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Bill wrote :-

I intend to start with a "clean" 98+ME and will see if it takes.

Under the present circumstances, probably the best - certainly the
quickest - option. If (hopefully) successful, don't forget to do the WinMe
updates as soon as you are able (internet connection required) otherwise SR
won't work.

Further, as you intend to do this on yet another HDD, you can always
re-visit the 'old' disk at your convenience.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Mart


"William B. Lurie" wrote in message
...
Mart (and Mike):
You fellows have gone far beyond the call of duty and
I appreciate it and don't want to impose too much farther.
Let me be specific: My 98 CD came to me with a PC which
was custom made by an 'authorized' assembler of some sort.
It's a genuine Microsoft CD and on it is the legend
"For distribution with a new PC only", which it was.

My ME upgrade CD was given to me by some computer shop
some 8-odd years ago, and is obviously a copy, not an
original. However, I have not too long ago installed 98
in a VPC under my XP main system, and it accepts the codes.
I didn't go on to ME, however. In the past, when I tried
to install ME direct from the CD, it told me at the start
that it could only be used to upgrade a 98 system.

The scientist in me says "Keep on plugging away, find the
missing .CAB and files, and make it work". The practical
engineer in me says "You've spent too many man-hours, your
own and other people's, when you have what is most likely
a viable Plan B."

I intend to have my guru with the nimble fingers disconnect
the main HDD in my PC (because I want to install 98+ME in
a safe manner) and unless you two think I'm too much of a coward,
I intend to start with a "clean" 98+ME and will see if it takes.


Mart wrote:
Hi Bill,

With further reference to your 5 missing files (which I'd only just
spotted - sorry!), I've just been in contact with Mike and concluded that
:- depending on how you set-up your original WinMe on the 'old' HDD
(can't remember if you said you [over] installed it [a MS or OEM
version?] onto an existing OEM [HP?] version of Win98) then the Folder
(CABS or Install) MAY NOT EXIST - or be in a completely different
location!

From a very recent Clean installation I've just done of (MS not OEM)
WinMe, where the installation files were copied to the HDD before
actually installing WinMe from the HDD itself (The CD-ROM was 'faulty') I
have found that WinMe doesn't copy the complete set of installation files
to the CABS or Install folder at all, as it would if was installed from
the CD.

Always said that you learn something new every day on these WinMe NG's!!

Is your WinMe CD an MS or OEM version?
I take it your 98 CD is OEM.

If WinMe CD is MS, and your 98 is a 'special' (compressed) OEM version,
then WinMe might not accept the OEM CD as a proof of authenticity and
therefore you may have to go down the Plan B (version A) route, i.e.
fresh install 98 then attempt the WinMe update. Far too many variables
keep creeping in to this 'simple issue' g

Mart


"Mart" wrote in message
...
First of all, note Mikes reply (timed at 12:32 BST today) regarding the
much simpler method of a clean install of WinMe - should you need to go
down that route. But I don't think we've completely exhausted 'Plan A' -
YET!!

So I'll address the next items in-line :-

Mart, thanks for coming back in.
First let me jump down to the USB question.
That was a memory slip; the monitor is on its
own big multi-connector cable.
Phew! - thank goodness for that g

I've graduated to
where my latest attempts have been with *NO* USB
cables connected. Consider it as having only the
essential cabling; I even unplugged the Ethernet
connector.
Indeed, ALL items *MUST* be disconnected.

In Safe Mode, there are no errors and no conflicts.
There are 4 entries for IDE controllers which I am
unable to delete, and Mike says not to fret.
Mike's quite correct and on hindsight, perhaps we should have warned
you earlier.
I
didn't answer your query about display adapters
and monitors because I think it was prompted by my
incorrect association of USB with the monitor.
Fair enough.

The new PC came with one HDD, containing XP/Home in
one partition, and HP's own maintenance and repair
software in its "D" partition. I have never removed
either of those partitions (nor would I). The way I
run or attempt to run WinME is to interrupt the boot
process and boot to the Slave drive (which is left
over from my erstwhile PC).
OK, thanks for that info. For now - assuming it has been physically
removed and your WinMe HDD is the only one fitted, it won't be causing
any issues.

If you read Mike's posts, you'll see that, in shutting
down ME, now, I always get an error window about MSGSRV32
where it hangs.
OK, for the moment, that's to be expected and probably not too relevant.

And in attempting to boot it always
complains about 5 files that it can't find, that should
be in C:\Windows\Options\CABS.
Exactly what files can't it find? Please list all five.

Mike had me check Registry to
verify that that is where it's directed, and I verified
that.
It's not the Registry but rather the 'Path' which we are considering
here.
You need to search (in Safe Mode) for " *.CABS " and (hopefully) find a
Folder containing about 20 or so .CAB files (e.g. WIN_15.CAB). Assuming
those files can be found, we are (or should be) still in business.

However, if you can't find them, then you are up the creek .. as Mike
explained earlier and it is definately over to 'Plan B' (but do remember
Mikes tip, no need to install 98)

I'm pretty well convinced that HP has somehow made it
impossible to use the OS on the old HDD even though it
boots every time in Safe Mode.
I'm about to consider
taking another HDD and install Win98 clean on it, from
Microsoft's own installation CD, and then upgrade it
to ME with my ME-upgrade CD. I can copy back from the
questionable HDD those files that I have on it. I don't
like giving up on what you and Mike and I have spent so
much time on, but maybe it *is* time to move on to
"Plan B".
See my previous paragraph.

Mart

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