Lost operating software

[Guest]

On my other computer I use Windows ME. I lost the CD with all the system files on it (including Windows ME, microsoft word, etc.) and now my computer has a virus and needs to be formatted. The computer also has not been formatted for a few years and is running rather slow from all the use it has gotten. If I purchase windows XP home edition (upgrade version) will this allow me to clean out the computer of all the bugs and viruses? Do I still need the original software that came with the computer? Thanks for your help- Josh

 

[Guest]

If youd like to really "clean-out",install xp cd,exit the info page,restart computer,
boot to xp cd,install xp,new copy,delete existing partition (old OS),create new
partition,then let xp install.This reformats the hd,and does a clean install of xp.

 

[Guest]

will this work with the XP Upgrade CD? or do i need the XP Full edition cd? one is 99 dollars and the other 199. Thanks... Josh

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

On my other computer I use Windows ME. I lost the CD with all the
system files on it (including Windows ME, microsoft word, etc.) and
now my computer has a virus and needs to be formatted.

It is rarely if ever necessary to format a computer just because
it has a virus. There are virus removal tools available.

The computer
also has not been formatted for a few years and is running rather
slow from all the use it has gotten.

The concept thaht a computer needs to or should be reformatted
every few years is false. With a modicum of reasonable care and
maintenance, it should never have to be reformatted.

If I purchase windows XP home
edition (upgrade version) will this allow me to clean out the
computer of all the bugs and viruses? Do I still need the original
software that came with the computer? Thanks for your help-

Josh


It probably depends on the bugs and viruses, but I would never
want to rely on upgrading an operating system to fix such
problems. Although I'm almost always in favor of upgrading rather
than clean installing, when you're having severe problems like
this, I draw the line.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

will this work with the XP Upgrade CD? or do i need the XP Full
edition cd? one is 99 dollars and the other 199. Thanks... Josh

Yes, you can do a clean installation with an upgrade version,
*if* you own an installation CD of a previous qualifying version.
The requirement to use an upgrade version is to *own* a previous
qualifying version's installation CD (not an OEM restore CD), not
to have it installed. When setup doesn't find a previous
qualifying version installed, it will prompt you to insert its CD
as proof of ownership. Just insert the previous version's CD, and
follow the prompts. Everything proceeds quite normally and quite
legitimately.

Since you said you lost the CD, this won't work for you. Even if
did, you would lose all your apps, and again you said you don't
have the CD to reinstall them.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

 

[Crusty \(-: Old B@stard :-\)]

Windows ME - three years old - never cleaned out - running slow!

How long do you think it would take to clean this system and get it back to
original performance? I would rather watch grass grow!



--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

 

[Crusty \(-: Old B@stard :-\)]

Installing Windows XP over a severely corrupted/infected system will not
solve your problems. You need to perform a clean format/install. You will
need the CD from your previous operating system to do this with an "upgrade"
version of Windows.

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

 

[Alex Nichol]

On my other computer I use Windows ME. I lost the CD with all the system files on it (including Windows ME, microsoft word, etc.) and now my computer has a virus and needs to be formatted. The computer also has not been formatted for a few years and is running rather slow from all the use it has gotten. If I purchase windows XP home edition (upgrade version) will this allow me to clean out the computer of all the bugs and viruses?

You will be able to install it from the present ME system, and do a
clean install. The problem would be if you got to do another clean
install in future. It *may* be that the same method would work,
realising that the first case was a legitimate upgrade (or that might
mean that you actually *did* an upgrade) but really you need a
'qualifying' CD around to show to setup. A Win95 or Win98 one would do
as well.

But to do the clean install with an upgrade CD, run the CD from the
present qualifying system. Enter Install, change Upgrade to New
Install. In that, when asked to confirm where, hit ESC, delete the
present partition and make a new one to be formatted. By that time the
check has been made