Wiping Windows ME complete

[Riki1976]

I have an old laptop that I would like to completely wipe of Windows ME. The problem is that somewhere along the way the Windows file was corrupted. I can still boot to CD or the A drive, but the Restore disk no longer works. I have a fully liscenced copy of Windows 98. When I try to install that booting up from the CD, I get a message that in order to install an older OS I must first erase ME from my machine, but I don't know how to do that. Any help would be great. Please take me through step by step in laymen's terms.

Thanks
Erika

[Miz]

If you want to wipe the drive clean and then install 98, complete instructions are on this page.

While the instructions assume you start with Win98, the process is the same when starting with a WinME installation...boot to boot floppy, fdisk, format, install Windows.

That is the best way to change operating systems but you will lose all your data...documents, email, address book, pictures, music, etc. So if you don't have everything you want to save backed up to CD, DVD or another drive, do that first.

[xequence]

You'll have to go into a DOS terminal with the 98 CD, and do "format c:".

Or, I always keep a linux install cd handy (ubuntu) because it has a great partitioner.

[JimP]

Originally Posted by xequence

You'll have to go into a DOS terminal with the 98 CD, and do "format c:".

Or, I always keep a linux install cd handy (ubuntu) because it has a great

partitioner.

Hi, That's FORMAT /S. The /S is to make the drive bootable. Probably not be necessary for XP install. Jim