Windows ME Hard Drive Problems?

Question

My old Min ME computer has crashed 3 times over the past few years. After 3rd time I decided to uninstall Windows. While uninstalling, system froze. I had to turn off computer. Now the system says that it can't start windows and will not go to DOS. How do I fix this, or erase my hard drive completely??? Please Help!!!
(P.S. I know Windows ME is very unstable and crappy)

Answer 1

Reformatting Instructions for Win ME ( DOS )
Item 1, Make sure you still have your these items: Drivers Disk (s), your Win ME O/S Disk and your 'A drive' 'Boot Disk'.
Item 2. Install 'A ' drive disk and turn on computer.
item 3. Follow instructions to get to FDISK, Run Fdisk .exe , ( I would >Delete< each item and Reenter them as I wanted them, This way you will know they are set as you want ).
item 4. Restart computer ( STILL with 'A' drive disk installed)
Follow instructions till you arrive back to "A:/ "
Now you must Foremat your HDD (s). Easy, No Real Problem,
At rhe 'A:/ type in your next drive letter till you get past your last HDD letter. (Example: if you have 1 HDD it 'should be' "C", you will have to go to at least "D" to read any files)
item 5. when you get to a drive that you can read, type this:
D:/w ( D : / W )(( spaced out to prevent problem)) Note: use your drive letter. you are trying to see a file named'FORMAT'
Note, you can not Format the drive you are in..
item 6. when you have found the drive that has 'Format',
Type this: FORMAT C: and press Enter. ( You do not have to system the drive ( example: Format c: /s this is used with Win 98) it is automatically done with Win ME.
After you have completed the Format process, Find the "Last Drive" that has files, you are looking for " SETUP.EXE." Type this In SETUP.EXE
If all goes well, your computer will start to install a "Clean New Copy of Win ME".

This is from memory, I do not think I have missed any thing,

P/s, as stated in the other responses, You Can Not Remove or Format the Drive Where your O/S is while you are In That Drive..

I have Built and Repaired many Computers over the last 12 years. I do this as a Hobby.

Good luck, I hope this helps. If you need more assistenance, E-mail me at : [e-mail] I will try to help.

daveo5624

Answer 2

Probably, since it froze while uninstalling, It deleted most of the system files. So now it can't do anything. Try inserting the Reinstallation CD and booting from it (Hold in F12 while system starts up). After that, Go through the setup until it asks you to chose a partition space. Delete the partition that you used for Windows ME (Probably the one with most MB). It might not be able to delete the partition if it didn't delete certain system files. If all else fails, you have to get a new Hard Drive, and I recommend Windows XP or Vista.

Biggles, I just read your answer, it's not true. The system starts out without an OS. Whoever made the computer installed it on an unpartitioned space. The computer is operational when there is no OS only to check BIOS Setup, do a Diagnostics, or boot from CD--Which is how they install the OS.

Also, if you can't uninstall it, you must take your hard drive to a specialized technician to manually remove the Windows files. Then you will be able to install windows. Although, price-wise, you'd probably be better off getting a new hard drive.

Answer 3

you can't uninstall windows no matter what version while the computer is running windows is the Os and with out it you pc is dead you may have removed critical system files which would explain why you can only get in to dos
Try this for a fix insert you windows cd into your cd drive and reboot then reinstall windows without formatting that should replace missing files with out wiping anything else

Answer 4

You already uninstall windows. That mean is you don't have any operating system installed. Perhaps you still have data on the partition, but you can not access it, because there is no operating system installed.

Several options to solve the problem with your old computer:
Option 1. Use Linux.
Download Ubuntu version 6.06 LTS ( http://www.ubuntu.com ). This is the most stable version AFAIK. Burn to CD, and boot from CD.

Option 2. Get one or two floppy disk. Download Image file for DOS or Windows98 startup disk from http://www.bootdisk.com , and boot with that floppy to access your computer.

 

Answer 5

definite, it particularly is the difficulty. And, to be extra specific, the difficulty is the record equipment in yourpersistent. to repair that concern, attempt to locate a software made on your variety of puzzlingpersistent that would fill yourpersistent with zeros (the "0 filling" technique; seek the cyber web, you will locate it whether it must be on your variety of puzzlingpersistent). positioned your puzzlingpersistent in a "domicile windows" gadget and use that software to fill the puzzlingpersistent with zeros. Now positioned the puzzling-power on your "Mac" pc and format it in basic terms as you may format a clean puzzlingpersistent. After those, you've gotten the means to apply thepersistent without the different issues.

Answer 6

Will it let you into the BIOS screen?, and do you have the windows CD? If so, you can change the boot priority to CD Rom, and just insert the disc.

Answer 7

see if you can get to safe mode=tap F8 while system is trying to load. if it lets you get that far then get what you need off of it and then reformat drive by inserting your new operating system disc, good luck.

Answer 8

Yes windows me is not good. I would get a new pc and have xp or vista on it.