Put in new Asus motherboard/Intel chip.  tried to boot into win ME.  it just locks up when the desktop shops up (not winME screen) I do a ctl alt del to see what is running and come up with about 10 of the same thing (sorry cat remember what it is) but when you 'end task' on the first one windows starts doing its thing and discovering new hardware-which makes sense because of the new MB.  the only problem is that every thing it discovers is "unknown" and the CD drive does not work(it works fine in dos mode)  So I have 10 things come up "unknown" with no way of installing the correct drivers.  after cancelling about 8 or so of the 'discoverd hardware', the system locks up tight.  The MB did come with a driver disk-but of course it is on CD...and safe mode does not load cd drivers! DAMMIT!!! Anybody have any ideas-I am pulling my hair on this one

I have removed all of the cards except AGP and tried above-same results.

I  have installed a bunch of Mb's but no problems like this.

Cleatus, I run several ASUS and ABIT MBs.
I assume that you have ME installed, and that it was installed with a different MB.

Use your ME Startup disk (or 98), and then reinstall the OS. Your current config on the HDD has drivers loaded for different chipsets, and will never work right. By reloading the OS (over top of the current install) will allow the proper drivers to load.

Don Out

Did you reinstall ME after installing the new board?

Because of the differences between boards/chipsets as a general rule: a board change will require a fresh OS install [:(]

-XM777

I did boot to the startup disk-with cd support and the cd worked fine.  I also tried to go into windows by typing "win" hoping that I would have cd support in windows-but it started going into soe sort of restore/registry backup deal that I have never been through before-so I got out before it did anything.  Will a reinstall keep settings and other installed programs?

Yes, a reinstall over the original install should keep most all of the apps and settings.

When changing MB out on a drive that has an OS built around another MB... you are going to see these problems.

Typically, you just dont do it.  You back up your data, and perform a clean new install of the OS, and reload all your apps.  Even after a reinstall of ME, you still might not be able to get it right.

I have done this successfully under Win98, without a reinstall, but you have to get it into "Device Manager" before locking up.  You have to remove the pnpBIOS under COMPUTER, and this will kick off a re-detection of EVERYTHING.  I am not familiar with ME enough to do this....

If you don't save your data and do a clean install of ME you will just have problems from here on out.

When you do a re-install, the operating system doesn't seem to recognize the system bus correctly.

I was going to install xp home- but it said I needed 999 megs of free space-Christ Bill, what not just use a terrabyte for frigging installation.

Well, I guess I've just been lucky.  I've upgraded my board/CPU three or four times with no problems.  Then again it was with W95/98, which is pretty upgrade friendly.

when was the last time you cleaned it?

Jus like ken_mays, i too have done this many times on win95/98 boxes.

Some have issues with this, and experience similar problems to the one you are having.  In those cases i would boot to safe mode, and remove all the devices.
right click "my computer", propertys, click "device manager", now remove all devices under "system devices"

I am sorry, i cant tell you for sure this is the way to do it with ME, but there is bound to be something similar.


IMO.... find a copy of 98, or 98 Second Edition and do a clean install of a "mostly working" OS.  I hear from everyone i know that ME is worse than the original 95.

Start  computer in safe mode.
Then right click on my computer.
Then go to Properties.
Then to Device manager.
Remove every thing in there.
Then restart.

The computer should reconfigure itself.
If it doesn't then its a reinstall.

edited because slo5oh was faster