WinME Users,

Hopefully this may be the correct link to the last summary of the posts and content in this thread.

Sorry about the error in my post last but one.

Thanks to all for the birthday wishes.

Cheers.

Ben.

[aarhus2004]

Bumpity bump - pardon me.

Best wishes.

Ben.

[aarhus2004]

Hello WinME Users,

This year, 2007, saw Canada fall into line with the USA in terms of the days on which it greets spring and fall with a time change - one hour forward and one back - the little old lady, my neighbour, who is computer savvy and time conscious told me a long ago how I might approach the difficulty of remembering which way I move the hands of my clock. She said, 'No problem, just say to yourself spring forward and fall back' and added, 'But don't do it too quickly or you may end up on your backside!'. Dear old Gertie.

Computers as 'old' as WinME have faithfully done the job for us but not this year. This year I manually changed the hour on the newly appointed date and had to reverse myself when WinME also did it later on!

So for fall and the long future ahead for this game old system there is a PATCH which will toy with the registry and make sure all Win9x systems follow the good old USA in terms of when.

Here it is.

I got it from a local MVP, Ron Martel, who told me where to go, here, and whose post to look for - Gary S. Terhune's - also an MVP.

I installed it and am still up and running. And see maybe helpful GIF

Cheers,

Ben.

[GoJoAGoGo]

Hi Ben:

How have you been? Yes, I wondered if a 3rd party would come up with a daylight savings time patch for Win 98/ME. Thanks for the heads up Ben.

Take care,
Joe