Removing Win ME

[Wet Chicken]

I need your guys opinion on something. I'm trying to work on a friends computer. They need to remove WinME.

What is the best way to remove Windows ME from a computer?

It is not listed in the "Add/Remove Software" folder.

The computer was not backed up to Win 98 when Win ME was installed.

Should I just manually delete the Windows folder, and start from DOS to reinstall Win 98?

Thanks.

 

[Dan O]

Checkout this MS article: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q272159

Good luck.

 

[Max19]

Was Windows ME installed on a blank hard drive? Or was it installed as an upgrade on top of Windows 98? If it was installed on a blank hard drive, you have to format the drive and reinstall. If you just delete the Windows folder, you'll end up with a real mess.

 

[Wet Chicken]

The support file from Windows did not work. I do not have a file named uninstal.exe.

If I just format the C: drive and start from scratch, and install Win98 (not WinME), would that be ok, or would there still be old WinME stuff in the registry that would cause a mess?

 

[Max19]

Formatting the hard drive will erase everything. This includes the registry. Nothing at all will be on the drive.

 

[Wet Chicken]

I was only going to format the C: partition, not the whole drive. I am leaving all other partitions alone. Will the registry still be ok?

 

[Max19]

How many hard drives are in this computer? Are there multiple operating systems installed? How many partitions are on this computer?

If Windows ME is on one partition, format that one. That will erase EVERYTHING. It will erase the Windows folder, the registry, files, everything. Do you understand what the format command does?

After you've formatted that drive/partition, install Windows 98 on it.

 

[Wet Chicken]

One drive, 5 partitions.

I know formating the C: drive will erase everything within the C: drive, but I didn't know if the registry would still have anything still in there from the old WinME files. I guess what you're saying is that the registry is kept in the C: drive...

 

[Max19]

The registry is stored on the same drive/partition that Windows was installed on. If Windows ME was installed on the C: drive, then the registry is on the C: drive. If you format the C: drive, the registry will be deleted.