I have a wired home network that works well running machines using Windows XP and ME. We were given a a Windows NT machine that I tried to network;however, it does not run the same protocols and I was unable to install them. I have an extra Window ME license and wanted to change the OS to ME. The ME setup will not work from within NT or the Command prompt line, and there is no safe mode in NT. Is there a way to change the OS without reformatting the entire hard drive? If I reformat would there be any problem booting from the ME setup disk?

idk how you can do it w/o re-formatting but about the setup disk it shouldnt be a problem unless the requirements for ME which wouldnt be much (nothing compared to wat computers have in them today) .

what do you mean it does not have the same protocols. what you need is TCP/IP to make it part of the network. Beside windows ME is the worse version out there. Also it should let you do an upgrade if you want to upgrade a system. NT may be taking control over your network for been a server version. You will need to add the other computers to NT. You may have a workgroup and the NT has a domain configured. You need to give access to other computers at the NT.

[what you need is TCP/IP to make it part of the network. Beside windows ME is the worse version out there.]

Although it has TCP/IP, none of the other computers can see it , and it does not see anything else on my network, nor will it connect to the Internet. I had to add other protocols to initially get my network up and running ( 8 years ago) and the NT machine does not have those as an option.This computer was in an office as a workstation on a secure network.
The advantage of WIndows ME is that I have a license and am trying to set up a computer (legally) for my youngest child at low cost. I still have two machine running ME that have had no probems. I had to reload the OS on one after almost five years and never on the other.

what kind of connection are you using for internet? Is that a dial up PPoA or PPoE connection?

As far as windows me you have been blessed because especially for network that system is not recommended. However that goes in how advanced your network needs to be. Which in any case is working for you. I thought that you wanted to keep the NT version because you have files that don't want to delete or to make your network more reliable or to control better your users - but if you just going to give that machine to your sun - just reformat the hard drive and install the Windows ME. Reboot the computer with the CD ME on it and from there just follow the wizard.

In any case, if you want to give NT a shot - you could post the Ipconfig/all that you have at the NT and the Ipconfig/all that you have at the ME running the CMD - that way I can help you better to understand your network - there may be a proxy on the NT that is preventing the connection.