Well, Mart, I got bold and (laboriously) opened all of
the condensed categories and removed all that it would allow
me to. There were four under Primary and Secondary IDE Disk
Controllers that it wouldn't let me remove, no matter what
I tried, so I just proceeded from there.

I'm a little confused as to what exactly I did next, but I
believe it allowed me to Restart, F8 to Normal Mode, at least
once. I then used Add/Remove to get rid of old programs, and
obsolete printers, and I finally got myself to a cleaner
system.........only now I hang at the dash prompt again.

But now I'm not scared any more, and I'm going to unplug the USB
(new) printer and web camera, and go back and remove all devices
again. Maybe I'll get to where it will boot Normal again.
Incidentally, at one point it asked for the CD for installing
something I don't need (I forget what) and I didn't bother with it.

Thanks for giving me good advice...and courage.
BTW...this is a long thread; should I start a new one?

Mart wrote:
Correct Bill, although it *may* want you to navigate to the WinMe CD or more
likely the Windows\Options\Install folder, if WinMe detects that it needs a
specific driver during the hardware enumeration (evaluation) stage.

As Mike and I have already pointed out, you do not need to over-install
WinMe - YET. That's a very last resort fraught with pitfalls - version soup!
And a fresh (clean) rather than an over-install would be my recommendation.
However, that's a long way off.

Remember, your 'old' HDD is now in a completely new environment. It
therefore needs to forget the 'old' PC hardware settings ("Removal of all
the devices in the Device Manager" in Safe Mode is the correct method of
ensuring this) and determine (and adjust itself to) the new hardware
incorporated in the 'new' PC by rebooting into Normal Mode.

Most items will (re)install themselves quite happily, but certain items
*may* need special software (drivers) to make them work correctly - drivers
which will have been installed on the original HDD of the *new* PC before
you replaced it with the HDD under discussion. These drivers now need to be
installed on the 'old' HDD.

All previously installed programs (including IE or MPxxx) will still be
installed on the 'old' HDD and should not need any *special* updates or
modifications - subject to any hardware issues.

The stall at the "flashing 'dash' prompt" is simply caused by WinMe
attempting to enumerate some piece of hardware which it doesn't recognise.
It's got itself confused and has decided to hang until YOU do something
about it. You need to determine (by a process of elimination) what item is
causing the stall (and the "PCI Multimedia Device" with USB facilities? is
the prime suspect) and temporarily physically disconnect or remove it.
Repeat the Normal Mode boot process and hope that it can continue without
hanging. Worry about the offending item of hardware later!

Mart



"William B. Lurie" wrote in message
...
Gotcha! Then you feel that I don't need instruction(KB) for Repair
Install....just clear out all old hardware settings in Safe Mode
and try to reboot to Normal Mode.....not even use my CD?
Bill Lurie indeed.

Mart wrote:
William (Bill?), we are not suggesting for a moment that you re-install
WinMe - in fact quite the opposite!

All that is being advised, is that you let the copy of WinMe previously
installed on the (replacement) HDD re-detect the (different and new)
hardware connected to the 'new' computer - i.e. connected in its new
environment. To do that effectively, you need to clear out (or 'Remove')
the previous plug'n'play hardware settings which were applicable to the
original PC in which the HDD was first installed.

Which as Mike explained earlier "is standard procedure whenever a system
disk is moved to new hardware regardless of the operating system"

It really is no big deal.

Mart



"William B. Lurie" wrote in message
...
Mike M wrote:
Ron,

Reinstalling Win Me over itself is a somewhat dangerous route to take
if either Internet Explorer 6 or Windows Media Player 9 have been
installed. In both cases it is essential to first take action so as to
prevent major subsequent player/browser problems.

Incidentally the user is talking here of Windows Millennium and not of
either Vista or XP.
Mike, there is no I.E. on the drive, and no Media Player 9. Does
that make the reinstall more practical?