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Computer keeps crashing windows ME
Just having read another topic on issues with windows ME. I also have problems with the computer not booting up correctly or just locking up when using the only way to restart it is to shutoff the power and re-boot again.
I did have the thought of may be starting from scratch completely wiping the hard drive and loading a full version off XP. Not sure how easy it would be to start completely from scratch.
Or would an alternative to be to upgrade to windows XP from ME would this resolve a lot of the problems Im experiencing. I'm sure some of the issue is that when you buy computers they put some much software on that you never use then when adding additional software they then conflict with each other. Also i have AOL (5,7) which people say can cause problems.
Any advice much appreciated my system is about 2 years old and a Gateway built system (not sure if this may be part of the problem)
Hope someone can help
Phil
I did have the thought of may be starting from scratch completely wiping the hard drive and loading a full version off XP. Not sure how easy it would be to start completely from scratch.
Or would an alternative to be to upgrade to windows XP from ME would this resolve a lot of the problems Im experiencing. I'm sure some of the issue is that when you buy computers they put some much software on that you never use then when adding additional software they then conflict with each other. Also i have AOL (5,7) which people say can cause problems.
Any advice much appreciated my system is about 2 years old and a Gateway built system (not sure if this may be part of the problem)
Hope someone can help
Phil
have you tried to scan the disk starting in "emergency" mode? i'd advise you to get some kind of program which helps to clean the register (like system mechanic). i don't know, it can be anything. have you got your start up floppy (boot disk)? try to run it in "emergency mode" and go to start>run>msconfig... prehaps there's something what crashes your windozze. try to uncheck any junk.
and that's why i've got only macs:-P
and that's why i've got only macs:-P
Hey,
Windows ME is an embarressment for Microsoft, it is extremely unstable and is basically a disaster.
Your best option is to upgrade to Windows XP, but you dont need to start from scratch. You should be able to do an upgrade from the cd which will upgrade your pc to windows XP.
I would however recommend that you take a backup of your important stuff first just in case.
I have been running XP since it came out and have had very few issues with it, in fact I dont think my PC has crashed once because of XP.
Hope this helps
Rob
Windows ME is an embarressment for Microsoft, it is extremely unstable and is basically a disaster.
Your best option is to upgrade to Windows XP, but you dont need to start from scratch. You should be able to do an upgrade from the cd which will upgrade your pc to windows XP.
I would however recommend that you take a backup of your important stuff first just in case.
I have been running XP since it came out and have had very few issues with it, in fact I dont think my PC has crashed once because of XP.
Hope this helps
Rob
Phil, You have 2 main problems.
1. your OS is rubbish. Upgrade to XP IMMEDIATELY or we will send the OS police round!!
2. your machine was built by Gateway. sorry to say but the worst machines I ever used were Gateways.
Beware that if you use the WinME machine with older apps (particularly some kiddies stuff) they may not run well in XP. There are a few things about XP that are not as good as ME, the main one for me being that you can no longer set different screen resolutions for different users. So when my kids use my PC for their stuff, I have to manually change the screen res to 640x480, which is tedious because the standard list of resolutions XP displays only goes down to 800x600 so you have to use the advanced options.
XP does allow you to run in a mode that is "compatible" with either Win95 or Win98, and also set the screen res for an app, but it is flaky to say the least.
My answer was to put Win98 SE back on my old PC for the kids and I use XP for more serious use. (Playing Far Cry for instance
1. your OS is rubbish. Upgrade to XP IMMEDIATELY or we will send the OS police round!!
2. your machine was built by Gateway. sorry to say but the worst machines I ever used were Gateways.
Beware that if you use the WinME machine with older apps (particularly some kiddies stuff) they may not run well in XP. There are a few things about XP that are not as good as ME, the main one for me being that you can no longer set different screen resolutions for different users. So when my kids use my PC for their stuff, I have to manually change the screen res to 640x480, which is tedious because the standard list of resolutions XP displays only goes down to 800x600 so you have to use the advanced options.
XP does allow you to run in a mode that is "compatible" with either Win95 or Win98, and also set the screen res for an app, but it is flaky to say the least.
My answer was to put Win98 SE back on my old PC for the kids and I use XP for more serious use. (Playing Far Cry for instance
Have to agree with Rob,about ME. I upgraded to ME from 95, when I bought some hardware, that refused to work with it. Very unstable, moved to Windows 2000, which is where I'm staying, to many "features" on XP designed for the benefit of MS world domination for my liking.
Although you can upgrade (XP or 2000) rather than do a clean install, I dont recommend this as you will still carry a lot of the accumulated rubish hiding in your windows files onto the new system. A clean install from a freshly formatted hard drive will give you the the best results. You should also be aware that some lock-ups / crashes can be caused by the first stages of hard drive failure (I know, I had this problem). A neat solution would be to install a second hard drive (they are very cheap), and install the new OS (and all your current applications)on that keeping the existing one for as a back-up.
Although you can upgrade (XP or 2000) rather than do a clean install, I dont recommend this as you will still carry a lot of the accumulated rubish hiding in your windows files onto the new system. A clean install from a freshly formatted hard drive will give you the the best results. You should also be aware that some lock-ups / crashes can be caused by the first stages of hard drive failure (I know, I had this problem). A neat solution would be to install a second hard drive (they are very cheap), and install the new OS (and all your current applications)on that keeping the existing one for as a back-up.
I've been running ME for the last few years & it's been pretty reliable, crashes on average perhaps once every six months. The main problem I found with it is that stupid PC Health thing they put in, where it backs up important files etc. & slowly eats up your HD space. Even if you 'disable' it, it's still active - a known bug. You can delete the folder it backs up too & replace it with a txt file of the same name - sorted all problems out for me. A quick search on google will bring up step by step instructions.
Personally I don't like using XP, but Windows 2000 is fantastic - have used it for the last 4 years for video editing (1 Gb+ files) and it's never crashed.
b
Just remembered - had an issue with ME when I first installed it, ME has problems with power management on some motherboards - try disabling it & see if that sorts out your stabilty issue.
Personally I don't like using XP, but Windows 2000 is fantastic - have used it for the last 4 years for video editing (1 Gb+ files) and it's never crashed.
b
Just remembered - had an issue with ME when I first installed it, ME has problems with power management on some motherboards - try disabling it & see if that sorts out your stabilty issue.
Thanks for all the advice.
It seems that everyone is of the same opinion to ditch ME and upgrade to XP or 2000. One of the main reasons is because Im looking at buying a digital camera and I want to be sure that my computer is going to be reliable so hopefully avoid the cost of buying a new computer as well as a camera (10D). I think I will look at upgrading first if this still causes issues then it may be time to dig deeper and buy a laptop.
Thanks for all the advice
Phil
It seems that everyone is of the same opinion to ditch ME and upgrade to XP or 2000. One of the main reasons is because Im looking at buying a digital camera and I want to be sure that my computer is going to be reliable so hopefully avoid the cost of buying a new computer as well as a camera (10D). I think I will look at upgrading first if this still causes issues then it may be time to dig deeper and buy a laptop.
Thanks for all the advice
Phil
I have been running ME for about 2 years now. The only probs I had where related to viruses crashing my system. I have been very happy with it. I would like to upgrade to Windows 2000, only because I may want the option to use Photoshop CS, but if thats all I would upgrade for, then I may not do it as an urgent thing. I have no problems with ME, and will continue to use it for the foreseeable future.
Good luck with your issues though, hope they get sorted soon.
Anthony
Good luck with your issues though, hope they get sorted soon.
Anthony
I run both Xp and Win98SE. For most things Xp is the best and its the best OS I have ever worked with. Why then use 98, well its some old games the kids like,so I have a dual boot system. I used Win2000 at work for a couple of years with no problems, and the change to Xp at home and at work has been painless. In fact at work a couple of the network speed problems were improved by moving to Xp, though this is not likely to be of any impact on home users, unless you use Novel for a home network.
P.S If you do not like the Xp look then you can run it in classic mode and it looks just like Win2000.
P.S If you do not like the Xp look then you can run it in classic mode and it looks just like Win2000.
I've just spent three hours tracking down a worm on my two week old PC - serves me right for ignoring the live update prompt on Norton!
I used to dislike XP intensely but have subsequently found out it was largely the [email protected] Tiny PC I had. I always liked 3.1 tho...
Ceri
I used to dislike XP intensely but have subsequently found out it was largely the [email protected] Tiny PC I had. I always liked 3.1 tho...
Ceri
All these nice little features microsoft adds to each version just slow down the machine, I think running in Classic mode has its advantages. Did you also note that Xp starts quicker, but shuts down slower than 2000.
Anyway enough time on PC's I'm off to ponder on what I do next to try and improve my photo's.
Anyway enough time on PC's I'm off to ponder on what I do next to try and improve my photo's.
