Windows ME Service Pack

[NotATechie]

I've noticed all the chatter about a service pack for Windows 98SE. Is there any in the works for ME?

[Eck]

Folks have been really busy around here lately, or at least that's my supposition as in most of my posts I've been responding to myself. If you're new, don't be concerned as that's kind of unusual. But I didn't want to leave you hanging and experiencing the sinking feeling that no one loves me anymore like I have, so I'll tackle this for you.

A lot of work goes on revolving around keeping 98SE updated as a lot of folks are using that OS for a myriad of reasons. However, Windows Me is an OS that never really took off. Many folks only used it because it came installed on their new computers, and it got a bad reputation at the beginning because OEM's at times would release their computers with Windows Me combined with 3rd party software that had not yet been updated to deal with Windows Me processes such as System File Protection and the need to enter environmental variables instead of using the autoexec.bat and config.sys files. Some even preinstalled device drivers for their hardware that had not been updated for Windows Me. So new systems would give folks all sorts of problems. I now believe that a fully updated Windows Me with all available bug fixes, security updates, and the latest program updates is the finest 9x has to offer.

A service pack for Windows Me is difficult because of things like System File Protection, etc. I'm pretty sure it could be made though.

For now, you can fully update Windows Me as I have, through MDGx's website. That is www.mdgx.com. You'll be able to download a zipped or exe version of most of the reading material there. Frankly, I liked the web version better for reading comfort and printed out the pages I needed. To organize my downloads from his links, which mostly lead to official Microsoft downloads with the exception of some unofficial updates and tools, I downloaded each file to a subfolder clearly labeled so I would understand what was in it when I was installing them. I made a folder for Essential Me Updates, Essential IE Updates, WMP Updates, and Windows Me Addons, and then would download each file to an appropriately labeled subfolder within those folders. Then burn to cdr!

Generally the order of his listings is from oldest at the bottom to newest at the top. So I generally installed them from oldest to newest. His instructions are clear as to a few updates which require a certain order or procedure to install them, such as disabling System Restore and running the program CoolKill to disable StateMgr so certain updates would install properly, and things like installing MDAC, then HTML Help, then IE Cumulative, then msxml stuff. When I did all this, I did somehow get a little mixed up but managed to wind up with a really well behaved Windows Me. It helps that Windows Me has that System File Protection and when I had somewhat botched the IE Cum update it fixed things for me. I did need to reinstall the HTML Help update to fix whatever booboo I had made. My help files would crash after exiting them. Reinstalling that update fixed that.

If you do that, you're basically giving yourself a Windows Me service pack. You'll wind up with many updates and hot fixes that Microsoft doesn't install automatically with Windows Update. On a fresh install, I first added the memory optimizations done by Gape's 98SE Service Pack to my System.ini file, turned my Power Management stuff to everything "Never," turned off Automatic Updates and Personalized Start Menu, then I installed my Via MB and USB drivers, then the System Restore fix, then IE SP1, then Dx9.0c, DotNet1.1, the SP1 for that, the DX update for managed DX, my ATI Catalyst drivers, the WDM Audio and USB updates, my soundcard, modem, printer, faxer, scanner, WMP 7.1, WMP 7.1 Bonus Pack, WMEncoder 7.1, then WorksSuite 2005, WMP 9, then all the other fixes from MDGx, then my ethernet card and connected to the net. Then I went to Microsoft's Office site and updated my Office stuff that came with WorksSuite (it has Word so it needs Office Update), then did Windows Update. Only a few updates were left for Windows Update to install. The only minor glitch I seem to have is that Windows Update keeps successfully installing one of the WMP updates but actually doesn't since the files it is trying to install are older than the ones on my system so it really isn't installing the update. Yet it says it is successful. Yet, next time there it is again as a Critical Update. Kind of drives me banana's! But I think that's a minor glitch as I'm rewarded for doing the updating this way by a much more responsive system.

By the way, yes there was someone working on a Me Service Pack. I had been reading the posts with interest. It's possible he did some no no's as all his posts and threads seem to have disappeared. He called himself mitchellovision and I think he was a talented 16 year old who perhaps was overzealously including unlicenced material in his pack and publishing it.

No matter. You can do it all yourself as I did and, though a bit time consuming, wind up with a well behaved OS.

Edit - Of course, install a Firewall like ZoneAlarm or something before you connect to the net!

Edited August 1, 2005 by Eck

[NotATechie]

My ME runs without major incident, thanks to the aforementioned site. I was looking for that 'extra something'. Oh, well. There will be others. Thanks for the reply.

Edited August 1, 2005 by NotATechie

[dirtwarrior]

hey if someone would put this together in 1 package along with a nicer theme then

[dougiefresh]

I had WinME come with my computer and had a #$@#-load of problems with it. I installed it on another computer (different cd and key) and had #$@#-load of problems with it. Windows ME sucks! Go to XP!

Edited August 1, 2005 by dougiefresh

[dirtwarrior]

I do use xp now but when I used me I had no problems with it. It would run for weeks without rebooting.

[Tarun]

I do use xp now but when I used me I had no problems with it. It would run for weeks without rebooting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You must not have been a gamer then.

[Eck]

Actually, dirtwarrior, preferably someone putting together all the updates would avoid installing stuff like themes. That was one of the problems with the fella doing the pack here I think. Just give me the updates. If we want to change appearences there are plenty of ways available for us to do that without it being forced upon our systems by a service pack.

And, there should be no reason that Windows Me would be any worse for gaming than Windows 98SE. At least, not by fault of Microsoft's operating system. If hardware manufacturers didn't want to spend money to update drivers for products they didn't sell anymore then gamers had someone there to blame. As far as memory management, Windows Me just required a little tweaking just like 98SE did, and XP does too if you're desiring to use every last ounce of speed. With modern processors, video hardware, and the large amounts of memory folks use today, System Health and System Restore occasionally running in the background really don't hurt performance much. They usually only run when the system is idle anyway.

Even on ancient hardware, like when I was still using my first computer with a SiS 5598 chipset and a 300MHz AMD K6-2 with my old Voodoo 3 3000 PCI, I found that Windows Me was way more stable and dependable than Windows 98SE. The thing had actually come with Windows 98 Gold. It didn't really perform at its best for me until Windows Me came out. During the whole 98SE period it constantly gave me problems, but a fresh Windows Me setup had it going the best it ever did. (Which was never speedy, of course! That 66MHz system bus was quite a slowdown for it.)

[dirtwarrior]

so really all I need to do is gather all the hot fix and then sumitt them to you? Did 9x use just part of ram installed? would there be a reg tweak or something to make t use all the ram on computer(1 gig or so)?

[eidenk]

By the way, yes there was someone working on a Me Service Pack. I had been reading the posts with interest. It's possible he did some no no's as all his posts and threads seem to have disappeared. He called himself mitchellovision and I think he was a talented 16 year old who perhaps was overzealously including unlicenced material in his pack and publishing it.

In case you've missed it, mitchellovision had its own suforum for a day or so. Like Gape. Then it has been removed along with the thread in which mitchellovision threatened to have me banned from this forum by Microsoft that has been then closed by Crispy and then moved in the new subforum that has now disappeared.

[Eck]

Heh, heh, heh, what the devil are you talking about? Gathering hot fixes and submitting them to me for what? No, gather all the hot fixes and install them on your computer in a logical order on a fresh Windows Me install. Print out any instructions so you have an idea of the order and what special steps are needed for some of the fixes and updates. And you don't need to do much gathering since all the links are on one website.

If you use the known memory optimizations then Windows 9x/Me will use up to 1GB of memory. For example, you would put into the system.ini file under the 386 Enhanced catagory the lines "ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1," DMABufferSize=64', and "MinSPs=16." Then under the VCACHE catagory the line "MaxFileCache=524288." Then in the Advanced tab of msconfig you'd check Limit Memory to and put in 999MB. Then in System Properties, Advanced, File System you'd check to choose your own Virtual Memory settings and put in the Min and Max boxes your Ram times 3. Then on the front tab you'd choose Network Server instead of the default Desktop Computer. If you do all that then Windows will use all your memory up to 999MB.

It's approximately the same thing as installing Gape's Service Pack for 98SE, but instead of one installation that goes real speedy like, you've got to do it yourself one update at a time and reboot between each one.

If you want your desktop to look different you have loads of choices. The whole Microsoft Plus! 98 Themes package is available if you install Desktop Themes from Add/Remove Programs, Windows Setup. Many more themes are available from sites like themedoctor. If you want to change your whole GUI, you can buy Stardock's Object Desktop which includes WindowBlinds, Object Bar, an icon program, etc, etc. Change things to look like XP or whatever you want by downloading stuff for Object Desktop from wincustomize.com. Be aware that these programs work just fine on 9x/Me systems, but unlike on Windows XP, they will use quite a chunk of your GDI memory resources. But so would changing the GUI through something like the 98SE Revolutions Pack or what that mitchellovision fellow was working on which incorporated the Revolutions Pack (among many other things) without permission. There's no magic way to use fancy GUI's on 9x/Me without using lots of GDI Resources. That's why Stardock basically just developes for 2000/XP now and uses older versions for 9x/Me. There was only so much they could get out of 9x/Me. But what they already have does run perfectly fine. Just be prepared for colors to fade and buttons to disappear from view when you've used up all of the 9x GDI resources. If you refresh the WindowsBlinds program (go into Display Properties and reapply the skin), all skins will come back. But you really need to restart the computer to get back your resources. It's a pain. You'd get the same problems with the Revolutions Pack. There's no magic.

I'm enjoying using Windows Me right now. I've got it setup with WinMeDos's PureDos. I've got my SBLive card pumping music into my old dos games in 98SE's Ms-Dos 7.1 as a program running on Windows Me! It's kind of like a duel boot on the same partition. If I used the other programs that allow access to Windows Me's Ms-Dos 8.0 and change Me's configuration files to do it, then I couldn't use the SBLive as it requires emm386.exe RAM to manage memory and Me's Ms-Dos 8.0 doesn't allow that. Plus I get the faster bootups this way and Windows Me isn't messed with. Meanwhile I've got the Creative WDM package while on Windows. It's the same package that they use for Windows XP with the 252 wdm drivers and the Advanced parametric eq and all that.