How Can I Make My WinME Crash?

I dug my ancient computer out of the closet today. I inherited it from my great uncle way long ago. It came with Windows 95 on it, and in 2002 or so I upgraded it to Windows ME. Check it out: a whopping 4GB harddrive, and 32 whole MB of RAM! Is it a sexy beast of a computer or what?

I dug it out because I was considering selling its parts or putting the parts in my newer computer to make it run better. But now I don't think that's much of an option. It's just too damn old. So now I'm left with an ancient-ass computer that I don't know what to do with.

And then I had the idea.

"Let's see if I can crash it!"

I figured it would be pretty easy, even for a guy who's never crashed a computer even accidentally. I mean, come on, it's an upgraded WinME.

How wrong I was.

Ironically, I'm so ignorant about computers that I can't even crash one. I tried just about everything I could think of, which actually isn't a lot.

I hit Ctrl+Alt+Del and ended all the tasks, hoping I'd end a critical task along the way and really fuck things up; but all that happened in the end was that the taskbar and desktop icons disappeared when Explorer, the final task, was ended. I guess WinME hides the critical tasks from the user.

Then I restarted, went into C:\Program Files, and opened just about all the folders simultaneously; surprisingly, the computer handled the task well. Then I hit Ctrl+Alt+Del multiple times and managed to freeze the computer. After forcing the computer off and back on, I went into C:\Windows and opened as many files as I could simultaneously. But the computer handled that as well.

I considered pulling the plug on the computer, but that might've fried something instead of fucking up the harddrive much. I also had the idea of trying to get bad viruses on the computer, but I'd have to get it so it can connect to the Internet first. And the thing is, I can't really install anything, because I only have about 400MB free harddrive space.

So, does anyone want to help me crash my ME?

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EDIT: The computer specs:

Windows ME 4.90.3000 (upgraded from Win95)
IBM
Aptiva
GenuineIntel
Pentium II Processor
(If anything important is missing, tell me how to find it out.)​

 

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Fill the HD up. That'll crash it

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, hell at that point it shouldn't even boot

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You mean fill every last bit of it up?

Hmm... I could try that. But what if I want to boot it later and it won't?

 

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be sure to create a boot disk first.
then you can boot the computer with that and delete some files off the HDD

 

Geeky stuff. Put a lightweight Linux distro on it and use it as a router, firewall, or proxy/mail/ftp/file/web server, or even a small online forum - if you have a static IP address. Or use it to do long compilations or movie file conversions or whatever without having to worry about slowing down your main machine.

 

How do I make a boot disk?

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I thought about Linux, but then, I'm not too sure I'd really want that. The forum sounds sorta appealing though.

 

goto control panel and double click on add remove programs.
there are some tabs across the top of the app, click the startup disk tab and follow the directions. you will need a 3.5" floppy.

after you create the disk make sure it works by putting it in your floppy drive and restarting your computer.
if it works you should boot into dos.
if it does then remove the disk and restart (ctrl+alt+del) to return to windows

if it doesn't and reports that the boot files cannot be found then reboot into windows and recreate the boot disk.

if the disk is in the drive and it still boots into windows then the boot order must be changed in bios.

 

Try "Control Panel" --> "Add/Remove Programs" --> "Startup Disk"

 

Ha, craashing a computer on purpose! Open up your favorite C++ environment, and write a little proggy that goes into an infinite loop, where each iteration allocates space for an object. Then forget to make the proper calls that free up the memory, essentially creating a memory leak. Bring up at least 10 instances of this program, and see how Windows ME handles that!

Oh, sweet thats a good idea! For a while I was going to use my old computer as a dedicated server for Armagetron, but the game didn't like the settings on my router, and I was too lazy to change the settings.

I did this on a machine that I was going to format anyway. It's actually really fun to see how many viruses you can get. Usually they mess up the LSP or your internet drivers before you can get too many bad ones. Why can't it get online? Would my old modem that I mentioned to you help any?

 

RubiksMaster,

Try turning your computer on.

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Hey, that wasn't my quote!


(but good answer

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)

 

Oops. I meant Athelwulf.

 

Thanks to the generosity of RubiksMaster, this old computer now has 128MB, four times the memory it had last night. Now that it has a less pathetic RAM, putting a Linux on the thing seems like a more feasible plan. I don't believe much out there requires more than 128MB, if not 64MB.

I suppose I should learn DOS?

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Well I'd do that if I could figure out what a C++ environment was, let alone figure out how to open it.

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I've been told that going to WhiteHouse.com (not .gov) works splendidly.

It's not the modem. As far as I know, it is theoretically possible to get the computer online. I just have to configure it so that it connects with my ISP, is the thing.

Tried that already. And surprisingly, it didn't do it.

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How can you make ur WinME crash? Take the computer and bang it on the floor or throw it off a mountain...or ride on top of it with a car...or put on a train rail.

 

*Yawns*... Boring.

 

Ok...try this...

If ya got a girl and she is one sexy angel. Tell her to try something new this night...under a bed put the computer...squeeze it in. And on the same bed have some 'turbulence' with ya angel. Make sure its hard and rough road. Then see the result.

 

And what if I don't know anyone like that? :bugeye:

 

Then get one.

 

Riiight...

 

You're not alone. Dont give up.