How to Upgrade to Windows ME, a Non-Technical Guide
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
"Ich Windows!"
(German: "I do Windows!")
Every couple of years, Microsoft inflicts upon us PC consumers the following choice: "Do we upgrade to the latest version of Windows, or wait until it's been around awhile?" This article is for those who have been putting off the migration to Windows Millennium Edition since it hit the market last year, and have only now decided to go through with it. If you've waited this long, I'm going to guess that you are not of the propeller-head variety computer user. Because of this fact, I'd like to point out the two possible methods you have of performing this important step:
A. Upgrade your version of Windows ( 95 or 98 ) to Windows ME using the steps below.
B. Get help from a computer professional and / or hire someone to do this upgrade for you.
If you really can't face the idea of performing this task yourself, then feel free to skip to method B right now. You certainly can, however, follow the instructions below and call for help only if things don't work out as expected. In fact, I will point out a few of the likely places you might encounter trouble along the way, and if there's a problem, you'll know about it in time to get assistance before you actually lose your temper and resort to violence . This is really a point I would like to stress: anyone can upgrade Windows. It's very easy, and relatively simple, as long as you know one or two tricks and keep the phone number of your local computer store handy.
First of all, we need to determine if an upgrade is truly in order. Microsoft makes many claims about Windows ME, some of which may even be true. "It's faster," "Has better Internet support," "more home networking features," and "compatibility with the latest hardware," are a few of the key marketing angles. So what does this mean? Is it really faster, or do people just run Windows on faster computers today? Does the Internet really need all this new support? I think the Internet already has a great many supporters, don't you? Home networking might be nice, if you have more than one computer. We're talking about upgrading Windows on an existing PC, so we aren't really worried so much about the latest hardware as the old hardware. (Fortunately, there is a list of "Minimum System Requirements" on the side of the box. It's always a good idea to check and see if you have at least a "Minimum System" before purchasing any software.)
About this time is when you should notice the very last of these fantastic claims. Written on the back of the Windows ME package which you hold in your hands there in the Microsoft aisle at Comp USA is this phrase: "Windows ME runs the latest Multimedia Games!" The Games! Of course! The Games are in the next aisle, conveniently located nearby for you and everyone else who read that exact same sentence. This is by far the best reason to upgrade: so you can while away the hours, locked in mortal combat with exotic aliens, demented hillbillies, or Lara Croft.
When you arrive at home, you will want to first set aside the boxes containing Diablo II and Ever Quest, these will keep for now. Windows ME must be installed immediately, before it gets cold. As exciting as this is, STOP! You must backup your files before proceeding. [Backup (`bak-up), v. To save important files on removable media for later retrieval in the event of computer failure. See Windows Installation.] Since you keep all of your important files in one convenient place, the "My Documents" folder, this step is easy: simply use your CD Writer software to burn a CD with all of your files on it. What? You don't have all of your files in one location? You have no CD writer, either? Then this gets a bit more complicated.
One established method of gathering up all the important files is known to professionals as "Rooting Around." This consists of using the Windows "Find Files" command repeatedly for each type of file you've created or saved on your computer, then copying the files from the resulting lists to floppy diskettes, or zip disks, or whatever you have available on your system. For example: if you use MS Word, you should search for all files ending with the letters "doc" and copy them. For MS Excel, filenames end with "xls." Other files have various naming conventions. If you don't know how to identify which files are important to you, then you might want to consider getting help with this part. If you don't know how to copy the files to diskette or the like, you definitely should.
All files being backed up, it's time to start the upgrade. Open the Windows ME box and take out the contents. There will be a variety of scraps of paper, a rather thin manual-like booklet called "Getting Started", and a very official looking but lumpy envelope with lots of legalese writing on it. This envelope contains the Windows ME Installation CD. It is important to pretend to read the paragraphs, entitled "License Agreement" on this envelope. The ritual of acting like this is important to you must not be skipped! Though you may not be superstitious, experience has shown that the installation process goes much more smoothly in cases where the installer gazes intently at this writing for a few moments before breaking the seal.
Remove the CD from the envelope and place it in your CD ROM drive. At this point one of two things should happen; either the installation program will start, and will begin asking you inscrutable questions about your computer, or it won't. In the unhappy event that nothing happened, you will need to start the installation program manually. Fortunately, Microsoft has provided clear instructions for this, buried deep within some manual that you can buy at the same store where you bought Windows ME. The instructions go like this: "Click Start, and select Run from the resulting menu. Type d:\setup and press Enter." If this doesn't work, you can still resort to upgrade plan B, mentioned above.
Assuming you now have the installation program started, you will need to answer whatever questions it decides to ask you. There is only one of these that you cannot lie about, and that's the CD License Key. This is a rather longish string of numbers and letters, something like VCWRV-B9TGP-QHJGG-XYWVG-C8P9H, which will be hidden somewhere in the packaging materials Windows ME came in. You can't get away with making one up; you need your actual key. If you really can't find it, you can go looking around on the Internet. I'm sure there're plenty of Windows ME CD keys floating around out there. You could also try the one I just mentioned - just in case it's real. But you might want to gaze again at that legalese you looked at earlier before using a key that isn't actually yours.
After you've answered all the questions that the curious installation program asks of you, you will have nothing to do for a while but read some marketing material Microsoft has written for the installation program to display while files are being copied to your computer. This is a good time for a snack. I recommend that you gather up plenty of nutritious, low calorie finger foods for the next phase of this project. It's possible that you won't need them, but there is about a fifty-fifty chance that the installation will fail part way through, and you will need to start over. If your computer is more than two years old, then coffee might be a good idea, as well.
The Windows ME installer will restart the computer and then ask some more questions. Do not worry; these are only the questions that it forgot to ask the first time. Answer them as truthfully as you like, or make up some stuff, it doesn't really matter. I usually make up all the parts about my name, who I work for, etc.
At some point the Hardware Wizard will run. This is a very dangerous time for the upgrade project. The Hardware Wizard will even tell you this when it starts. The little box reads, "This process may take several minutes and may cause your computer to quit responding." Most of the time this ominous warning is only so many scary words, and the computer survives the process unscathed. There are times though, that a particular PC might go brain-dead during this phase. If you have waited several minutes, and there is no progress on the little progress indicator, and there are no new sounds emanating from the computer case, then you will come to know why you stockpiled that supply of munchies earlier on.
Here's what to do: Remove the Windows ME CD from the CD ROM drive, power the system off, then back on. On a good day the installation program will start where it left off, or at least go into recovery mode and you can follow the prompts. If this does not work, place the Windows ME CD back in the drive, then power the system off and on again. I know this sounds like some sort of voodoo activity, but it can actually work. If it does, you will be starting over with the Windows ME installer program, including entering the key and all that stuff again. You will also want to check and be sure you haven't accidentally put your backup diskettes in the microwave or any thing like that, you are likely to need them. It's still not too late switch to plan B.
The second time through is usually easier, because you will not have to spend time making up answers again. If it comes to a third or fourth time, then most people start using abbreviated answers for all the installation questions, as they're faster to type. Some people will even allow Windows to configure itself any way it likes, just to get it through the installation. "So what if it claims there is no modem? I can still play Quake, right? As long as the sound card works, we'll be ok." Or, "We can take it down to the shop for repair later, as long as I can get at my homework tonight!" These are common utterances, overheard late in the evenings of many an upgrade.
Eventually, the installation program finishes its work (assuming that you haven't given up and called for re-enforcements.) This is a good time to check and see if all your applications still work. Run each one in turn, then open a few at once. If you want to be extra thorough, you should open a file or two and attempt to save them again. Messages like "This program has done something illegal" or "The file IGNATZ.DLL is missing." are not desirable. These indicate a serious problem that will require an immediate switch to plan B. Programs that launch but then refuse to respond are not ideal, either. Sometimes issues like this can be overcome by reinstalling the problem programs, though this will most likely require more snacks and coffee.
Having the computer up and running, all programs acting normally, it is time to check and see if your files are still there. Open My Computer from the desktop and look at the contents of My Documents. If this is not where you keep your files, then look in the place where you do keep them, or try to open them with the programs you created them with - however you do normally. If you cannot find them, then you will need to restore them from the backup diskettes or other disks you made earlier. Using My Computer (or Windows Explorer if you prefer,) copy the files you backed up into the My Documents folder. You should now be able to access your files again, but don't throw away your backup just yet. It's always good to have an extra copy of your files around, especially after making a big change like this to your system.
The last step is this: look in the lower right-hand corner of the computer screen. You will see a small clock. Using the time displayed, figure out how much time this whole process took. Now consider this number against the fifty bucks you saved by doing it yourself. If everything went well, the whole process might have been completed in an hour, in which case you came out way ahead. In cases where it took two or three tries, followed by a few hours of wrangling your programs and trying to get your files back, you can easily end up calculating your hourly pay at less than minimum wage. Experience has shown me that the norm is somewhere in the middle. But all things considered, though you may have only broken even on the money saved, you had some nice snacks and you got to spend some real quality time with your computer!
:-)
(German: "I do Windows!")
Every couple of years, Microsoft inflicts upon us PC consumers the following choice: "Do we upgrade to the latest version of Windows, or wait until it's been around awhile?" This article is for those who have been putting off the migration to Windows Millennium Edition since it hit the market last year, and have only now decided to go through with it. If you've waited this long, I'm going to guess that you are not of the propeller-head variety computer user. Because of this fact, I'd like to point out the two possible methods you have of performing this important step:
A. Upgrade your version of Windows ( 95 or 98 ) to Windows ME using the steps below.
B. Get help from a computer professional and / or hire someone to do this upgrade for you.
If you really can't face the idea of performing this task yourself, then feel free to skip to method B right now. You certainly can, however, follow the instructions below and call for help only if things don't work out as expected. In fact, I will point out a few of the likely places you might encounter trouble along the way, and if there's a problem, you'll know about it in time to get assistance before you actually lose your temper and resort to violence . This is really a point I would like to stress: anyone can upgrade Windows. It's very easy, and relatively simple, as long as you know one or two tricks and keep the phone number of your local computer store handy.
First of all, we need to determine if an upgrade is truly in order. Microsoft makes many claims about Windows ME, some of which may even be true. "It's faster," "Has better Internet support," "more home networking features," and "compatibility with the latest hardware," are a few of the key marketing angles. So what does this mean? Is it really faster, or do people just run Windows on faster computers today? Does the Internet really need all this new support? I think the Internet already has a great many supporters, don't you? Home networking might be nice, if you have more than one computer. We're talking about upgrading Windows on an existing PC, so we aren't really worried so much about the latest hardware as the old hardware. (Fortunately, there is a list of "Minimum System Requirements" on the side of the box. It's always a good idea to check and see if you have at least a "Minimum System" before purchasing any software.)
About this time is when you should notice the very last of these fantastic claims. Written on the back of the Windows ME package which you hold in your hands there in the Microsoft aisle at Comp USA is this phrase: "Windows ME runs the latest Multimedia Games!" The Games! Of course! The Games are in the next aisle, conveniently located nearby for you and everyone else who read that exact same sentence. This is by far the best reason to upgrade: so you can while away the hours, locked in mortal combat with exotic aliens, demented hillbillies, or Lara Croft.
When you arrive at home, you will want to first set aside the boxes containing Diablo II and Ever Quest, these will keep for now. Windows ME must be installed immediately, before it gets cold. As exciting as this is, STOP! You must backup your files before proceeding. [Backup (`bak-up), v. To save important files on removable media for later retrieval in the event of computer failure. See Windows Installation.] Since you keep all of your important files in one convenient place, the "My Documents" folder, this step is easy: simply use your CD Writer software to burn a CD with all of your files on it. What? You don't have all of your files in one location? You have no CD writer, either? Then this gets a bit more complicated.
One established method of gathering up all the important files is known to professionals as "Rooting Around." This consists of using the Windows "Find Files" command repeatedly for each type of file you've created or saved on your computer, then copying the files from the resulting lists to floppy diskettes, or zip disks, or whatever you have available on your system. For example: if you use MS Word, you should search for all files ending with the letters "doc" and copy them. For MS Excel, filenames end with "xls." Other files have various naming conventions. If you don't know how to identify which files are important to you, then you might want to consider getting help with this part. If you don't know how to copy the files to diskette or the like, you definitely should.
All files being backed up, it's time to start the upgrade. Open the Windows ME box and take out the contents. There will be a variety of scraps of paper, a rather thin manual-like booklet called "Getting Started", and a very official looking but lumpy envelope with lots of legalese writing on it. This envelope contains the Windows ME Installation CD. It is important to pretend to read the paragraphs, entitled "License Agreement" on this envelope. The ritual of acting like this is important to you must not be skipped! Though you may not be superstitious, experience has shown that the installation process goes much more smoothly in cases where the installer gazes intently at this writing for a few moments before breaking the seal.
Remove the CD from the envelope and place it in your CD ROM drive. At this point one of two things should happen; either the installation program will start, and will begin asking you inscrutable questions about your computer, or it won't. In the unhappy event that nothing happened, you will need to start the installation program manually. Fortunately, Microsoft has provided clear instructions for this, buried deep within some manual that you can buy at the same store where you bought Windows ME. The instructions go like this: "Click Start, and select Run from the resulting menu. Type d:\setup and press Enter." If this doesn't work, you can still resort to upgrade plan B, mentioned above.
Assuming you now have the installation program started, you will need to answer whatever questions it decides to ask you. There is only one of these that you cannot lie about, and that's the CD License Key. This is a rather longish string of numbers and letters, something like VCWRV-B9TGP-QHJGG-XYWVG-C8P9H, which will be hidden somewhere in the packaging materials Windows ME came in. You can't get away with making one up; you need your actual key. If you really can't find it, you can go looking around on the Internet. I'm sure there're plenty of Windows ME CD keys floating around out there. You could also try the one I just mentioned - just in case it's real. But you might want to gaze again at that legalese you looked at earlier before using a key that isn't actually yours.
After you've answered all the questions that the curious installation program asks of you, you will have nothing to do for a while but read some marketing material Microsoft has written for the installation program to display while files are being copied to your computer. This is a good time for a snack. I recommend that you gather up plenty of nutritious, low calorie finger foods for the next phase of this project. It's possible that you won't need them, but there is about a fifty-fifty chance that the installation will fail part way through, and you will need to start over. If your computer is more than two years old, then coffee might be a good idea, as well.
The Windows ME installer will restart the computer and then ask some more questions. Do not worry; these are only the questions that it forgot to ask the first time. Answer them as truthfully as you like, or make up some stuff, it doesn't really matter. I usually make up all the parts about my name, who I work for, etc.
At some point the Hardware Wizard will run. This is a very dangerous time for the upgrade project. The Hardware Wizard will even tell you this when it starts. The little box reads, "This process may take several minutes and may cause your computer to quit responding." Most of the time this ominous warning is only so many scary words, and the computer survives the process unscathed. There are times though, that a particular PC might go brain-dead during this phase. If you have waited several minutes, and there is no progress on the little progress indicator, and there are no new sounds emanating from the computer case, then you will come to know why you stockpiled that supply of munchies earlier on.
Here's what to do: Remove the Windows ME CD from the CD ROM drive, power the system off, then back on. On a good day the installation program will start where it left off, or at least go into recovery mode and you can follow the prompts. If this does not work, place the Windows ME CD back in the drive, then power the system off and on again. I know this sounds like some sort of voodoo activity, but it can actually work. If it does, you will be starting over with the Windows ME installer program, including entering the key and all that stuff again. You will also want to check and be sure you haven't accidentally put your backup diskettes in the microwave or any thing like that, you are likely to need them. It's still not too late switch to plan B.
The second time through is usually easier, because you will not have to spend time making up answers again. If it comes to a third or fourth time, then most people start using abbreviated answers for all the installation questions, as they're faster to type. Some people will even allow Windows to configure itself any way it likes, just to get it through the installation. "So what if it claims there is no modem? I can still play Quake, right? As long as the sound card works, we'll be ok." Or, "We can take it down to the shop for repair later, as long as I can get at my homework tonight!" These are common utterances, overheard late in the evenings of many an upgrade.
Eventually, the installation program finishes its work (assuming that you haven't given up and called for re-enforcements.) This is a good time to check and see if all your applications still work. Run each one in turn, then open a few at once. If you want to be extra thorough, you should open a file or two and attempt to save them again. Messages like "This program has done something illegal" or "The file IGNATZ.DLL is missing." are not desirable. These indicate a serious problem that will require an immediate switch to plan B. Programs that launch but then refuse to respond are not ideal, either. Sometimes issues like this can be overcome by reinstalling the problem programs, though this will most likely require more snacks and coffee.
Having the computer up and running, all programs acting normally, it is time to check and see if your files are still there. Open My Computer from the desktop and look at the contents of My Documents. If this is not where you keep your files, then look in the place where you do keep them, or try to open them with the programs you created them with - however you do normally. If you cannot find them, then you will need to restore them from the backup diskettes or other disks you made earlier. Using My Computer (or Windows Explorer if you prefer,) copy the files you backed up into the My Documents folder. You should now be able to access your files again, but don't throw away your backup just yet. It's always good to have an extra copy of your files around, especially after making a big change like this to your system.
The last step is this: look in the lower right-hand corner of the computer screen. You will see a small clock. Using the time displayed, figure out how much time this whole process took. Now consider this number against the fifty bucks you saved by doing it yourself. If everything went well, the whole process might have been completed in an hour, in which case you came out way ahead. In cases where it took two or three tries, followed by a few hours of wrangling your programs and trying to get your files back, you can easily end up calculating your hourly pay at less than minimum wage. Experience has shown me that the norm is somewhere in the middle. But all things considered, though you may have only broken even on the money saved, you had some nice snacks and you got to spend some real quality time with your computer!
:-)
