Brenda Studebaker wrote:
>Can you format a laptop hard drive that has windows XP on it
Yes you can as several people have indicated.

>replace it with Windows ME without any problems?
Yes and no. This may not be entirely possible due to the fact your lap top
is probably a proprietary system. What this means is, the manufacturer
(Dell, Gateway, etc) has built into the system the necessary drivers that
operate your sound, display and functionality. Taking away from this mean
you may cripple your computer.

>if nothing else, the short cut keys might not work?

As commented above, you may loose more than that. I forgot to mention the CD
and if you have a CD-RW, you loose that too. There is a lot at stake when
you start altering the system. Your platform was designed for XP and so are
all of the features that are installed.

I too asked myself why you would want to revert back to an operating system
that is or was a millstone around Microsoft's neck. Windows ME is to
Microsoft as the Edsel was to the Ford Motor Company.

As I read the post I sat there thinking about your situation. Given there is
a lack of information I decided to speculate a little rather than throw
barbs. If you want to go back to ME, is it because it is familiar to you
like Windows 98 and or Windows 95? Is the desktop confusing and hard to
navigate? Can't find what you need because the operating system looks
foreign to you? Take heart. Xp is as several people mentioned a very stable
and robust platform. Now, if there were a way to show a desk top and
features that you are familiar with, like ME as an example, (this is
supposition) would you be willing to stay with XP? When I first started
testing XP I thought that the learning curve was going to be like climbing a
tall mountain in shorts and Reeboks. I investigated the system and found I
could apply the "Windows Classic Look". That same look and feel that we were
using in Windows 98 and ME that we all knew well. Since then, when a client
is migrating from Windows 98 or ME, I give them a choice. The acclimation
time is quicker and more user friendly. Again, this is only supposition and
may not be why you want to install Windows ME.

Please share with us why you want ME over XP. I'm sure that somewhere along
the line you will receive an intelligent answer here.

Sincerely,

Frank Suszka
netTek Computers
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