Windows Me Long-Term Wrap-upWindows Me Long-Term Wrap-up
Despite some improvements, Millennium just isn't worth the trouble.
Dave Methvin
Winmag.com's Hot Fixes author, Winmag consulting editor, and Web developer/co-founder of PCPitstop.com.
My experiences are a lot like those of my Winmag colleagues. I'd especially like to echo the sentiments of those who wrote before me about issues with both upgrade- and clean-installation of Millennium. If you need additional reasons not to upgrade to Windows Me, you may find them among these Microsoft Knowledgebase articles:
Exception 03h in Module ... Error Message Starting Windows Me (Q275003)
This issue isn't Microsoft's fault, but it's definitely a problem, and it should have been caught in the ME beta process.Cannot Resume Computer with DMA Enabled on Multiple Hard Disks (Q283801)
This would have bitten me if I updated my main system with two DMA drives. Good thing I didn't.Some Cyrix CPUs Do Not Work with Windows Millennium Edition (Q277788)
Some of these are pretty recent Cyrix chips, although they tend to be used in very low-end or embedded systems.Error Message: The Initialization of the Help Center Failed (Q274736)
I've had this happen in a different way, too: I just get a blank screen.850MHz or Faster Windows Me Computer May Hang During Boot (Q278844)
There are better ways to estimate clock speed, anyway.Issues Accessing or Using Network Resources in Windows Me (Q272991)
Sounds fishy to me. Microsoft says the cause is a missing or damaged VNETBIOS.VXD file, but more likely it's a bug.Microsoft Backup Tool Is Not Installed by Windows Millennium Edition (Q264541)
Who needs backups, anyway?Noisy Playback with Yamaha USB Amplifier in 6-Channel Mode (Q284714)
This one only applies to the Yamaha AP-U70.Incorrect Display of Hardware that Supports Multiple Input Devices (Q280127)
This audio-plus-USB-related problem is far more general, however.
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