ITinfo: Windows Me, An Easy Install

Smooth Windows Upgrade

Win98 to WinMe transition goes well

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Windows Me, An Easy Install

by Dave Murphy
ISSN 1535-3613

I sat down this weekend and got more than eight hours of uninterrupted time to work with Microsoft's update to consumer-side of Windows. Windows Millennium Edition (WinMe) gets a big thumbs up from me.

I came up with a few concerns, but nothing major. I recommend the operating system (OS) for new installations, and I even installed three upgrades on top of Windows 98 (first edition). All installations worked great once the prompts were followed, the "next" buttons clicked, and the kinks worked out.

My recommendations

Opt for WinMe over Win98 on any new PCs you purchase, even if you've already got Win98 systems in your network.
Consider upgrading faster workstations that are currently running Win98 to WinMe. First, seek the advice of your IT advisor. This step is not for the less-knowledgeable (especially those who think they're knowledgeable).

What I did

I upgraded three Win98 (first edition) workstations connected to a set of Linux file servers and peer-to-peer network. All workstations accessed at least one of the servers and all shared their hard drives with one another. All workstations shared a high-speed digital connection to the net.

I also installed a copy of WinMe on a brand new disk. This workstation then accessed one of the Linux servers, the other workstations, and the Internet router. This station also shared it's disks with the other Windows workstations.

It took about 90 minutes to install and tweak

The new installation took about 25 minutes on a 500 MHz system with 128MB of RAM. Configuration and tweaking took about another hour. The system was ready for use in less than 90 minutes. This is about the same time as a similarly-configured new Win98 installation.

The upgrades took about 25 minutes to install and about 30 minutes to configure. All of the preexisting Win98 configurations were retained, and I tinkered with the new options of WinMe.

My experience is that most technical installers and all non-technical users run WinMe straight -- without any of the performance and security tweaks I employ. If you fall in this group, figure less than an hour for an upgrade -- time to cut the shrink wrap, read the pamphlet, and such. Typing in the serial numbers was a pain. I found this step more cumbersome than with previous versions.

What I found

The systems that were running at 200MHz and above picked up a bit of speed. The 350MHz system with 64MB of RAM runs sluggishly. It's definitely noticeable. So much so that I'm thinking about reinstalling the previous disk image, thereby returning to Win98.

WinMe is a fun version. It's got neat features that I haven't yet tested. When I do, I'll report them in this e-zine. All systems work well after two days. The Handspring Visor's PalmOS hotsync program, the Adaptec CD burner software, web browsers, Eudora, both Microsoft Office 2000 and the old Office 97 seem to work. McAfee VirusScan 4.x and Norton Utilities 2000 are fine.

I was actually surprised that the Win98-WinMe upgrades worked well. I've never had good luck with OS upgrades. I'll give it some time, and I'll let you know if my opinion changes.

But for now, don't hesitate to pick up a new PC with WinMe installed. But don't go out and upgrade your existing Win98 system without checking with each of your application and hardware vendors to ensure you'll have full compatibility. I spent quite a few hours over the last two weeks reviewing all my upgrade details before I started ripping shrinkwrap.

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References

Microsoft
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updated September 24, 2000
http://dgl.com/itinfo/2000/it000924.html