I have Windows ME, 128 MB RAM, 30 G hard drive Dell Dimension 4100.

Where do I start as far as the way the computer is locking up?

I deleted some things from the Start Up menu, a couple of which related to the printer.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Becky

What anti virus do you have? Anti spyware remover? Have you updated Windows lately? Please supply as much info as you can on what steps you've taken. Thanks!

chris

I have AVG, Ad-Aware and Spy=bot search & destroy.

I did run them a couple of weeks ago and my computer has continued to lock up.

I haven't updated Windows. I'm not sure I know how to do that.

My computer started locking up more often after I deleted some items from the Start-Up menu. I deleted several items relating to my HP Office Jet K60 All in one printer.

I just now ran the 3 programs again and they worked except for Spybot.

Spybot found something called BackOrifice. When I tried to remove it, spybot caused an error in Kernel.DLL.

It happened a second time when I ran it again.

How can I delete this spybot without causing an error in Kernel.DLL?

quote:

Originally posted by Beckyddd:


I haven't updated Windows. I'm not sure I know how to do that.

My computer started locking up more often after I deleted some items from the Start-Up menu. I deleted several items relating to my HP Office Jet K60 All in one printer.

Windows update is straight forwad though I'm not sure if there is any support for ME now
Found this.....
You have only a few weeks left

quote:

End of support for Windows 98 and Windows Me
July 11, 2006 will bring a close to Extended Support for Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Me as part of the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy. Microsoft will retire public and technical support, including security updates, by this date.

Go to this page dnd click the "Express" button and all updates for your machine will be downloaded and installed without you doing a thing. Does take a while

And as for you deleting the Startup list you have deleted something and its caused this issue what? there is a way of restoring this but you will have to use System Restore to wind back Windows to before the date when you deleted the startup list items
info and instructions here


and download and run ccleaner from www.ccleaner.com remembering to save your cookies and history file untick the items on the check list

This is a very powerful program
and the issues icon clears the old /useless items from the Registry

On both you can scan first then click the Run Cleaner" button

Next run a Defrag Should be quite fast with all the deadweight removed

do it offline

Do a reset
Now how are resources? make a note of the percentage numbers before and after you have run these Housekeeping jobs

If you achieve 85% or better thats nearly "as new" performance

I remember my old WIN 98 used to crash at 25 to 30% and I found a cleaner tool which managed somehow to keep things going in the Mid 60's Best I ever saw was a low 80's resources

Mind you I only had an 1 GB capacity(or was it less?) Hard drive at the time Always deleting and adding programs almost daily

crapcleaner is good but be carefull with the registry . i found out that on my system the cleaner will deleet my printer stuff and everytime i use crapcleaner to remove registies ive got to reinstall my printer. but its a very good piece of software.
if you still have the win me disk you can try repairing the win me.

quote:

Originally posted by dodgecity:
on my system the cleaner will deleet my printer stuff and everytime i use crapcleaner to remove registies ive got to reinstall my printer.

Dodge!
Those files should be untouchable.I'll have a think about it.Dwight may have an Idea of how to protect these?

I did the Windows Update.

I tried to System Restore, but the earliest date it will go back to is March 23, 2007. I'm sure I deleted the printer start-up files before that.

I think I deleted the Norton Protected Recycle Bin. Is that why I can't go any earlier than March 23rd?

Should I go to the next suggestion to use the ccleaner?

Becky

Can't do any harm untick the Cookies and history file boxes before you start scanning ..its quite powerful several old location lists will be removed but I'm protecting your log in details and the history file will help you load a page faster
Also run the Registry cleaner on the Issues button and delete any finds
Finally run a Defrag to get everything back in order
Ynd fingers crossed you'll have a lot of speed back again
But if it still is locking up, there are other things we can try

I ran the cleaner, the registry cleaner and the defragmenter. What does it mean to do it offline? I closed down AVG and Quick Time. Those Icons were showing by the computer time.

I couldn't find where to get the percentage of resources.

When I clicked on Accessories, System Information, I keep getting a message saying "the initialization of the help center failed. please report error number 214714379 to Microsoft."

"the application is busy do you want to abort anyway?"


When I check Norton 2001 utilities it says:

Total Physical Memory 128 MB
Total Windows Memory 2082 MB

Free: 2026 MB
Used: 56.4 MB

Drive: 37.25 GB Hard Drive

Free: 25.77 GB
Used: 11.48 GB

Are those numbers the resources?


Do you mean restart?

Resources on ME Is found in a different way to XP (that uses the task manager)
Resources are things like caches , Memory usage RAM Virtual memory settings

and working off line puts less strain on thing in fact you can stat a Defrag go away and have a drink and a large percentage will be dome

Further tip Disable all screensavers as these kick in and stop the program altogether
There is another way and that is to run that program while in "safe mode" where the computer is running with basic drivers but getting there is difficult for many people (including me sometimes )

The resource number clue is in these numbers

quote:

Total Physical Memory 128 MB

This sounds small doubling this to 256 MB RAM will help a little plus tweaking elsewhere. Small capacity Memory sticks are cheap

If possible, dump ME. It sucks too.

Bedstor, if they have stopped supporting ME, can't she (you are female, right, Becky?) get an upgrade to XP? Or do you have to buy a new computer to get it?

Catty
It is possibe but I think you are right in her case she needs a minimum of 256 mb RAM ,I think? a 1GB processor and a few gb Hard drive space to accommodate the Operating System Program Leaving her with hardly any space to use
But if (big if?) she can get a Base unit only (the tower) with XP installed and fit all the current bits keyboard monitor and so on to that and fit her old hard drive and can delete the Windows programs on it and...fingers crossed use that as a spare drive. XP is very good at sorting issues like this out

I would recommend a new system. WinME is not a good system and it is getting old. A new system would have more RAM as well a faster processor and other enhancements.

I would recommend WinXP since Windows Vista still needs to "mature" a bit before it is really a useful system (this is just my opinion).

To get WinXP, you could buy a used computer from a store like Computer Renaissance. You also can buy a new system with WinXP if you request that system. Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Gateway or eMachines as well as other makers.
I hope this helps!
Dwight

I agree, Bedstor.

Also, Dwight is not alone in his opinion of Vista - in trying to figure out how to get rid of live search I ran across dozens of people who were complaining about it. Of course it's a newborn and thus wants a lot of fixing.

Catty
I'm waiting for the Next OS codenamed "Vienna"
which they say will be testing early next year this will be like Vista and have no fancy graphics...strip the graphics away from Vista and its very much like XP underneath
the Next OS will handle a lot more tham XP ...Just thinking is Vista the New ME?
XP appeared originally as a stopgap OS and ME was to be the longer running but as you know ME was plagued with problems and XP was stable and people liked that
As for Vienna that was supposed to be XPs replacement and they had setbacks in development so they have been testing it in private for several years yet Vista will only have about another 5 years support...Vienna's lifetime could be as long as 2015/2018? minimum
MS have really pulled the stops out to make sure the program works smoothly from the Beta stage

XP was about 2009/10 lifetime but this has been extended to 2012-14 due to its popularity /stabiliy

I think this has been the longest of all versions of Windows

Here's an news article about Vienna

Wow, that is really interesting, bedstor. I do believe Vista is the new ME, or perhaps the new '95. All they did was tweak it a bit and call it something else - just like they do with TV shows, minus the tweaking.

Couldn't have put it better myself Catty

well, the computer hasn't locked up since I ran the cleaner.

thanks to everybody for their input.

I've been advised from others also to get a new system. I'll just have to wait a bit (finances).

quote:

Originally posted by Beckyddd:
I've been advised from others also to get a new system. I'll just have to wait a bit (finances).

Nice to hear that
As for "buying another system There is no need to go to that extreme If you post a new topic ans we find out whats on board your current machine any "improvement" we make will only cost a fraction of a new machine
The Majority of people I communicate with on this and other Computer forum all have updated ther computer using stock parts from computer store

And we know all the cheap places for quality items
I work on computer updates in roughly this order...
Software updates
Memory (and RAM card) updates
Graphic card update
and finally anything else

And all software updates are free OK?
Once its struggling and the expansion sockets are filled only then do you look for a new computer...But wait!

The Main board can be replaced with an up to date model (They are nearly a Universal fit into just about any case (bar laptops) and the price is often less than $100 Only big Job to to is install a new Processor (and plug in most of the parts from your old Board (can "garage sale" or swap what does not go)
And there are several makers who prefit a processor (so the price may go up a little?)
Thats a big time saver Yes?

For the time being you carry on with the computer ...It slows dowm run ccleaner then a Defrag Should get a bit of a speed boost
onlt when it start grinding to a hat then lookat what I have saia in this post OK?

PS Do a clearance of old programs you do not Use (That will help matters a lot) and run a Defrag afterwards We can advise on this too

At the end of the process your computer will still look the same yet will outpace the original spec model