Ok I think I understand. You want to have Windows Me running on your
system
so you can use hardware that doesn't like XP.
Maybe someday in the future you will upgrade to Xp and have the software
but
for now you just want Me. Is that right?
Here are 2 scenarios. Pick the one that is best for you.
1) You had Windows Me installed and then upgraded to XP but now want to
revert back to Windows Me by uninstalling XP. To do that simply go to
Control Panel->Add and Remove Programs. Select the option to Uninstall
Windows XP. That should roll you back to Windows Me. However, if after
upgrading from Windows Me to XP you converted the drive from FAT32 to
NTFS
you will no longer have the option to roll back.
2) You want to remove Windows XP and do a fresh install of Windows Me. To
do
this you need to repartition and reformat the drive. Boot with a Windows
Me
Start-up floppy. At the command prompt type FDISK and press Enter. Answer
Yes to enabling large drive support if you see the message. You should
get
to the FDISK Menu. Select the option to Delete partitions. Select the
option
to Delete Non-DOS partitions if your install of XP was the NTFS format.
If
the format was FAT32 then select the option to Delete Primary Partitions.
Delete the partition. Esc back to the FDISK Menu. No select the option to
Create Partitions. Create a Primary Partition. When finished leave the
floppy in the drive and Esc out and reboot. At the command prompt type
FORMAT C: and press Enter. That will format the drive as FAT32. When
finished pop your Windows Me CD into the drive and change to the drive
letter
of your CD and type SETUP.EXE
If in the future you wish to upgrade to XP you have the advise supplied
in
the previous posts to work with including this
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/upgrade_tips.htm
--
Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell/User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp
henry21 said:
Thanks Sharon but in trying to install ME I was taken through all the steps
the Team advised on without any probs. The only prob is I want ME only
at
this stage and can't find out how to uninstall/delete WindowsXP or
format
the drive to achieve this, Best Wishes, Henry.
On Tue, 6 Sep 2005 14:38:05 +0100, henry21 wrote:
Thanks for your help but I do wish to install Windows ME in order to use
existing hardware that wont run in XP.
The 2 disks I have, ME and XP Upgrade are both legal discs purchased
at
Retail Outlets. I have a new laptop bought with XP installed so now
I
wish
to format my hard drive for the old comp but dont know how, Thanks again
Henry, putting the possible hardware issues aside for the moment, you
would
not need to install WinME before installing XP. You will need the
WinME CD
for a step during the setup (proof of a previous version of Windows)
but
that's all you need it for.
Ken gave you two good links for step-by-step articles that walk you
through
the setup process including formatting the hard drive. Suggest taking
a
look at those. The directions are good and the screen shots of the
setup
screens are a very handy reference.
Coming back to the hardware on the desktop -- as long as the system meets
the minimum system requirements for XP, there's a good chance the install
will go well. If there's hardware you have a question about - post
here.
The upgrade advisor that the others have mentioned is rather dated but
would still be appropriate for an older desktop. It would also point
out
any software that may not be compatible with XP. (You'll need to
decide
how
essential any incompatible software is to you and whether or not you want
to live without it.) The advisor is included on the WinXP upgrade CD. You
can run it without making any changes to the existing setup. Read the
report and then decide what you want to do.
And remember - If, for whatever reason, an XP install doesn't work
out,
you
can always start over and do a clean install of WinME instead.
