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Windows Forum / Windows XP / New Users / May 2007regretting upgrade from ME to XP Home
A couple of months ago I decided to upgrade because I was worried about security issues if I continued to use ME. Wish I hadn't done it. I checked the system requirements for this upgrade and thought I was OK, but evidently not. My hard drive is way too full. In My Computer it says my C: drive total size is 37.2 GB and free space is 2.72 GB. I've removed a bunch of old email and docs, but it didn't help much. Ran Disk Cleanup. Disk is too full to run Defrag. I think I even removed some of my virus and spyware software, just trying to clear enough space to defrag. (Don't worry, the machine isn't vulnerable. I'm using my work laptop at present and don't plan to get on the internet again with my home machine until I can get this resolved.) I've been reading, and reading, and reading in these discussion groups.....and now I'm too scared to do anything else to it! At this point, if its still possible, I think I'd rather just go back to ME. I have the reinstallation CD that came with my computer, but I'm afraid I deleted ME files that I shouldn't have. (I think I remember being asked about deleting ME files at some point. Everything worked fine for weeks, so I may have done that. Sorry, this was a while back and I just can't remember exactly.) My guess is that I'd need a costly upgrade to make XP feasible. It might make better sense to just buy a new machine.....but I really don't feel comfortable spending the $ right now (possible layoff looming). So...if I can go back to ME, that may be best. My system specs: Dell Intel Pentium 4 CPU 1.60 GHz, 128 MB RAM floppy disk drive and CDROM As you can probably tell, I know just enough to get myself in trouble, which is exactly what I've done! I'd appreciate advice from the experts here, but please "dummy it down" for me, or I won't get it! Thanks so much! Melodie > A couple of months ago I decided to upgrade because I was worried about > security issues if I continued to use ME. Wish I hadn't done it. I checked [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > Melodie There is a better alternative to Windows ME and just about as good as Windows XP HE and that is Windows 2000 Pro plus SP4. And adding another 128 of RAM for a total of 256 MB would also be good for a computer of this age. >A couple of months ago I decided to upgrade because I was worried about >security issues if I continued to use ME. Wish I hadn't done it. I checked >the system requirements for this upgrade and thought I was OK, but evidently >not. My hard drive is way too full. And you have nowhere near enough RAM. > In My Computer it says my C: drive >total size is 37.2 GB and free space is 2.72 GB. I've removed a bunch of old >email and docs, but it didn't help much. Ran Disk Cleanup. Disk is too full >to run Defrag. I think I even removed some of my virus and spyware software, >just trying to clear enough space to defrag. You might want to consider buying a second hard drive and moving a lot of files to it. Your present drive is *very* small these days. > (Don't worry, the machine isn't >vulnerable. I'm using my work laptop at present and don't plan to get on the >internet again with my home machine until I can get this resolved.) I've >been reading, and reading, and reading in these discussion groups.....and now >I'm too scared to do anything else to it! At this point, if its still >possible, I think I'd rather just go back to ME. As a general rule, you can't uninstall an operating system. You have to reformat the drive and install another operating system cleanly. There's an exception to that, however. If you did an upgrade from Windows 98 or Me, and took the option to save the previous operating system and also did not convert your drive to NTFS, then you can find an entry in Add/Remove Programs. Clicking on that will uninstall Windows XP and revert to the previous operating system. If there's no entry in Add/Remove Programs, then one or more of those conditions wasn't met, and your only choice is to reformat and install whatever operating system you want cleanly. >I have the reinstallation >CD that came with my computer, but I'm afraid I deleted ME files that I >shouldn't have. If you use the reinstallation CD, you'll be starting over, so what files you deleted from the hard drive shouldn't be pertinent. > (I think I remember being asked about deleting ME files at >some point. Everything worked fine for weeks, so I may have done that. Sorry, >this was a while back and I just can't remember exactly.) My guess is that >I'd need a costly upgrade to make XP feasible. Depending on what type of RAM your computer uses, you should be able to buy another stick of 128MB (for a total of 256MB) for under $50US. And you can buy a 60-80HD for not much more than $50. If I were in your shoes, I'd spend the $100 or so to upgrade those two components, and you should be all right. >It might make better sense to >just buy a new machine.....but I really don't feel comfortable spending the $ [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >My system specs: >Dell Intel Pentium 4 CPU 1.60 GHz, That's fine. >128 MB RAM Nowhere near enough. How much memory you need for decent performance is not a one-size-fits-all situation. You get good performance if the amount of RAM you have keeps you from using the page file, and that depends on what apps you run. Most people running a typical range of business applications find that somewhere around 256-384MB works well, others need 512MB. Almost anyone will see poor performance with less than 256MB. Some people, particularly those doing things like editing large photographic images, can see a performance boost by adding even more than 512MB--sometimes much more. >floppy disk drive and CDROM > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Melodie -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User Please Reply to the Newsgroup Thanks, Ken. Your information is very helpful! (I posted a response yesterday, but it hasn’t show up, so I must have done something wrong.) I checked Add/Remove Programs. No luck there. So if I understand correctly, I can backup my files and reinstall ME from CD, in order to get my machine running again. (I’m really sick of hauling this heavy laptop back and forth from work!) That will give me some time to buy and install the new HD and RAM. Any suggestions on where I can look for specific instructions about how to do this? Are there limitations on how much upgrading is possible with a given machine? Thanks so much! Melodie > >A couple of months ago I decided to upgrade because I was worried about > >security issues if I continued to use ME. Wish I hadn't done it. I checked [quoted text clipped - 84 lines] > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User > Please Reply to the Newsgroup >Thanks, Ken. Your information is very helpful! You're welcome. Glad to help. > (I posted a response >yesterday, but it hasnt show up, so I must have done something wrong.) I >checked Add/Remove Programs. No luck there. So if I understand correctly, I >can backup my files and reinstall ME from CD, in order to get my machine >running again. Sure. >(Im really sick of hauling this heavy laptop back and forth >from work!) That will give me some time to buy and install the new HD and >RAM. Any suggestions on where I can look for specific instructions about how >to do this? Are there limitations on how much upgrading is possible with a >given machine? I hadn't realized this was a laptop. Laptops are much harder and more expensive to upgrade than desktops, and there may *not* be room for a second hard drive, as I suggested, and possibly not for extra RAM either. You should check with your vendor. >> >A couple of months ago I decided to upgrade because I was worried about >> >security issues if I continued to use ME. Wish I hadn't done it. I checked [quoted text clipped - 84 lines] >> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User >> Please Reply to the Newsgroup -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User Please Reply to the Newsgroup > snip >>(I'm really sick of hauling this heavy laptop back and forth [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > second hard drive, as I suggested, and possibly not for extra RAM > either. You should check with your vendor. Hi Ken, It's not a laptop. The machine she wants to downgrade or upgrade is her home desktop, which she is not currently using. She's temporarily taking her laptop from work home every night to have Internet access at home....at least that's what I got from her posts. ;-)  SignatureGlen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+ http://dts-l.org/ http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm I'm sorry, Ken, I guess I wasn't clear. The machine I'm upgrading is my own desktop machine at home. I've been hauling the work laptop back and forth from work only because my desktop is out of commission. So, your upgrade recommendations are still valid. Now that we've got that straight, back to my questions: Any suggestions on where I can look for specific instructions about how > >to do this? Are there limitations on how much upgrading is possible with a > >given machine? Thanks! Melodie > >Thanks, Ken. Your information is very helpful! > [quoted text clipped - 111 lines] > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User > Please Reply to the Newsgroup >I'm sorry, Ken, I guess I wasn't clear. The machine I'm upgrading is my own >desktop machine at home. I've been hauling the work laptop back and forth >from work only because my desktop is out of commission. Thanks for the clarification (and thanks, Glee, for pointing it out). Yes, I misread your message. > So, your upgrade >recommendations are still valid. Now that we've got that straight, back to my >questions: Any suggestions on where I can look for specific instructions >about how Adding RAM and adding a hard drive are both very easy. Perhaps the best way to do these things the first time is to work with a friend who has done them before. If you want a book, the enormous (and expensive) volume "Upgrading and Repairing PCs" by Scott Mueller is now in its 17th edition. It's the "bible" of this kind of book, but it's probably overkill for you to buy. But you might want to see if your local library or a friend has a copy you can borrow. Also make sure you check your computers specs, and buy exactly the same kind of RAM that's already installed. Also make sure your computer has a free drive bay for installation of a second drive. By the way, as Glee points out, you don't need the upgrades with ME. You will need them only if you decide to go back to XP in the future. >> >to do this? Are there limitations on how much upgrading is possible with a >> >given machine? Not really. You can replace every single component of the machine, either one at a time, or all at once. The only real issue is whether it makes economic sense to upgrade. If you have to replace enough components, you might be better off just buying a new computer. But in your case, adding RAM and a second drive should be somewhere around $100, and probably makes sense to do if you want to go to XP. -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User Please Reply to the Newsgroup OK, Ken. I think I've got it now! If I can't find that book, or something similar, to refer to, there's always the option of bugging my brother for help! Glee pointed out that my hard drive shouldn't be this full. I had wondered about that. I've been moving/deleting everything I can, but it hasn't helped that much. There aren't any music or video files to blame, either. But if I start all over with ME, will this problem be moot? TX! Melodie > >I'm sorry, Ken, I guess I wasn't clear. The machine I'm upgrading is my own > >desktop machine at home. I've been hauling the work laptop back and forth [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User > Please Reply to the Newsgroup Another thing that can take up a lot of room on a drive is System Restore, especially if it is playing up and not working properly. Do you have any idea how much room it is taking up ? Joan > OK, Ken. I think I've got it now! If I can't find that book, or > something similar, to refer to, there's always the option of bugging [quoted text clipped - 50 lines] >> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User >> Please Reply to the Newsgroup >Another thing that can take up a lot of room on a drive is System Restore, >especially if it is playing up and not working properly. Do you have any >idea how much room it is taking up ? Probably 12%, the default. That's a good point, and she can/should reduce it substantially. ken >> OK, Ken. I think I've got it now! If I can't find that book, or >> something similar, to refer to, there's always the option of bugging [quoted text clipped - 50 lines] >>> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User >>> Please Reply to the Newsgroup -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User Please Reply to the Newsgroup >OK, Ken. I think I've got it now! If I can't find that book, or something >similar, to refer to, there's always the option of bugging my brother for >help! Help is good. Better than a book, in my view. >Glee pointed out that my hard drive shouldn't be this full. I had wondered >about that. I've been moving/deleting everything I can, but it hasn't helped >that much. There aren't any music or video files to blame, either. As I remember, Glee didn't say "shouldn't," but rather that you might be able to offload some of your files to CDs. When you deleted files, did you also empty the recycle bin. If not, you don't save any space. > But if I >start all over with ME, will this problem be moot? TX! Probably just temporarily. I don't know what your files are, but you'll like repeat whatever you've done to accumulate them. Ken >> >I'm sorry, Ken, I guess I wasn't clear. The machine I'm upgrading is my own >> >desktop machine at home. I've been hauling the work laptop back and forth [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] >> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User >> Please Reply to the Newsgroup -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User Please Reply to the Newsgroup OK, now I am a little cornfused. If you plan to go back to WinME, you really don't need to add more RAM. WinME will work fine with 128MB RAM....you do need to either clean off space on the hard drive or get a bigger one, regardless. You would need to add more RAM if you want to stay with XP. With the amount of used space on the hard drive, it seems to me you ought to be able to gain a lot of space by moving some of your data to CD or DVD. Do you have any idea what is taking up all that space? It is certainly not programs or Windows system files. I suspect it may be pictures, music files, documents and the like....many of which can be archived to optical discs or an external hard drive, or a second internal hard drive for storage. I suggest getting either the freeware Scanner or the freeware DiskUsage for Windows to see how your disk usage breaks down: http://aumha.org/freeware/freeware.php#scanner SignatureGlen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+ http://dts-l.org/ http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm > Thanks, Ken. Your information is very helpful! (I posted a response > yesterday, but it hasn’t show up, so I must have done something wrong.) I [quoted text clipped - 97 lines] >> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User >> Please Reply to the Newsgroup "Melody" wrote: > Any suggestions on where I can look for specific instructions about how > to do this? Are there limitations on how much upgrading is possible with > a given machine? To know your machine's upgrade limitations (or potential) install ASTRA32. The motherboard is the fundamental component, knowing the make and model of the motherboard you can search for information on it's full potential in the maker's website.. but any motherboard has support for at least two harddrives, and at least two memory modules and your's probably has only one 128MB module and room for another one. Download ASTRA32 to know your computer's maximum RAM capacity (Look in DMI Memory Info) http://www.astra32.com/ ----------------------------------------------- > Thanks, Ken. Your information is very helpful! (I posted a response > yesterday, but it hasn't show up, so I must have done something wrong.) I > checked Add/Remove Programs. No luck there. So if I understand correctly, I > can backup my files and reinstall ME from CD, in order to get my machine > running again. (I'm really sick of hauling this heavy laptop back and forth > from work!) That will give me some time to buy and install the new HD and > RAM. Any suggestions on where I can look for specific instructions about how [quoted text clipped - 92 lines] > > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User > > Please Reply to the Newsgroup Forgot to mention that you'll need to know the RAM memory characteristics so you can buy a compatible module. ASTRA32 provides that information in "SPD Memory Info". You don't have to read all the following articles, but all of them have good information to help you upgrade your computer. Build Your Own PC (lots of good info) http://www.pcmech.com/byopc/step/7/ How to install an additional hard drive http://www.basichardware.com/HowTo_Install_Hard_Drive.html How To Install Internal & External Hard Drives http://www.smartcomputing.com/Editorial/article.asp?article=articles/2004/w1510/ 07w02/07w02.asp Add more memory to your computer http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/addmemory.mspx Memory Module Physical Installation Procedure http://www.pcguide.com/proc/physinst/ram-c.html Install Memory (RAM), performing a RAM Upgrade, installing DIMMS http://www.helpwithpcs.com/upgrading/installing_dimm_memory_ram.htm Memory Buying Guide http://www.helpwithpcs.com/buying/hardware_buying_guide_ram_memory.htm ---------------------------------------------- > "Melody" wrote: > > Any suggestions on where I can look for specific instructions about how [quoted text clipped - 132 lines] > > > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User > > > Please Reply to the Newsgroup Thanks Ronaldo! I'll definitely check out these resources! Melodie > Forgot to mention that you'll need to know the RAM memory characteristics so > you can buy a compatible module. ASTRA32 provides that information in "SPD [quoted text clipped - 180 lines] > > > > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User > > > > Please Reply to the Newsgroup In addition to using a utility such as the one Ronaldo mentioned, or one such as Everest Home Edition: http://www.majorgeeks.com/EVEREST_Free_Edition_d4181.html you should go to the Crucial and Kingston web sites and look up your exact brand and model computer on their memory configurators. They will show you the exact modules that are compatible, in various sizes, along with the total amount you can use in that system. www.crucial.com www.kingston.com Both sell excellent RAM. Kingston can be found at a number of resellers cheaper than buying direct from them. www.newegg.com often has the best price on particular Kingston modules, if you check by part number after using the Kingston configurator. Their ValueRAM is the best bargain among their memory types. Crucial sells direct....they are a subsidiary of the company that manufactures their RAM. SignatureGlen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+ http://dts-l.org/ http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm > Thanks Ronaldo! I'll definitely check out these resources! > Melodie [quoted text clipped - 183 lines] >> > > > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User >> > > > Please Reply to the Newsgroup Memory Configurator http://www.bootdisk.com/ram.htm Memory Configurator http://www.18004memory.com/ Kingston Memory Search http://www.kingston.com/ ----------------------------------- > Thanks Ronaldo! I'll definitely check out these resources! > Melodie [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > > > How To Install Internal & External Hard Drives http://www.smartcomputing.com/Editorial/article.asp?article=articles/2004/w1510/ 07w02/07w02.asp > > Add more memory to your computer > > http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/addmemory.mspx [quoted text clipped - 164 lines] > > > > > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User > > > > > Please Reply to the Newsgroup You have essentially reached the end of the road without a second hard drive. When you get it installed, you should consider creating a Program Files folder on that new drive. Uninstall large programs (Office, Photoshop, etc.) on your current drive and reinstall them in the new Program Files folder. Move your My Documents folder to the new drive. If you are using Adobe Reader, you could reduce disk space by uninstalling the Adobe Reader and installing the Foxit Reader http://www.foxitsoftware.com Much smaller and much faster. As soon as you can, install Service Pack 2 (may have been included in your installation CD) and the 100 or so critical updates since the Service Pack was issued. There will be a lot of storage used by all of the critical updates. If you can, defrag the old drive. It's a lot of work, but will be well worth it. I've been there and done that! > Thanks Ronaldo! I'll definitely check out these resources! > Melodie [quoted text clipped - 218 lines] >> > > > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User >> > > > Please Reply to the Newsgroup On May 29, 7:40 pm, "Charles W Davis" <Anthemw...@lvcoxmail.com> wrote: > You have essentially reached the end of the road without a second hard > drive. When you get it installed, you should consider creating a Program [quoted text clipped - 236 lines] > > - Show quoted text - You can try to defrag with PerfectDisk, which can do it with just a little bit of free space. Can you afford an additional Hard Drive? you could buy another of the same size at a very low cost so you could install Windows ME or Windows 2000 on it and migrate your files to lighten up the XP Drive. To make the installation, you would need to install Windows (ME or 2000) on the drive while plugged in the "Master" end of the IDE Cable and the old HD disconnected. You could get a new HD and a 256MB RAM module for clear under a $100. And you would have a fully functional 384MB RAM dual installation. ------------------------------------------------- > A couple of months ago I decided to upgrade because I was worried about > security issues if I continued to use ME. Wish I hadn't done it. I checked [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > Melodie |
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