upgrading ram

Hi. Thanks so much for your detailed responses and so quick. I am quite familiar with Win XP so my first instincts are to look for programmes, applications & utilities in Me, in the same locations and in the same way that I would use XP. Mostly the things I want are there but in a much more limited and restricted way.
Perhaps we can take it one step at a time. (i'm not very good and a bit thick.) OK Right, went into My Computer/C: drive/properties and got = Local Disk 'C' properties opened at dialogue box with picture of disk and option to do a disk cleanup. No other option or tabs available except a second tab for 'Tools'. Opened Tools and got two options. One to check the disk and the second to dfrag. Nothing else, no other buttons or tabs.

When I click on Start/help, I get the help & support box but it says "The initialization of the help centre failed." It does not respond to anything typed into the search box and when I try to close the programme,it says "this application is busy, do you want to abort anyway." As I am unable to research the help centre I am loading all these mundane dumb questions unto you. Sorry, but I know you will do your best to help. Yes Me is a really weird system. Its like, it has all the frills on the outside and no real structure in the centre. I feel that everytime I get through the packaging I just fall into an empty hole.
Will probably need some help with task manager as well.

Thanks & thanks again maggs

Don't open My Computer...just right click that icon, choose Properties, and you should find the System Restore Tab as a choice.

No questions are stupid.....if you believe that you would lose confidence in me immediately since ten years ago when I first came to these forums I had never even seen a computer before up close and nearly every posted question belonged to me. LOL

With how quickly technology changes from day to day with computers, even those of us who have knowledge that you don't have yet, still need to keep learning and that means asking our own questions in order to understand and pass it along.

Do you happen to have the ME installation disk? If so, we can get some things fixed with that cd such as your help files in order to get it working again.

TONI

Hi Toni,

Sorry, misunderstood (what a binhead) Sorry, no excuse. I should have taken the time to ensure that I read the response correctly.

Right clicked on MY COMPUTER result: Dialogue box with 4 tabs. (1) General = Computer & support information. = System Me, Registered to, Tiny support info. etc.
(2)Device manager Self explanatory ok
(3)Hardware Profiles, You can create hardware profiles etc.
(4)Performance = Memory, sys resources, file system & virtual memory No Restore facility.

Thanks for your kindness and encouragement. I will have the disks by mid week and will let you know OK

Cheers maggs

No problem Toni.Got there in the end. Thanks for your Link. Several things. First although I should be able to enable & disable sys. restore at this location it does not have a facility as in XP to go into & do a system restore or create a sys restore point.
Is this facility not available on Win Me. Is the system restored only by scanreg /restore.

On your link it gave instructions for getting rid of trojans. There are 10 trojans on my Pc all .dat files,
so I thought I would use your Link instructions to delete them.

Went into Sys/perf.file/ troubleshoot and it appeared that the Disable system restore box was already checked. I assumed I was wrong and continued following the instructions. did not work. trojans still there but afterwards no matter how many times I cleared the restore box, as soon as I rebooted and went to check it was ticked again. This means the registry is not getting backed up.
Desperate please help asap. thanks. Maggs

Once you disable the Restore, and it deletes all restore points, get on line to do a free on-line scan at housecall, (make sure you put a check mark in CLEAN before running the program itself) and see if it can then clean out the trojans that might be left. With no restore points available, the trojans may or may not show up, since most will hide a copy of themselves in a restore point and come back to life from there instead of actually using the original copy. Once you get an all clear from the scan, you can then run your antispyware program and clear out any residue.....

Make sure you go into MSCONFIG and in the startup tab, uncheck all unknowns that may still be hanging around, too. When it asks as you close the program if you want to reboot the computer, say no for right now.

Now you should be able to empty the recycle bin to make sure nothing is still floating around, and reboot the computer.....and reset the System Restore to get a clean copy of your system.

Scanreg /restore is the only way I know of to restore in ME and get a window with dates to choose from. However, you won't have any restore points other than the newest one made at that point in time.

You might think about doing a Scanreg /Fix instead if you are having problems with programs that act weird.

TONI

Thanks for your prompt response. Sorry but can we go a little slower, beginning with where I am right now.
First please bear in mind that this Win Me computer is NOT connected to the internet yet so I can't download anything. I am afraid to attempt anything until I can get the System Restore enabled properly.

At the moment the Disable Restore facility is showing a tick in the box. The only available options are Ok & CLOSE. The Apply button is grayed out.

I clicked on OK which closed the troubleshoot dialogue box.
I then clicked on Ok which closed the performance/system properties dialogue boxes.

Nothing was displayed asking me to reboot so I have no way of knowing if the system restore was actually disabled and the restore points deleted.

My greatest concern at the moment is to be confident that the restore system is working and backing up the system. If we can take this one step at a time please, then we can sort the trojans later, unless of course they are the cause of it.
To recap. I am now on the "home" screen and to the best of my knowledge system restore has been disabled.

Do you agree? Next single step please. Sorry Toni. told you I would be hard work but hope you will still help. thanks maggs

without being on the internet, you don't have up to date virus protection that can see and remove the latest infections. So, with that said....you can do a scan on your system with your current av program and also your spyware program (which also isn't updated) with the last definitions they both are equipped with.

So since your system restore is now disabled, and you haven't rebooted, empty the recycle bin, and run both of your programs to see what it finds. If it reports everything is clean, you will have to assume for now that your computer is free of infections, and then you can go to your system restore and enable it again.

Then reboot the computer.....

It will build a clean restore point as you get to the desktop. So you can now check it to see if that restore point is actually active, by now going to

How to Start and Use System Restore
To start System Restore, follow these steps: 1. Click Start, point to Programs, point

to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Restore.

The first time you use System Restore, there are two options on the Welcome page:
? Restore my computer to an earlier time
? Create a restore point

2. Click Restore my computer to an earlier time and click Next.

A calendar appears.
****3. In the calendar, choose which Restore Point to roll your system back to.
****4. Click Next.

This is how you can test your system restore to make sure it shows you the calendar....don't do anything further after the calendar appears (I've ***'d the items to ignore so you can just cancel out at that point).

If you see a date for today's date, it is working correctly.....if you see no date, let us know what it DOES say, as you might have to wait until tomorrow to check it again.

Once you know the system restore is working, you can then run your av and spyware program again to see if anything turns up in the system restore file(s)...and let us know.

Positively, you will have to get on the net once you know this restore is working, and update both of your protection programs and then run them again with the latest definitions.

Full information that is printable regarding system restore, how it works, how to use it, etc. is located here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/267951/EN-US/

TONI

Hi Toni. Cant believe the speed of these responses. Thanks. Ok printed off your reply and am now implementing. Empied the recycle bin. ( forgot I had left 350 Temp windows files in there that I deleted yesterday) Now running my antivirus & spyware. and on completion will continue with your instructions.
Also printed off the "Win. Me restore link." Thank you
However this drives me nuts. Basically its the same as Xp. Start/programmes/accessories/ system tools.
THEN BUT although the windows instructions say the next item to click is system restore. There is no system restore on my machine. When I click system tools nothing happens. aaaaaaaaarrrragh
Will re-look at this again when I have completed your instructions. Oh just thought perhaps I did not give it enough time to appear. Will try again.
Also a small cache of files appear to be building up in TIF all dated 15/5/05. How can this be. this Pc has not been connected to the internet for almost a year. You are so right this ME is UGH Ugh Ugh
Best regards maggs

ran antivirus/spyware Went into system restore and cleared box to enable restore. On dialogue box clicked yes to reboot.Within a few seconds (before reboot)another dialogue box appeared stating "Programme not responding." Clicked end task.
PC did not reboot so clicked start/shutdown/restart
The same dialogue box immediately reappeared.
There were no programmes or applications open. I also closed down every application possible in the system tray and tried again. Same dialogue box appeared. clicked ignore and tried to shut down again.
same dialogue box reappeared. can't shut down.

Checked system/performance/file system/ troubleshoot and once again the tick was back in the box disabling the restore system. Did not attempt to change again

Re-checked Start/programmes/ accessories/system tools. On the drop down box in system tools, system restore is not listed. Checked several times. Definately not listed.
Gosh! every problem creates another problem.

Yes antivirus needs updating but its done a good job up to now. One last thing. Found a few things on spyware and killed. The AGV antivirus test report specified No viruses, however when I went into the quarantine vault there were the 10 trojans. Should I empty the vault. Thanks. Toni will speak to you tomorrow. Must go to bed now. Gone midnight here and I have work tomorrow. Best regards. maggs

Hi Toni
as you know, before I went to bed last night, windows would not shut down. Left it on. tried again when I got home from work this evening and it shut down perfectly OK.

I then went into safe mode Start/programmes/run/ scanreg /restore. This brought up the restore facility showing the "restore" dates. It quoted May 13th, 14th,15th, 16th, 17th so despite not being able to clear the check box in system restore it would appear that the restore facility is still backing up the system. Would you agree?
As a precausion however I am going into system restore and clearing the tick from the box every time I switch on. hopefully you may be able to provide a solution.

Thanks for all you help maggs

My computer is old poor thing about 1998, well it had Windows 98 on it which worked really well, then last year I upgraded it to Windows Me, have heaps of trouble with it, and I don't have all the help section on it,I have added more memory to it but it tells me all the time that I don't have enough disc space, driving me crazy.How would I go back to Windows 98 or even upgrade to Windows XP my son keeps telling me he wants Windows XP help please.
Kathunt.

your own thread about this problem because you will get more responses that way or your post gets buried in the middle of somebody else's thread and the problems aren't related to each other.

However, if you have the original restore/recovery disks from your vendor for W98, or if you have a separate installation disk for W98, you can follow the instructions here for help to dump ME and go back. XP Home will cost $99 as an upgrade version if you want to spend the money to purchase it....you don't have to install W98 first in order to install XP as a clean installation...you just have to have the W98 full version cd handy to insert into the drive when XP asks for it to prove you are eligible for the upgrade.

http://www.pcwarfare.com/hdds/format.only.htm

As for not having enough disk space, that is not a RAM error...it means that your harddrive has either started to get too full to add anything more or your C:\Windows\TEMP folder needs to be emptied out and the recycle bin emptied right afterwards. You can check the disk space by right clicking the C: drive in My Computer and choose Properties and look at the pie graph.

If that is the case, you can clear out many items to free up space by doing the following:

http://www.pcwarfare.com/hdds/free.up.hdd.space.htm

You can print out the instructions without the graphics by clicking the printer page icon at the bottom of the page.

http://www.pcwarfare.com/hdds/format.only.htm

TONI

Thanks Ray. I have just ordered ram to update my XP computer.I ordered P133 for that (168 pin)but the modules are much longer than the one that I took out of the "Tiny Me Computer" so there must be fewer pins on its stick.
There are 3 memory slots on the motherboard and two are vacant. I will do as you say as soon as I pluck up the courage to connect the PC to my broadband.
Speaking of BB should I try to uninstall/delete all the existing NTL data from the previous BB connections.
If so "HOW"? The add & Remove programmes menu has only a very small proportion of the programmes and applications that are actually on the PC and if they do not appear in there, I look to see if the particular programme has an unistall option. If it does not then "IS deletion the only option?" to get rid of it.
My BB ISP is AOL but it is a very heavy ISP and I do not want to download it unto this PC.
The system currently has 68% of memory and 8GB HHD (50%) available. I have the utilities you mention on my XP computer and I recorded them to floppy and also burned them to disk. I also have a flash driver and I put them on that but the "Tiny" PC could not read any of them. Don't know why because it downloaded the drivers for the flash and put up "empty icons" . Clicked on these and got a msg. saying Windows could not read it.
Any suggestions please, or just reasons why it cannot read them. many many Thanks. Maggs

size of your memory. I'm not familiar with a Tiny PC.

I believe that you said it was SDRAM. I have seen a smaller size but no experience with it. I'll look around.

Thanks Ray. I physically took the ram module out to get the part mumber and type, but I have no idea even where to try to get it other than Ebay.

cheers marg

in the UK for purchases over 25 pounds.

Playing with the word for no cost because the forum censor blocks f r e e , with no spaces. LOL

At the Crucial site in upper left corner choose the country and get the UK pricing and info.

many many thanks I will order it tomorrow. Oh perhaps I had better wait to be sure how much ram this Pc will support. Still with 2 empty sockets it must be at least 128MB YES

How do you manage to get all this info and respond so fast?

Answer that tomorrow. its 12.00 here bedtime

Best regards

maggs

Crucial will tell you. It is a great outfit. They normally use Micron chips. Micron is one of the really old line memory companies.

Definitely be sure of what the system can handle first. If Crucial has your sytem listed you can take their word for it.

I was at an airbase called Sculthorpe in 1948 for 90 days [near Norwich] with a B-29 bomb squadron. My memory of the English is a group of fantastic people that went through the battle of Britain and never gave an inch and came out winners. I see signs that you may be from the same stock.

A great honour as this squardon is still held in great esteem over here. I am pleased and honoured to meet you

Norfolk is about 100 miles from Nottingham, where I live. Can't say I like it too much. Too flat for me.
I like mountains, cliffs, highlands, and oceans with big waves etc.

I was born in Belfast N.I. and both my parents worked at Harland & Woolf The aircraft factory. Do you remember them.

If you were over here in 1948 you are probably as young as me, except that I wasn't born until the war was over. Better get back to work subject now as this type of discussion may not be approved of on the forum.

I will get you the details for the ram asap. Also had a look in ebay. loads there but need to be sure of the type of ram before proceeding.

It is quite difficult to express my appreciation for all your help in this forum. Thanks again maggs

do they have daylight saving time?? When this was the ZDNET forums they used Greenwich Mean Time as the forum post times.

I would have known it was time for you to go to sleep. LOL

I used to watch Wimbledon tennis on TV so really knew the time difference.

Hi Ray

Yes we are on GMT with daylight saving hours.

Just now it about 9.00PM or 21.00 hours.

Thanks for the infor about the BB. See my discussion with Toni ref. system restore. As soon as thats sorted I will try to connect to the internet.
Should I uninstall/delete all data for the connections
input by the previous owners, before I begin.
For example when I boot up a little dialogue screen appears saying "correct connect." This was part of the NTL broadband connection used by the previous owners.
then there are of course the related files and settings. Could you help me throught the connection when I am ready please. Thanks maggs

help get things working right.

Re BroadBand I'm not an expert, however I would
definitely recco removing [uninstall where possible] all related to their broadband connection.

For your BroadBand help, just to be safe, I recco that you make a new post in the Newbies forum and post the details Grif is very knowledgeable in this stuff and Newbies is one of the forums that he is a Moderator in. Thus he checks that forum most frequently. The Moderator "M" shows in any forum that a moderator posts in, but it doesn't mean that they are a moderator in that forum.

I just went from 12 years of dial-up to cable modem two weeks ago, so I'm not that much of an expert. Got two computers running through a Router both using it. Everything worked right off the bat. I don't learn anything until I screw something up and have to fix it. LOL I certainly would see your post and try to help if you had a problem, but Grif and some others will most likely solve any problems for you.

One thing I would also do is get a good Registry cleaner. After you are done setting up run that. Your Registry should be full of stuff no longer needed. The one that I had from Toni Arts [no relation to Toni H] EZCLEANER is no longer free. I use that on my Win 98 system. For my XP system I use Registry Mechanic, but that also is not free.

Maybe post a separate entry in newbies asking for a good free reg cleaner. Grif or someone should know of some. Here's a link to the original MS Reg Cleaner at Toni's [Toni H.] site. Just checked, she still uses it. It is also free. [seems that the word free only gets censored if it is part of a hyperlink, as Toni just explained to me].

http://www.pcwarfare.com/pctools.toc.htm
Look for Reg Cleaner

Hi Ray

Just updated the ram on my HP/XP computer.
Went like a dream. Actually I think I'm sort of brilliant. LOL

Took out 2 x 128 SDRam PC133 Now when I actually see them they suddently look much smaller than they looked in the case. In view of this I think that the Ram in the "Tiny" "Windows Me Pc" is the same size.
If they fit Ok, and in view of what you said before, do you think it would do any serious damage to the Pc to try it with this ram. I would use one module only until I find out exactly how much this little Pc will support.

what do you think

Rgd Maggs

168 Pin devices, they should work just fine. Just as look as the keyway [the notch] is in the correct place.

If I remember correctly, virtually all systems that went to SDRAM could take 128 MB in a single socket.

A simple thing like adding RAM is usually made to be a PITA in a DELL, COMPAQ, HP because they make the case so compact. Gee maybe that's why they named them Compaq. LOL

My XP computer is an HP. there is not room to catch a fly in the casing so yes, thats why they called them compaq. Of course they could not even spell compact correctly. Just joking.

Still working ok. but still keeping fingures crossed.

CU maggs

PS 23.01 now Bedtime

Just happens that Grif is one of the better Moderators, works on many networked computers with all types of different software, and most helpful in the way that he discusses things.

Usually used in Laptops.

I have no experience using them as 133 in 66 systems.

Both Crucial and Mushkin have them in PC100 and PC 133.