Windows ME cumulative update

Hiya.....:)

I have a an older HP that has been retired and mothballed for some time. Now I plan to give this machine to my mom who all of a sudden wants to learn this "whole computer thing"....(lord help me)......:rolleyes:

I want to wipe the drive and use the recovery discs for a fresh ME installation, but I will lose all the security updates that MS no longer provides. Is there a place or way for me to get a cumulative ME download that will bring a fresh install of ME up to the point where MS discontinued supporting it?

I know it will still be fairly weak as far as security goes....but a patched ME is better than an unpatched one and I can boost it with third party security and settings.

This might be the place to start. No idea how the ME updates are, I've used a few of the 98 updates and they seem to work OK.

http://http://erpman1.tripod.com/w98meupd.html

maxximilian--I have no clue what the actual situation with WinME updates is. In the old days Windows Update used to still provide the updates as of the date they stopped supporting a version of Windows. Perhaps that is better than nothing.
If that is no longer the case you can look here
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.co...en/default.asp
But this will not necessarily be "automatic". You will have to pick and choose starting with the latest first.
You will also have to consider updates for whatever version of IE is being used. One step in that direction would be to download and install IE6 SP1. Running Windows Update after installing that might get the latest IE updates.
You can still get IE6 here
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/...1/default.mspx
Or you can order a CD if a download is not practical (like on Dialup).
P.S. Are you sure you do not want to pay for an upgrade to WinXP SP2, assuming the PC can handle it?
http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_upgrade_paths.htm

EDIT--I took too long to type and lgbpop beat me to it.

Thanks for the replies.....

I am assuming that the updates are no longer available through windows updates, but never actually checked. I figured ending support....meant ending the update downloads....but I will check. If they are at MS...and even if there are many...the connection is cable.

Updating to XP is not really an option. I know the novelty of "computing" will wear off on mom pretty quick...and the machine will be reduced to traveling between a couple websites for shopping, and not much else. Not worth an OS upgrade. Besides...the machine is a P3 866mhtz/ 128 MB RAM....and I am really tired of MS making me spend money. :cool:

Once I get the thing going...I will send it off to call MS and see if they give it anything. Maybe I am wrong the updates are no longer available....

The updates are still available, just not updated anymore.
I have reformatted a few 98 and ME systems recently. The thing that saves time is downloading the IE6.01 full install, and saving it to a CD (particularly for PCs with dial up) install that first then use the Windows update option within the browser.

Here is the procedure for a full download of the installation files for IE6, although with Cable, and an existing browser I do not know it is necessary.
http://www.broomeman.com/support/wsiedown.html

Didn't notice the connection is cable. No need for a cd then.

Just an update....

I reformatted with the recovery discs and tried the windows update link....just for the hell of it. For some reason, MS updates seemed to think the ME machine was a MAC and tried to end me to a MAC updates page....LOL :D

Have no idea why MS read the machine as a MAC.....

Anyway.....I did get IE updated first and was able to get to a list of ME updates. There are 148 of them.....64 criticals....:D