Damn foking Microsoft

[mviverette]

Alright guys, time to head into enemy territory to solve another gdmn problem with those muthafokers from Microsoft who don't know how to write software. Ok, this is the problem...

I have two PCs, both running Windows ME, set up for a network. It all runs well, on ICS and using Windows ME networking wizard. But then, just more than a week later, it stops working and I am unable to fix it. So I back everything up, and reformat both PCs, reinstall windows, and it magically works again. WHY!?!?!?!? Is there an alternative to using this ghetto windows wizard sheot? Could you provide very detailed walkthrough if so? Also, if you have any idea, or if anybody has been having the same problem, reply! This is becoming very tedious and I dont have time to be sitting here reformatting the whole gdmn time. I called MSFT tech support and they dont have a foking clue.

Thanks so much for your help...

[Craig McPherson]

Using Windows as a router has always been a bad idea. It's just not up to the task.

Take an old box, put Linux on it, configure the network interfaces, turn on IP forwarding, set up a NAT firewall using iptables... done. And no money goes to Bill Gates.

[jman_77]

Alright, I know I talk out of my *** alot on this board, but this is one thing I know about. I've been a technician for years and ran my own shop for a while and I gotta tell ya. Windows ME is bad mojo.
I can't explain 95% of the errors it generates. They just happen. I swear it will just break down and after about 3 months it's often unusable. Usually with a 9x machine I can see an error message or track down a problem and fix it. ME just doesn't work that way.
:confused:

[Craig McPherson]

Here's an actual sequence of WinME dialog boxes:

This program can not be run in Windows. Would you like to set this program to run in DOS mode? YES/NO

This program is set to run in DOS mode, which this version of Windows no longer supports. Would you like to run this program in Windows instead? YES/NO

This program can not be run in Windows. Would you like to set this program to run in DOS mode? YES/NO

This program is set to run in DOS mode, which this version of Windows no longer supports. Would you like to run this program in Windows instead? YES/NO

Lather, rinse, repeat.

After a few minutes of that, most people quickly decide they'd rather see THIS dialog:

Caution: Formatting drive C: will erase all data! Proceed?

Heh.

[mviverette]

LOL! ;)

[prince_kenshi]

Ha ha. I prefer "LILO......."

[bdg1983]

When ICS stopped working, were you able to ping anything? Don't know if this would help, could you try 'winipcfg', release, renew or release all and then renew all?

[crc_1]

First, get rid of Windows ME, it only works with ICS if one ME station is using modem dial up and all others are set up as clients and then not very well. I am using Windows 2000 server set up as NAT server with firewall and using static ip's with a pool of ip's set up and dhcp off. DO NOT use ME with a server using 2 nic's it will make you crazy as it keeps switching between the two cards. Even if ICS is turned off it still does it about every 4.5 minutes.

I have 5 W2K clients and one Linux Mandrake 8.0 client and it has worked the best so far.
I installed a good firewall on the server and it is blocking everything especialy NetBEUI probes from napster hounds.

I have not been that much of a linux user because of a clunky user interface and uphill fight to get it configured providing you survive the install. However Linux Mandrake 8.0 is the best I have seen to date. I was thankful for the dsl conection during the download but it installed first time with NO! hitches and lives very happily with my W2K NAT server.

P. S. And it comes with freecell to feed my addiction. ;)

[crc_1]

First, get rid of Windows ME, it only works with ICS if one ME station is using modem dial up and all others are set up as clients and then not very well. I am using Windows 2000 server set up as NAT server with firewall and using static ip's with a pool of ip's set up and dhcp off. DO NOT use ME with a server using 2 nic's it will make you crazy as it keeps switching between the two cards. Even if ICS is turned off it still does it about every 4.5 minutes.

I have 5 W2K clients and one Linux Mandrake 8.0 client and it has worked the best so far.
I installed a good firewall on the server and it is blocking everything especialy NetBEUI probes from napster hounds.

I have not been that much of a linux user because of a clunky user interface and uphill fight to get it configured providing you survive the install. However Linux Mandrake 8.0 is the best I have seen to date. I was thankful for the dsl conection during the download but it installed first time with NO! hitches and lives very happily with my W2K NAT server.

P. S. And it comes with freecell to feed my addiction. ;)