Topic: WinME > W2K Upgrade Hell!!

[Simon]

Following on from the WinME DLL Hell thread, things have got worse.  She tried to put W2K on without first removing ME, which went t*ts up, so she gave the machine to me.  As soon as I saw the Time logo on the front, I knew it would be trouble, but the PC had lots of other problems apart from the DLL thing, so we decided to FDISK ME and load W2K, which I have now done.

The problem now is that half the hardware hasn't been detected by W2K.  I tried to install my ADSL modem, to get the Windows Updates, install and update Norton, etc, and the USBs don't work, so I'm assuming it's a driver issue as they are not listed in Device Manager.  Gritted teeth and decided I'd have to use 56K, but the bloody 56K modem isn't installed either!  So where do I go from here?  I can't even get into the case, because it seems to be sealed, as there are no screws to open it.  I suppose you must be able to somehow, but Time have obviously made it difficult, and I'm buggered if I can see how to open it up.  The owner only has an ME recovery disc (Time again!), but I'm now thinking that these contain drivers, so would it be worth me trying to load the drivers from the ME recovery disc onto the W2K installation, or would they not be compatible?   I keep saying it, but I swear I'm never going to volunteer to fix a friends PC again!!

Any help appreciated.  :brick:

[joudi]

You remind me Simon of a neighbour of mine, who has an old PC, with Windows 95.

He asks me from time to time to solve some of his problems.

I told him:    Dont call this "an Ordinateur" (Ordinateur = Computer, in french). Call it "Ordurateur" (Ordure = garbage, in french). You can take it to the Louvre, it'll be well appreciated there.    

[chorleydave]

You remind me Simon of a neighbour of mine, who I told him:    Dont call this "an Ordinateur" (Ordinateur = Computer, in french). Call it "Ordurateur" (Ordure = garbage, in french). You can take it to the Louvre, it'll be well appreciated there.    

That's not very christian of you, Joudi.  

[Simon]

I've downloaded SP4 for W2K on my own machine, ready to install on this other pile of sh machine, but I'm not expecting it to make much difference.  Or would it?  

[Sandra]

Probably wont Simon  
Can you not put XP on ?
It almost certainly will be a driver issue but XP would probably have enough of them to sort it out and then you could find the others on the net.

This piece of advice is a bit too late for you Simon but it may help someone else.
If you are going to wipe and install an OS and you dont have the drivers cd for the pc, ALWAYS look in the device manager for whatever components are installed, modem, sound and graphics etc and take note of the make and model of each device.
Its so much easier to find the drvers if you know which device make and model you are looking for.
Unfortunately I didnt follow my own advice this afternoon when I wiped a Fujitsu e pro 452 which was on 95 and I was putting 98se on, it came with a few cds which I assumed one of which would have the mobo drivers on
Luckily for me the only driver that 98 didnt install was for the serial controller  

Another thing that is worth checking too, which again I didnt, is that the cd drive is working  
I fdisked and formatted the drive and then put the 98 cd in and it couldnt read it, the cd drive was knackered so a quick wipe and reinstall turned into dismantling and digging another cd drive out  

[Simon]

I suppose XP is a possibilty, but see my PM Sandra.  :whistle:  I'm even now thinking of reinstalling ME with the recovery disc - that would work wouldn't it?

[joudi]

Have I been in your shoes Simon, I would make a full "format", and reinstall a new OS. It's less headache.    

[Sandra]

The restore cd may work as the other information that it needs may still be on a hidden partition that you havent wiped when you fdisked and formatted the drive.
I still think you are better off using either 98se or XP in preference to ME though, if you can get hold of a copy  

[Simon]

The restore cd may work as the other information that it needs may still be on a hidden partition that you havent wiped when you fdisked and formatted the drive.

That's what I was hoping for.  The current partition is only about 37Gb out of 40Gb, so the hidden bit should still be there.

I still think you are better off using either 98se or XP in preference to ME though, if you can get hold of a copy  

98SE wouldn't be too much of a problem.  I'll have a look also at what you said in your PM.  I now have the drivers CD as well, so out of curiosity, I'm going to try that first, with the W2K instllation, as I have nothing to lose if it fails.

[Simon]

Still having a bloody nightmare with this (why do I get into these thing?!)  

I restored ME OK, but then found I still couldn't use the USBs for my BB Modem.  This caused a massive problem in that ME needed fully updating, which would have taken forever on 56K (not to mention the cost).  I then decided, once again, to reinstall W2K, which all went OK.  I installed SP4, which I had previously downloaded, found a drivers CD for the soundcard, but still have a problem with the USBs and the 56K modem.  The 56K modem is obviously a driver issue, but so far I haven't found the right drivers.  It's a HSP PCTel, and I went to driversguide.com and got what I thought was the right one, but it didn't work, so I guess I'll have to download a selection and try them all.

Biggest problem is the USBs, which still don't work.  When I install my BB modem, the software and drivers install, then it asks me to plug in the modem, which I do, but then there's nothing but a very faint green light on the modem.  Does this suggest anything to anyone?  I can't see the USBs anywhere in Device Manager, but not even sure they are supposed to be there.  I have installed this modem on other machines, older than this one, with no problem.

Any suggestion would be much appreciated, as I still have Norton to install, which will need lots of updates, and I can't get anywhere at the moment.

[Sandra]

If the usb controllers arent showing in the device manager Simon, it usually means that they havent been enabled in the bios.
Just have a quick look and make sure theyre enabled  

[Dack]

USB should appear in your hardware devices - sounds like the motherboard drivers are not installed. Try the Intel chipset pack first:
http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df/Detail_Desc.asp?agr=N&ProductID=1787&DwnldID=7484

With Tiny machines though it does help to know the model number as to what components are inside (had trouble with an AMR modem myself the other day)

[Simon]

If the usb controllers arent showing in the device manager Simon, it usually means that they havent been enabled in the bios.
Just have a quick look and make sure theyre enabled  

I've been in the BIOS loads of times, but I couldn't actually see anything relating to USB, but it could be that I'm so p***ed off with it, I'm not paying full attention.  What am I supposed to be looking for, and whereabouts would it be in the BIOS?

USB should appear in your hardware devices - sounds like the motherboard drivers are not installed. Try the Intel chipset pack first:
http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df/Detail_Desc.asp?agr=N&ProductID=1787&DwnldID=7484

With Tiny machines though it does help to know the model number as to what components are inside (had trouble with an AMR modem myself the other day)

Thanks Dack, I'll try that download.  Unfortunately there are no serial numbers on the outside of the machine, but it looks like there were some stickers at one time, which have been peeled off.    I could ask the owner if she still has the paperwork for it.  I tried Belarc and it came up "Unknown model".  I had a problem like this on another Tiny machine, trying to find the right type of memory to add.  They really make it difficult for anyone else to work on don't they?  As I said before, I can't even see how to get into the case on this one, short of using a sledgehammer, which I'm sorely tempted to do at the moment!

[joudi]

I can't even see how to get into the case on this one, short of using a sledgehammer, which I'm sorely tempted to do at the moment!

I'm wondering of the possibility to open the case by removing the facade maybe. Or, perhaps downside.  (probably youve thought of that. But just in case).    

[Tony]

I take it your using "the" W2K Simon  

Never failed for me once mate the many times it has been loaded, mind you I always had the Mobo driver disks to hand.

As for not being able to get into the Case listen to this:

The Wife visited a poorly Aunt yesterday, so her husband was on kitchen duties. Well Linda came home double up with laughter......apparently it took Cyril 25 mins to get into a tub of prawns. Now he is a retired plumber by trade and owned a builders merchants to boot, so I reckon you being a Taxi Driver have no bloody chance