Wipe & Reinstall

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KB - 19 Feb 2005 04:51 GMT

Ok, I'm a loyal follower of the newsgroup who's tried to
make my system secure and stable. I can't run for a week
without lockups, kernel errors as well as other problems
such as corrupt word templates. I've tried, trust me, to
keep this box running smoothly but to no avail. I've
learned enough to recover from the mayhem but it doesn't
end. I'm ready to wipe this dog and start from scratch.
I have no disk. I've read in this newsgoup that the
installation files may reside in a cab file, can be copied
to a CD and used to reinstall the system. I have all the
disks to reinstall all the programs that are run and I'm
ready to spend a weekend setting everything up again if
the system will be more stable. I'm totally up to date
with Windows Updates.

My question is threefold.
1. Where might the installation files located? WinME was
preinstalled.
2. Are there free programs available to wipe the disk?
3. Do you feel I'm better off pitching the system and
upgrading? Physical memory available is merely 27K of
128M available. Disk space is abundant, 15M available of
20M total. Processor is a Pentium III, 700MHz. My
hardware (darn near everything) isn't compatible with XP.

Luckily I can live without the machine for a few days.
Merely a inconvenience for now, but that will soon change.

Thoughts please :).

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Mike M - 19 Feb 2005 09:36 GMT

> 1. Where might the installation files located? WinME was
> preinstalled.

Look for a folder containing the file BASE2.CAB. If located and it
contains not only BASE2.CAB but also other cab files including
PRECOPY.CAB, CABINET.CAB, and several others such as NET3.CAB, DRIVER5.CAB
and WIN_8.CAB as well as the all important setup.exe then this is the
folder you need to copy to a CD. Total size at least 153MB and at least
52 files plus possibly a folder.

> 2. Are there free programs available to wipe the disk?

You have one already. It is called FORMAT and will be on your Win Me boot
floppy which you will need when you reinstall Win Me.

> 3. Do you feel I'm better off pitching the system and
> upgrading? Physical memory available is merely 27K of
> 128M available. Disk space is abundant, 15M available of
> 20M total. Processor is a Pentium III, 700MHz. My
> hardware (darn near everything) isn't compatible with XP.

You might find it surprising but memory is there to be used and if you had
anything but 27KB free there would be something wrong. As for your disk
space I assume you mean GB rather than M. Whilst XP will run on a PIII
700 with 128MB it won't do so as well as Win Me will on such a system so
you would probably be better off sticking with Win Me.

Signature

Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com

> Ok, I'm a loyal follower of the newsgroup who's tried to
> make my system secure and stable. I can't run for a week
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
>
> Thoughts please :).

Reply to this Message

Mike M - 19 Feb 2005 09:58 GMT

CORRECTION:
My reference to a file named CABINET.CAB is incorrect, it should instead
have read CATALOG.CAB.

Signature

Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com

>> 1. Where might the installation files located? WinME was
>> preinstalled.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> this is the folder you need to copy to a CD. Total size at least
> 153MB and at least 52 files plus possibly a folder.

<snip>

Reply to this Message

KB - 19 Feb 2005 15:48 GMT

Thanks for the feedback, Mike. You're right, 20G for disk
space.

I found the folder containing BASE2.CAB. The folder is
C:\Windows\Options\Cabs, it contains 99 files, no folders
and is 159M in size.

Within the folder I see CATALOG.CAB, WIN_8.CAB through
WIN_20.CAB and WIN_OL.CAB. Also present are NET3.CAB,
NET4.CAB, PRECOPY1.CAB (yes, it has a '1'), DRIVER5.CAB,
DRIVER6.CAB, DRIVER7.CAB. SETUP.EXE is there as well.

Looks like everything needed is there.

As for the FORMAT tool, I don't have a 'boot disk', per
se, but could get one from bootdisk.com, right?

My statement about only 27K physical memory being
available comes from looking at the system tool 'System
Information' which opens the Microsoft Help and Support
page. Looking at it right now shows 296K available.
Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place.

If you could, please verify bootdisk.com as the place I
should get the disk with the FORMAT tool. Then, where's
the best place to get step by step instructions on how to
wipe and re-install? I'd hate to mess this up.

Thanks again, Mike!

>-----Original Message-----
>CORRECTION:
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
>.

Reply to this Message

Mike M - 19 Feb 2005 16:16 GMT

> Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place.

Or rather worrying yourself about the wrong thing. :-) From my previous
post may I repeat "You might find it surprising but memory is there to be
used and if you had anything but 27KB free (or rather a very small amount)
there would be something wrong". IOW what you are seeing and worried
about is not a problem.

> The folder is C:\Windows\Options\Cabs

That looks right. It is usually C:\Windows\Options\Cabs if the system was
installed using OEM media or C:\Windows\Options\Install if the original
installation was made using a Microsoft Win Me CD however some OEMs locate
the folder elsewhere, for example some Compaqs have it on a second, hidden
D:\ drive.

> As for the FORMAT tool, I don't have a 'boot disk', per
> se, but could get one from bootdisk.com, right?

There's nothing wrong with making a boot floppy from a Win Me OEM image
downloaded from www.bootdisk.com. Alternatively you can make your own
Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs | Startup Disk and if asked for a file
point it at the folder containing BASE2.CAB.

Best of luck with the reinstall. Remember to make a note of all your
passwords etc and backup your e-mail etc. before taking the plunge.

Signature

Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com

> Thanks for the feedback, Mike. You're right, 20G for disk
> space.
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> the best place to get step by step instructions on how to
> wipe and re-install? I'd hate to mess this up.

Reply to this Message

KB - 19 Feb 2005 16:44 GMT

Ok, not worring anymore.

Created a bootdisk as you suggested from add/remove
programs. So I boot to floppy and everything's done? Is
there a place with step by step directions?

Thanks again, Mike.

>-----Original Message-----
>> Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place.
[quoted text clipped - 53 lines]
>
>.

Reply to this Message

Mike M - 19 Feb 2005 17:00 GMT

> Ok, not worrying anymore.

VBG

> Created a bootdisk as you suggested from add/remove
> programs. So I boot to floppy and everything's done? Is
> there a place with step by step directions?

See http://www.aumha.org/win4/a/clean.htm which saves me some typing. :-)

Signature

Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com

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