Right - I'm an amateur, so please treat me gently. I have a Dell pc which is four or five years old. It has a pentium 2 processor which, apparently, runs at 333mHz. Does this make sense? I am running Windows ME, having upgraded from 95. The computer is bogged down with millions of programs and files that I don't want any more. How can I dump them all and start again? And if I upgraded to a pentium 4 processor - can I do that? - would it make everything go much faster?

Well first off your not gona be ablt to put a pentium 4 in that machine. Next if there are things you need on your machine you might want to just go to control panel then to add remove programs and remove programs you don't want. If there is nothing of real importance on the machine just wipe it out and start over.

Yes, but HOW do I wipe it out and start over. And if I do, will my printer and CD drive and other things still work?

Check your system board documentation (or the DELL web site) for memory upgrade options. 64Mb of memory is too small to run Windows ME, it will run slow. If you can get your system upgraded to at least 128Mb it will work better. But don't spend much on upgrading it. In the long run, you would be better off investing in a new machine if you can justify the expense. You need to check your system for virus with an up to date online virus scan like HouseCall_AV and then remove any Spyware_AD-ware with AD-Aware_v6 if you have not done so already. These type of programs can slow your machine down. Then try working your way through ME Fixes to get your Windows ME running better. Then look at removing unneeded applications. If you Format and re-install Windows ME, you will have to find and install device drivers for your hardware. Best to try to "fix" what you have first, if you can.

Jack G is correct, but a clean install does have other advantages: all left over programs are gone, damaged windows files are replaced, etc. I do recommend a format / reinstall every couple of years (some people do it more often, some never at all). It is up to you. If you choose to format and reinstall, make sure you have all the drivers you need (video card, scanner, printer, tape backup, etc) before you start. If you can't find a disk, you can download the drivers you need from the mfr website. You will also need the WinME and WIn95 cds. Here are the basic steps: Start your puter with the ME bootdisk. Choose to boot with cdrom. At the a:> type "format c:" without the quotes and hit enter. You will get a warning that all data will be lost. Continue. When the format is done, hit enter or type a drive label (name)and hit enter. Insert the ME cd. At the a:>, type e: (enter). The prompt will change to e:>, which should be the cd (it could also be f, g, etc). At the e:>, type dir (enter). If e:> is the cd rom, you should see the Win9x folder and a setup.exe file. At the e:>, type setup (enter). The install should begin. Since you are using an upgrade, the installation disk will not find a previous windows version on your pc. When you get the prompt for the location, take out the ME disk and put in the 95 disk. Click browse and change to the directory of the win95 files on the cd (usually e:\Win9x). After the install program verifies you have 95, it will prompt you to reinsert the ME disk. With your slower processor, I would recommend using the "portable" windows install. You can add more components later if you need to.

If you are a beginner, I can understand that you are scared of formatting and reinstalling and rightly so. Why not try the easier way first. Uninstall any programs you don't want any more by going to start, settings, control panel, add/remove programs. Just click on one you don't want and then click the add/remove button and follow the instructions. After uninstalling each program, shut down and restart the PC so that the changes are registered. When you have finished, go to the homepage link on this response and do what it says. Your system will feel like new, even with 64Mb RAM, though I agree with the recommendation to add more for better stability. No need for any other upgrades but stick with software written during the year or so after your PC was made. If you go for very new versions they will demand too much of your PC and will slow it down. Good luck, and mail me if you have problems at tadams62@hotmail.com or post back here. :) Trev

sorry hanna but you must consider getting a new computer you will never get it up to speed now and would spend to mutch time and money flogging a dead donkey, a base unit is a bit less expensive if your monitor is ok but make sure it comes with an os yours respectivly luke