install new harddrive

I think that I have a currupt harddrive. After sometime of playing with a HP tower that has Me with an upgrade to xp, I finally got past the error of no operating system found. But some times it goes back to that error. I have gone thru and removed a bunch of junk with the downloads I got from MAJORGEEKS. I an having a problem deleteing some programs from the control panel. I think the uninstall links were deleted. I could use some help here as well as whem I connect to the internet the linksys wireless router is not picking up the tower. This program was working 4 years ago when i first had problems with the harddrive. The wireless router is feeding 2 laptops with no problem picking up the internet signal. So I need help with the following 4 problems:
1 how can I remove the unneeded programs on the harddrive. ( ie... mostly games and add on programs.)
2 I am going to buy a new harddrive, how do i set up the o/s on the new harddrive. I purchased the computer with Win Me on it with no disks and I upgraded to XP and have the XP upgrade disk and I do have a Win 2000 install disk (can I upgrade Win 2000 to XP.)
3 I have the install disk for the linksys wireless router, how can I troubleshoot the connection problem. I tried to reinstall the linksys and when I do and click on the install button, I click on the install button the program flashes and shuts down.
4 I purchased an external harddrive ( 250 gig Maxtor ) I loaded the files that I did not want to lose. Is possible to use this harddrive as a master and the old harddrive as a slave.
Thanks in advance you guys are GREAT!!!

 

1. If you try to uninstall and it says the uninstaller is missing, then you can search for a folder in C:\Programs\name of program you want removed and see if there is an uninstaller in there. Sometimes it will be an icon with a red line through it and a label UNWISE.EXE
If you do not find the uninstaller in the folder, then you can delete the folder.
After you are done removing what you want, grab a registry cleaner, CCleaner http://majorgeeks.com/download4191.html
You can let it clean the registry and it will also remove programs listed in the add/remove of control panel that have been deleted rather than being uninstalled properly.
2. I don't know about your XP upgrade/ME/2000 and what you'd do to install a new OS on a new hard drive.
The HP I own had ME installed and I purchased an XP upgrade but I've never swapped out the hard drive.
3. You don't need to reinstall router software to fix a router problem. In fact, none of my current computers has the router software installed. It only had to be installed once and only on one computer.
One of the computers needs to be wired to the router. On that type in ipconfig/ release followed by ipconfig/ renew
Note the space between the / and the words release and renew.
The router wipes the IPs it has assigned to all the computers and then hands out new IPs so the computers should all get access.
I told you to wire one computer simply because if remote management has been turned off (this is a good security feature to do), then any wireless computer would not be able to "talk" to the router to get it to make the changes.
If that does not work, you can remove the power from the modem then the power from the router and wait one minute. Power up the modem first and wait until the lights are solid green then power up the modem. The computers should have a connection.
4. It might not be possible to use a 250GB hd without some modification.
How old is the HP? What is the model? It is possible that the computer will not see a drive larger than 127GB (I say that because it came with ME which seems to indicate it was from about 2000 or 2001). You might be able to flash the BIOS so it will accept a larger hd but the safer route to take is to partition the hd into smaller pieces.

 

Thanks for the re:
as for the router i did not leave a space in the command after/ and will try that. My two laptops receive a signal and works. So I will try that. the pc tower is a 2000 me with 800mg processor with 384 ram and 120 gig hdd. I wanted to try and salvage it for my wife. She had a stroke and is paralized on the left side. I have a design in my head, that will have certain keys that will be connected to a foot switch. I do not know if it will work but I thought I would try to ressurect the PC and fix it with parts I have (ie... use the exteral hdd.) Sometimes the unit comes on fine then everonce and a while it goes from the blue screen wih the HP logo striat to a black screen with the error" no operating system found." That is why I think the hdd is corrupt. So i have 2000 disk with code and thought that i could use it on a new hdd or can I use the external. THANKS for the help and I will tell what happens with the router and ip address.