Windows ME Cleanup

[Jimbo]

I have a Dell Dimension running Windows ME which I hate because it always locks up on me. Anyway, my kids beat the crap out of it and I get to clean it up. Lately I have been trying to run a Scandisk, then a Defrag, but the Scandisk never completes. I thought maybe there were too many files on the HD and deleted what I could. In the midst of this I found a directory called C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\IE5something and under that are a bunch of subdirectory directory names which are like gibberish (GH13ECPH8) and chock full of .tif, .htm, image files, etc. Do I need these?
Earlier I said Scandisk won't run, even when I CTRL-ALT-DELETE and End Task most everything that's running. That baffles me since it used to work. Something is trying to write to a harddisk but what.
Any help would be appreciated.

[DaveS]

Temp internet files=GARBAGE. U can safely delete all of 'em. As far as programs running when U ctr-alt-del, end task on everything except Explorer and systray. You might wanna into MSCONFIG and goto the startup tab and see what ya got running in there, might be some stuff you can shut off(ie; things dont need to start on bootup). If ya think something is writing to your HD, run a virus scan with the latest virus defintions to see whats up. ScanDisk not running is a problem, big problem, ya might need to do a reformat of C: drive to solve it.

[JohnR]

Probably Virus scan running. The best way I found to fix Windows ME was to put Linux on instead. After that, maybe Win XP - but a clean install.

There is a whole painfull list of things that could be causing it to halt - mainly programs accessing the hard drive.

For those files in IE Explorer go to , Tools -> Internet Options -> Temporary Internet Files & click on delete. After that is done, go to settings and change amount of disk space to 10-20 MB instead of the 400 or so it's probably set at now. You may need to do this with every profile if ME is running a profile for each user...

[Jimbo]

Hey, thanks. A couple of these things I did or checked before, but some no and that'll give me something to do tomorrow when the monsoons come. I used to be an IT guy before the ME/NT/2000 series of Windows came out, and it PO's me I can't figure it out. I just can't keep up with technology and my kids load and unload so much my head spins. Anyway, the way I figure it, from his other post, that he's 4 miles from the refinery explosion, DaveS has got to only be about a half hour North of me, if that, so maybe I could bribe him with a Wild Eye Shad or four and he'd come down and fix the problem for me. Kidding!!! Thanks for your advice.

[Striper SniperX]

i'm not a computer wizz *(well. a little)*

But i would say- buy a new computer with a differant OS or buy a new OS software.

Windows ME is the worse OS in microsoft history- I had a computer with winME and wouldn't ever want it again.....i rather have win98 or XP
----------------------------

just my .50 cent



on a serious note, i would do a whole harddrive clean up and delete any un crucial things

go to microsofts website for REAL help


mike

[DaveS]

LOL, for 3 Habs needles and a 2 BM Pikies I'll reformatt your whole PC

[JohnR]

OK - seeing that you used to be a computer IT geek, the MSCONFIG is a good start - that is in the "painfull list of things to do " -

Msconfig for 98/ME, start -> run -> msconfig. If I remember right ( I tried VERY HARD to move to 2K and bypassed ME real quick so I'm a little rusty on that) you'll see an advanced button and inside there is a "startup" or diganostic tab. You will be able to turn off the items that run at startup like half of the dell tricks, virus scan (Do a full scan before this with the latest defs - after unplugging network cable from any internet or LAN connection) and most other resource robbing apps that launch with windows. This will likely keep the app that's killing scandisk from starting.

I do recommend XPHome but only after a full format and complete fresh install - never upgrade a MS OS - especially to or from WinME...

Microsofts site says it's OK to upgrade - that's BS... Much of the time it will work, sometimes it blows up spectacularly but nothing beats a fresh & clean install...

I'm not a computer genius but I've been working Novell Networks since v3, Microsoft Networks from 3.11 & 3.51 to 2K and OS from dos 3+, Win9x, 2K, & XP, I also do Cisco and a bunch of other stuff. I would rate ME as being one of the more lousy programs I've ever worked with and I can think of a few.

[Striper SniperX]

John, seeing what you said- maybe you could help me get my Digital Camera working?

I have the latest Drivers, i have ONE of the best "imaging softwares" out there and it still wont connect- my ports are all working fine- i don't even think the comp sees the camera there

AOL wont help- they give me a ton of numbers to call and wait all day to just do it again!


it's the cheap AOL digiCam (i made the mistake of buying it)


maybe you could PM or email me so i don't HI-JACK this thread...

i don't know


mike

[JohnR]

Serial? USB?

[Striper SniperX]

Serial (COM) ports.... if you could help that would be kewl cause we bought the cam and never got to use it

[JohnR]

Confirm the com port works with a modem if you have one....

Then hook the camera up and check your serial port speed settings starting at 2400 and moving up incrememntally from there... Also make certain that the settings for the port are correct for the camera - and RTFM

[Jimbo]

Thanks for all your advice, turns out one thing I was advised to do was disconnect the cable modem. I finally got through the scan and defrag. The lesson I learned is that putting one's cable modem in "standby" doesn't disconnect it from the Internet and therefore there was still something running I guess I couldn't detect. As soon as I powered it down for the cleanup it worked. It's always the simple things, huh?