Full XP install over ME

[Darla]

We purchased our computer and it came with ME. We
purchased XP and ran the install, however it was a full
install, not an upgrade. Is it possible to remove ME
from the computer now that XP is installed? If so, can
someone help with the removal process?
Thanks!

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Darla.

HOW did you install WinXP? To the same partition as WinME? Or to a
different partition? When booting your computer, are you seeing a menu that
offers you a choice between WinME and WinXP?

Assuming that you installed WinXP to a separate partition and that you now
have a dual-boot system, follow these steps:

1. To eliminate the WinME choice on the opening menu, go to System
Properties | Advanced | Startup and Recovery. In the top section, make sure
WinXP is your default operating system. Then click Edit and remove the line
in C:\boot.ini under [operating systems] that refers to WinME.

2. To reclaim the disk space used by WinME, boot into WinXP and delete
WinME's "boot folder". This is probably C:\Windows. WinXP also uses the
name \Windows for its boot folder, by default, but it would be on the other
partition (D:\Windows?). In any case, Windows will not let you delete its
own boot folder, so if you get an error message when you try to delete
C:\Windows, stop and investigate further.

If you hit a snag, post back with details, including the answers to the
questions in my first paragraph.

RC

 

[Darla]

Hi RC - Unfortunately I didn't know I needed to install
to a separate partition, so it installed in the same
partition as ME under its own directory.

-----Original Message-----
Hi, Darla.

HOW did you install WinXP? To the same partition as WinME? Or to a
different partition? When booting your computer, are you seeing a menu that
offers you a choice between WinME and WinXP?

Assuming that you installed WinXP to a separate partition and that you now
have a dual-boot system, follow these steps:

1. To eliminate the WinME choice on the opening menu, go to System
Properties | Advanced | Startup and Recovery. In the top section, make sure
WinXP is your default operating system. Then click Edit and remove the line
in C:\boot.ini under [operating systems] that refers to WinME.

2. To reclaim the disk space used by WinME, boot into WinXP and delete
WinME's "boot folder". This is probably C:\Windows. WinXP also uses the
name \Windows for its boot folder, by default, but it would be on the other
partition (D:\Windows?). In any case, Windows will not let you delete its
own boot folder, so if you get an error message when you try to delete
C:\Windows, stop and investigate further.

If you hit a snag, post back with details, including the answers to the
questions in my first paragraph.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

We purchased our computer and it came with ME. We
purchased XP and ran the install, however it was a full
install, not an upgrade. Is it possible to remove ME
from the computer now that XP is installed? If so, can
someone help with the removal process?
Thanks!

.

 

[Brian]

If you installed it over the old partition, I would think
you also deleted everything from the old OS.

-----Original Message-----
Hi RC - Unfortunately I didn't know I needed to install
to a separate partition, so it installed in the same
partition as ME under its own directory.

-----Original Message-----
Hi, Darla.

HOW did you install WinXP? To the same partition as WinME? Or to a
different partition? When booting your computer, are you seeing a menu that
offers you a choice between WinME and WinXP?

Assuming that you installed WinXP to a separate partition and that you now
have a dual-boot system, follow these steps:

1. To eliminate the WinME choice on the opening menu, go to System
Properties | Advanced | Startup and Recovery. In the top section, make sure
WinXP is your default operating system. Then click

Edit
and remove the line

in C:\boot.ini under [operating systems] that refers to WinME.

2. To reclaim the disk space used by WinME, boot into WinXP and delete
WinME's "boot folder". This is probably C:\Windows. WinXP also uses the
name \Windows for its boot folder, by default, but it would be on the other
partition (D:\Windows?). In any case, Windows will not let you delete its
own boot folder, so if you get an error message when

you
try to delete

C:\Windows, stop and investigate further.

If you hit a snag, post back with details, including

the
answers to the

questions in my first paragraph.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP




.

.

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Darla.

If it overwrote WinME, then your problem is solved already. But, if that
were the case, you wouldn't be posting the question, would you?

You didn't answer my other question: Do you have BOTH WinME and WinXP
installed? Do you see a menu when you boot, offering you the choice between
them?

If you see the menu, then the instructions in my first message should still
work, with one caveat. When WinXP Setup installed WinXP into C: (?), it
could not use the name C:\Windows for its boot folder, because WinME would
already have been using that name. So, WinXP would have created a different
folder name, perhaps C:\Windows(1). In this case, you should still be able
to boot into WinXP and remove C:\Windows, leaving C:\Windows(1) in place.
Again, if you get an error message, stop and investigate. No Windows
version will let you delete its own boot folder.

Make that TWO caveats: OEM installations of Windows vary with the OEM.
Dell does it one way, Gateway another, and your friendly local computer
builder still another. You may need to read the manual that came with your
computer to see if there are any special instructions for removing WinME.
Or post the make and model of your computer here and there's a good chance
that someone will know how to deal with that model.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

Hi RC - Unfortunately I didn't know I needed to install
to a separate partition, so it installed in the same
partition as ME under its own directory.

-----Original Message-----
Hi, Darla.

HOW did you install WinXP? To the same partition as WinME? Or to a
different partition? When booting your computer, are you seeing a menu that
offers you a choice between WinME and WinXP?

Assuming that you installed WinXP to a separate partition and that you now
have a dual-boot system, follow these steps:

1. To eliminate the WinME choice on the opening menu, go to System
Properties | Advanced | Startup and Recovery. In the top section, make sure
WinXP is your default operating system. Then click Edit and remove the line
in C:\boot.ini under [operating systems] that refers to WinME.

2. To reclaim the disk space used by WinME, boot into WinXP and delete
WinME's "boot folder". This is probably C:\Windows. WinXP also uses the
name \Windows for its boot folder, by default, but it would be on the other
partition (D:\Windows?). In any case, Windows will not let you delete its
own boot folder, so if you get an error message when you try to delete
C:\Windows, stop and investigate further.

If you hit a snag, post back with details, including the answers to the
questions in my first paragraph.

RC

We purchased our computer and it came with ME. We
purchased XP and ran the install, however it was a full
install, not an upgrade. Is it possible to remove ME
from the computer now that XP is installed? If so, can
someone help with the removal process?
Thanks!