WindowsME

[Greg]

Can some one please tell me if i will lose all my files &
data if i reinstall windows me . or will they remain and
it is safe to reinstall .
regards Greg

[Dallasdcc]

you should be able to reinstall from the cd at the desk top without losing all your data, but it is not a guarantee. you should back up all data before trying. are you reinstalling because of an error?

"Greg" wrote:

> Can some one please tell me if i will lose all my files &
> data if i reinstall windows me . or will they remain and
> it is safe to reinstall .
> regards Greg
>

[Ron Martell]

"Greg" > wrote:

>Can some one please tell me if i will lose all my files &
>data if i reinstall windows me . or will they remain and
>it is safe to reinstall .
>regards Greg

It depends on a number of factors.

If you reinstall your WindowsMe over top of the existing install then
it should preserve your installed applications, user data files, and
program configuration settings. However you will have to reinstall
all of the Windows Updates and you may have a problem with Internet
Explorer if you have upgraded that to IE6 unless you uninstall IE6
first.

If you do a format of the hard drive and then reinstall Windows Me
then everything repeat everything on the hard drive will be wiped out
and permanently lost.

If your WindowsMe is on a "System Recovery" CD, which is what a number
of computer manufacturers provided with their new computers sold with
WindowsMe preinstalled, then using that CD to reinstall Windows will
result in the loss of everything on the drive because the system
recovery disks are designed to wipe out the hard drive and then
install a fresh new copy of Windows, exactly as it was when the
computer left the factory.

Why do you think you need to reinstall Windows? That is the computer
equivalent of "capital punishment" and most Windows problems and
errors are no more serious than jaywalking.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

[Noel Paton]

FWIW, I agree with Ron - reinstalling ME is very much a last resort, rather
than a first port of call.....
Having said that - if you feel that you 'must' reinstall (but please think
it through carefully first!!) - look here for advice on how to do it with
least pain!
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/reinME.htm

--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2004, Win9x)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm
http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's

"Greg" > wrote in message
...
> Can some one please tell me if i will lose all my files &
> data if i reinstall windows me . or will they remain and
> it is safe to reinstall .
> regards Greg

[Ron Martell]

"Noel Paton" > wrote:

>FWIW, I agree with Ron

Agreeing with me is *always* worthwhile. :-)


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."