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General discussion

troubleshooting ME question

by Marie Boyer May 29, 2005 9:20PM PDT

My sister has Windows ME on her computer and cannot afford to upgrade. Her computer is running very slowly. I am a total newbie, but I offered recently to go download anti-spyware utilities (as well as Zone Alarm) to her computer to give her better protection. She has nothing. I have Windows XP Pro and know nothing about ME.

Can I install all those utilities on her ME computer or will it cause more harm than good? Any other threads you can point me to in my effort to help her troubleshoot this old computer?

Thanks in advance.

p.s. I am going to bookmark this forum for her also.

Discussion is locked

7 Posts
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Spyware is indeed the new plague.
by r. proffitt Former Forum moderator May 29, 2005 11:40PM PDT

While I do list the free and fairly safe utilities at the link below, some spyware has turned mean and will damage the OS slightly on removal. The most common damage is to winsock and a program called WINSOCKFIX cures 99.99% of those. Here's the usual tools -> http://reviews.cnet.com/5208-6132-0.html?forumID=32&threadID=1313&messageID=15002

In closing, Windows ME has sparse to non-existent repair tools. Microsoft's bravado about System Restore and System File Protection convinced someone to remove the repair tools. You can't repair Windows ME easily. And I don't offer much hope on heavily damaged Windows. MS simply didn't make this OS to be fixed like the others.

Bob

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Thanks Bob.
by Marie Boyer May 30, 2005 3:31AM PDT

I just emailed her this thread so we can load from your links once I get to her house! Much appreciated.

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Repair to ME--speeding it up
by Aivas May 31, 2005 6:01AM PDT

''You can't repair Windows ME easily. And I don't offer much hope on heavily damaged Windows. MS simply didn't make this OS to be fixed like the others.''
---------------

Scary stuff, man.

I did run RegClean last weekend--after setting a Restore Point--and the computer is running a little faster. My only problem at present is that Word refuses to load...but that's something I'm working on. I think a reinstall might cure it.

(''In the Beginning was the Word...and the Word was with Gates...and the Word was Gates.'')

Bob K.

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About Word. Did you try the usual cure?
by r. proffitt Former Forum moderator May 31, 2005 6:28AM PDT

Delete all NORMAL.DOT files and try again (Word makes a new one...)

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The Usual Cure...
by Aivas Jun 1, 2005 3:04AM PDT

No, but I will try it when I get home tonight, thank you.


(I will admit that, when I read 'the usual cure', I was thinking about my usual cure for any problem...excessive consumption of margaritas. Always makes my problems go away!)

Bob K

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Ahh, my favorite miracle worker...
by Aivas Jun 2, 2005 12:33AM PDT

Worked like a charm.

I'm sure that, somewhere in my past, I've had to do the same thing...possibly from your advice. I have a file with Word suggestions in there, but didn't look at that. My bad...

Bob K

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Here's what I don't understand.
by r. proffitt Former Forum moderator Jun 2, 2005 12:40AM PDT

Why, after over a decade has this bug not been fixed?

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