Second hand computer reinstall ME

[MrClean]

I was given a second hand computer by a local college. Before gifting, they
cleared the hard drive and installed Win98 on the laptop. The laptop
originally ran ME on it (the original product key and info is posted on the
computer), can I use a ME upgrade disk and the original product key to get
this computer back to ME? Is there things I should do prior to install?

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

No, you can't use an Upgrade disk with the Product Key from the machine. The
Upgrade disk will require a Key. Don't you have the Product Key for the
Upgrade disk?

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"MrClean" <MrClean@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:871D9820-A642-4AF5-BB39-6EFF4EAC627A@microsoft.com...
>I was given a second hand computer by a local college. Before gifting,
>they
> cleared the hard drive and installed Win98 on the laptop. The laptop
> originally ran ME on it (the original product key and info is posted on
> the
> computer), can I use a ME upgrade disk and the original product key to get
> this computer back to ME? Is there things I should do prior to install?

 

[MrClean]

Yes, I do have the Product Key for the upgrade disk. I wasn't sure if the
computer would want the original Product Key (to match previously installed
software), or if it would be satisfied with the new Product Key. I guess
since I'm not using the original disk that came with the computer, I should
have know it would want the new code...please pass the salt to go with my
egg, thank you. Any other concerns I should be aware of before I undertake
the install?

"Gary S. Terhune" wrote:

> No, you can't use an Upgrade disk with the Product Key from the machine. The
> Upgrade disk will require a Key. Don't you have the Product Key for the
> Upgrade disk?
>
> --
> Gary S. Terhune
> MS-MVP Shell/User
> www.grystmill.com
>
> "MrClean" <MrClean@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:871D9820-A642-4AF5-BB39-6EFF4EAC627A@microsoft.com...
> >I was given a second hand computer by a local college. Before gifting,
> >they
> > cleared the hard drive and installed Win98 on the laptop. The laptop
> > originally ran ME on it (the original product key and info is posted on
> > the
> > computer), can I use a ME upgrade disk and the original product key to get
> > this computer back to ME? Is there things I should do prior to install?
>
>
>

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

Did you also receive a Win98 disk to go with the installation they left you
with? If so, you can perform a clean install (format and install) of ME
using the Upgrade disk. (If you have a Win98 disk, or even, I believe, a
Win95 set of floppies, you can do this. If you don't have one, maybe you can
borrow one?) Otherwise, especially since you have no personal files to worry
about, start Windows, then put in the Upgrade disk and go for it. I know of
no special peculiarities, though I've only installed ME a few dozen times
(as opposed to hundreds of time with 98 and XP), so others here might have
some hints that I don't know about.

That number on the outside of the machine is worthless without a disk that
matches it. An installation CD doesn't care about the Product Key of the
current installation, only about the one that matches the installation CD.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"MrClean" <MrClean@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:00B0C678-C839-4A3E-9D47-0013D1B5EB10@microsoft.com...
> Yes, I do have the Product Key for the upgrade disk. I wasn't sure if the
> computer would want the original Product Key (to match previously
> installed
> software), or if it would be satisfied with the new Product Key. I guess
> since I'm not using the original disk that came with the computer, I
> should
> have know it would want the new code...please pass the salt to go with my
> egg, thank you. Any other concerns I should be aware of before I
> undertake
> the install?
>
> "Gary S. Terhune" wrote:
>
>> No, you can't use an Upgrade disk with the Product Key from the machine.
>> The
>> Upgrade disk will require a Key. Don't you have the Product Key for the
>> Upgrade disk?
>>
>> --
>> Gary S. Terhune
>> MS-MVP Shell/User
>> www.grystmill.com
>>
>> "MrClean" <MrClean@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:871D9820-A642-4AF5-BB39-6EFF4EAC627A@microsoft.com...
>> >I was given a second hand computer by a local college. Before gifting,
>> >they
>> > cleared the hard drive and installed Win98 on the laptop. The laptop
>> > originally ran ME on it (the original product key and info is posted on
>> > the
>> > computer), can I use a ME upgrade disk and the original product key to
>> > get
>> > this computer back to ME? Is there things I should do prior to
>> > install?
>>
>>
>>

 

[MrClean]

Alas, no Win98 disk came with the computer, but perhaps I can find an old
disk at my work from a previous system? The only reason I want to install
ME, to be truthful, is to hopefully find all of the drivers that were on the
system originally. The DVD drive no longer wants to run movies, the USB port
doesn't recognize 'plug and play' items (cannot locate drivers once plugged
in), etc. I only need it to run Word, Powerpoint, and be able to save to a
flash drive, everything else is purely a just a 'want' vs 'need'. In your
opinion, am I headed in a proper direction, or should I leave it alone (Win98
installed)?

"Gary S. Terhune" wrote:

> Did you also receive a Win98 disk to go with the installation they left you
> with? If so, you can perform a clean install (format and install) of ME
> using the Upgrade disk. (If you have a Win98 disk, or even, I believe, a
> Win95 set of floppies, you can do this. If you don't have one, maybe you can
> borrow one?) Otherwise, especially since you have no personal files to worry
> about, start Windows, then put in the Upgrade disk and go for it. I know of
> no special peculiarities, though I've only installed ME a few dozen times
> (as opposed to hundreds of time with 98 and XP), so others here might have
> some hints that I don't know about.
>
> That number on the outside of the machine is worthless without a disk that
> matches it. An installation CD doesn't care about the Product Key of the
> current installation, only about the one that matches the installation CD.
>
> --
> Gary S. Terhune
> MS-MVP Shell/User
> www.grystmill.com
>
> "MrClean" <MrClean@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:00B0C678-C839-4A3E-9D47-0013D1B5EB10@microsoft.com...
> > Yes, I do have the Product Key for the upgrade disk. I wasn't sure if the
> > computer would want the original Product Key (to match previously
> > installed
> > software), or if it would be satisfied with the new Product Key. I guess
> > since I'm not using the original disk that came with the computer, I
> > should
> > have know it would want the new code...please pass the salt to go with my
> > egg, thank you. Any other concerns I should be aware of before I
> > undertake
> > the install?
> >
> > "Gary S. Terhune" wrote:
> >
> >> No, you can't use an Upgrade disk with the Product Key from the machine.
> >> The
> >> Upgrade disk will require a Key. Don't you have the Product Key for the
> >> Upgrade disk?
> >>
> >> --
> >> Gary S. Terhune
> >> MS-MVP Shell/User
> >> www.grystmill.com
> >>
> >> "MrClean" <MrClean@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:871D9820-A642-4AF5-BB39-6EFF4EAC627A@microsoft.com...
> >> >I was given a second hand computer by a local college. Before gifting,
> >> >they
> >> > cleared the hard drive and installed Win98 on the laptop. The laptop
> >> > originally ran ME on it (the original product key and info is posted on
> >> > the
> >> > computer), can I use a ME upgrade disk and the original product key to
> >> > get
> >> > this computer back to ME? Is there things I should do prior to
> >> > install?
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
>

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

You'd want at least Win98 Second Edition. For that, you should be able to
find most drivers. I say SE, specifically, because of much better USB
support and because many, many apps and hardware state it as a minimum
requirement. If yours isn't SE, then go to ME. If it is SE, then you might
want to spend some time tracking down drivers. Yes, ME will have more modern
drivers included, but only to a certain extent. So research the issue for
all the devices you're concerned about and see if SE and ME drivers are
available. I wouldn't want to install ME unless I knew for certain it was
necessary, both because I prefer 98 and because an Upgrade is less
trustworthy than a clean install. Also, without the 98 disk, it will be
unlikely that you can decently revert to 98 if you don't like ME. Yes,
theoretically you can upgrade and revert, but in practice...

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"MrClean" <MrClean@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:06D3D5AF-D565-40DB-8942-B5240D2CA3A5@microsoft.com...
> Alas, no Win98 disk came with the computer, but perhaps I can find an old
> disk at my work from a previous system? The only reason I want to install
> ME, to be truthful, is to hopefully find all of the drivers that were on
> the
> system originally. The DVD drive no longer wants to run movies, the USB
> port
> doesn't recognize 'plug and play' items (cannot locate drivers once
> plugged
> in), etc. I only need it to run Word, Powerpoint, and be able to save to
> a
> flash drive, everything else is purely a just a 'want' vs 'need'. In your
> opinion, am I headed in a proper direction, or should I leave it alone
> (Win98
> installed)?
>
> "Gary S. Terhune" wrote:
>
>> Did you also receive a Win98 disk to go with the installation they left
>> you
>> with? If so, you can perform a clean install (format and install) of ME
>> using the Upgrade disk. (If you have a Win98 disk, or even, I believe, a
>> Win95 set of floppies, you can do this. If you don't have one, maybe you
>> can
>> borrow one?) Otherwise, especially since you have no personal files to
>> worry
>> about, start Windows, then put in the Upgrade disk and go for it. I know
>> of
>> no special peculiarities, though I've only installed ME a few dozen times
>> (as opposed to hundreds of time with 98 and XP), so others here might
>> have
>> some hints that I don't know about.
>>
>> That number on the outside of the machine is worthless without a disk
>> that
>> matches it. An installation CD doesn't care about the Product Key of the
>> current installation, only about the one that matches the installation
>> CD.
>>
>> --
>> Gary S. Terhune
>> MS-MVP Shell/User
>> www.grystmill.com
>>
>> "MrClean" <MrClean@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:00B0C678-C839-4A3E-9D47-0013D1B5EB10@microsoft.com...
>> > Yes, I do have the Product Key for the upgrade disk. I wasn't sure if
>> > the
>> > computer would want the original Product Key (to match previously
>> > installed
>> > software), or if it would be satisfied with the new Product Key. I
>> > guess
>> > since I'm not using the original disk that came with the computer, I
>> > should
>> > have know it would want the new code...please pass the salt to go with
>> > my
>> > egg, thank you. Any other concerns I should be aware of before I
>> > undertake
>> > the install?
>> >
>> > "Gary S. Terhune" wrote:
>> >
>> >> No, you can't use an Upgrade disk with the Product Key from the
>> >> machine.
>> >> The
>> >> Upgrade disk will require a Key. Don't you have the Product Key for
>> >> the
>> >> Upgrade disk?
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Gary S. Terhune
>> >> MS-MVP Shell/User
>> >> www.grystmill.com
>> >>
>> >> "MrClean" <MrClean@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> >> news:871D9820-A642-4AF5-BB39-6EFF4EAC627A@microsoft.com...
>> >> >I was given a second hand computer by a local college. Before
>> >> >gifting,
>> >> >they
>> >> > cleared the hard drive and installed Win98 on the laptop. The
>> >> > laptop
>> >> > originally ran ME on it (the original product key and info is posted
>> >> > on
>> >> > the
>> >> > computer), can I use a ME upgrade disk and the original product key
>> >> > to
>> >> > get
>> >> > this computer back to ME? Is there things I should do prior to
>> >> > install?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>
>>