Editing Windows Me (section)

==Removed features==
===Real mode DOS===
Windows Me restricted support for [[real mode]] [[MS-DOS]]. As a result, <code>[[IO.SYS]]</code> in Windows Me disregards <code>[[CONFIG.SYS]]</code>, <code>[[COMMAND.COM]]</code> and <code>[[WIN.COM]]</code> and directly executes <code>[[VMM32.VXD]]</code>. In its default configuration the system would neither boot into an MS-DOS command prompt nor exit to DOS from Windows; real mode drivers such as <code>[[ANSI.SYS]]</code> could not be loaded and older applications that require real mode could not be run. Microsoft argued that the change improved the speed and reliability of the boot process.<ref name="realmode" /><ref name="FastBoot1" />

In Windows Me, the <code>CONFIG.SYS</code> and <code>AUTOEXEC.BAT</code> files are used only to set global [[environment variable]]s. The two files (if present) are scanned for settings relating to the environment variables, and any other commands present are moved into a Windows registry key (see below). The two files thus contain only settings and preferences which configure the "global environment" for the computer during the boot phase or when starting a new [[virtual DOS machine]] (VDM).

To specify or edit other startup values (which, in Windows 98, would be present in the <code>AUTOEXEC.BAT</code> file) the user must edit the following Windows registry key:
:<code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\SessionManager\Environment</code>

For troubleshooting and crash recovery, both the Windows Me CD-ROM and the Windows Me startup disk (a user-creatable floppy disk, known as the Emergency Boot Disk (EBD)) allowed booting into real mode MS-DOS.

It is possible to restore real mode DOS functionality through various unofficial means.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/10/21/windows_bugs_me_but/|title=Windows bugs Me – but a little less?|last=Escalante|first=Luis|date=2000-10-21|work=[[The Register]]|access-date=2019-04-05|archive-date=July 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707171814/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/10/21/windows_bugs_me_but/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.multiboot.ru/msdos8.htm |title=Some features of MS-DOS 8.0 |publisher=Multiboot.ru |access-date=2020-04-10 |archive-date=October 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101022205112/http://www.multiboot.ru/msdos8.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, a registry setting exists that re-enables the "Restart in MS-DOS mode" option in the [[shutdown (computing)|shutdown]] [[dialog box]]; however, unless patched unofficially with third-party software, Windows Me cannot be booted to MS-DOS real mode.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aaanalyzer.addr.com/msdospolicies.html |title=Activity and Authentication Analyzer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107065618/http://www.aaanalyzer.addr.com/msdospolicies.html |access-date=2020-04-10|archive-date=2007-11-07 }}</ref>

===Other components===
Unlike previous versions of Windows 9x, Windows Me was entirely aimed at home users, and thus had certain [[Enterprise software|enterprise]]-oriented features removed. Several features of its predecessors did not work or were officially unsupported by Microsoft on Windows Me, including Automated Installation,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/250104|title=Automated Installation Support in Windows Me|date=2007-01-27|website=Microsoft Support|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100504194711/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/250104|archive-date=2010-05-04|url-status=dead|access-date=2019-04-05}}</ref> [[Active Directory]] client services,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/276472|title=Directory Services Client Is Not Included with Windows Me|date=2007-01-29|website=Microsoft Support|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613133454/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/276472|archive-date=2010-06-13|url-status=dead|access-date=2019-04-05}}</ref> System Policy Editor,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/266271|title=The Policy Editor Tool Is Not Supported in Windows Millennium Edition|date=2007-01-27|website=Microsoft Support|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222182644/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/266271|archive-date=2009-02-22|url-status=dead|access-date=2010-08-26}}</ref> [[Microsoft Personal Web Server|Personal Web Server]] and [[Active Server Pages|ASP]]. These features were supported on the previous versions of Windows 9x.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297943|title=INFO: Getting Started with Active Server Pages|date=2007-07-04|website=Microsoft Support|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090319045356/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297943|archive-date=2009-03-19|url-status=dead|access-date=2019-04-05}}</ref> A [[Resource Kit]] publication, targeted towards system administrators, was never published for Windows Me.

Other features that were removed or never updated to work with Windows Me included [[Microsoft Fax]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/258689|title=Microsoft Fax not supported on Windows Millennium Edition|date=2007-01-27|website=Microsoft Support|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221164524/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/258689|archive-date=2009-02-21|url-status=dead|access-date=2019-04-05}}</ref> [[QuickView]] and [[DriveSpace]], as well as the [[GUI]] [[FAT32]] conversion tool.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Jackman |first=Michael |url=http://www.techrepublic.com/article/the-secret-me-whered-microsoft-hide-the-fat16-to-fat32-conversion-tool/ |title=The secret Me: Where'd Microsoft hide the FAT16-to-FAT32 conversion tool? |magazine=TechRepublic |date=2001-01-24 |access-date=2014-05-21 |archive-date=May 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521115945/http://www.techrepublic.com/article/the-secret-me-whered-microsoft-hide-the-fat16-to-fat32-conversion-tool/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Several [[Windows Explorer]] commands were also modified in Windows Me, matching the menu structure in Windows 2000. While some were simply moved to a different location, certain functionality of the Go menu, as well as the Find command on the Tools menu, are no longer available. For the latter change Microsoft recommends using a variety of similar functionality labeled Search.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/261937|title=Changes to Windows Explorer View and Tools Menus in Windows Me|date=2007-01-27|website=Microsoft Support|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070517040603/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/261937|archive-date=2007-05-17|url-status=dead|access-date=2013-01-09}}</ref>

The [[Active Channel]]s Channel bar from the original release of Windows 98 is not installed upon first boot like with Windows 98 Second Edition, however it is retained when upgrading from the original release of Windows 98 to Windows 98 Second Edition or Windows Me.

Windows Me, like Windows 98 Second Edition, did not ship with the [[WinG]] API or [[RealPlayer]] 4.0, unlike the original release of Windows 98, due to both of these having been superseded by DirectX and Windows Media Player, respectively. On the other hand, [[ActiveMovie]] still exists in Windows Me despite having been superseded by Windows Media Player.