Puzzle: Win98SE Version and USB Flash Drive Security Application
 

I am experiencing a curious problem trying to run the security
application that came with a new USB 2.0 flash drive from Kingston
(DataTraveler Elite, 1GB, 24/14 MBps). Even though the drive is supposed
to work with Win98SE and even though someone from their technical
support says that it works fine on their system, the application keeps
exiting after telling me that it "doesn't support this version of Windows".

After an email dialogue with their support, I began to suspect that the
Windows Security Update CD from last February had messed things up by
updating the version from 4.10.2222A (Win98SE) to 4.10.2222B (Win98SE
Security Update). However, updating the subversion number stored in the
registry from "B" to "A" (see below) didn't solve the problem, as I get
the same error message.

Kingston support has already suggested that I return the drive, so I
don't anticipate that they will provide any further details regarding
exactly what the security application is looking at when it decides that
I am not running Win98SE. So...I'd like to request that people running
Win98SE, both with and without the Security Update CD installed, send me
information regarding their version of Windows, especially where it
differs from mine; my information is as follows:

System control panel applet:

Microsoft Windows 98
Second Edition
4.10.2222B

Registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion
- ProductName = "Microsoft Windows 98"
- ProductType = "115"
- SubVersionNumber = "B"
- Version = "Windows 98"
- VersionNumber = "4.10.2222"

Tweaking Toolbox 1.60:

Created by Win9xNTVer 1.52 (TTW-S 1.60) on 07-Jan-2005 18:23:46

Information from the registry:
Version : Windows 98
Version number: 4.10.2222B
Product type : Unable to get information

Information from Windows itself:
Platform ID : WIN32_WINDOWS
Version : 4.10
Build : 4.10.2222

This seems to be:
Windows 98 (UNRECOGNISED VERSION)

I find the "Product type : Unable to get information" and "Windows 98
(UNRECOGNISED VERSION)" bits very curious.

Thanks for your assistance and advice.

- Alan

Alan Raskin wrote in
:

I am experiencing a curious problem trying to run the security
application that came with a new USB 2.0 flash drive from Kingston
(DataTraveler Elite, 1GB, 24/14 MBps). Even though the drive is
supposed to work with Win98SE and even though someone from their
technical support says that it works fine on their system, the
application keeps exiting after telling me that it "doesn't support
this version of Windows".

After an email dialogue with their support, I began to suspect that
the Windows Security Update CD from last February had messed things up
by updating the version from 4.10.2222A (Win98SE) to 4.10.2222B
(Win98SE Security Update). However, updating the subversion number
stored in the registry from "B" to "A" (see below) didn't solve the
problem, as I get the same error message.

Kingston support has already suggested that I return the drive, so I
don't anticipate that they will provide any further details regarding
exactly what the security application is looking at when it decides
that I am not running Win98SE. So...I'd like to request that people
running Win98SE, both with and without the Security Update CD
installed, send me information regarding their version of Windows,
especially where it differs from mine; my information is as follows:

System control panel applet:

Microsoft Windows 98
Second Edition
4.10.2222B

Registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion
- ProductName = "Microsoft Windows 98"
- ProductType = "115"
- SubVersionNumber = "B"
- Version = "Windows 98"
- VersionNumber = "4.10.2222"

Tweaking Toolbox 1.60:

Created by Win9xNTVer 1.52 (TTW-S 1.60) on 07-Jan-2005 18:23:46

Information from the registry:
Version : Windows 98
Version number: 4.10.2222B
Product type : Unable to get information

Information from Windows itself:
Platform ID : WIN32_WINDOWS
Version : 4.10
Build : 4.10.2222

This seems to be:
Windows 98 (UNRECOGNISED VERSION)

I find the "Product type : Unable to get information" and "Windows
98 (UNRECOGNISED VERSION)" bits very curious.

Thanks for your assistance and advice.

- Alan


You can use Regmon from www.sysinternals.com to see which registry keys
are read by the program.

Ingeborg wrote:
Alan Raskin wrote in
:


I am experiencing a curious problem trying to run the security
application that came with a new USB 2.0 flash drive from Kingston
(DataTraveler Elite, 1GB, 24/14 MBps). Even though the drive is
supposed to work with Win98SE and even though someone from their
technical support says that it works fine on their system, the
application keeps exiting after telling me that it "doesn't support
this version of Windows".

After an email dialogue with their support, I began to suspect that
the Windows Security Update CD from last February had messed things up
by updating the version from 4.10.2222A (Win98SE) to 4.10.2222B
(Win98SE Security Update). However, updating the subversion number
stored in the registry from "B" to "A" (see below) didn't solve the
problem, as I get the same error message.

Kingston support has already suggested that I return the drive, so I
don't anticipate that they will provide any further details regarding
exactly what the security application is looking at when it decides
that I am not running Win98SE. So...I'd like to request that people
running Win98SE, both with and without the Security Update CD
installed, send me information regarding their version of Windows,
especially where it differs from mine; my information is as follows:

...



You can use Regmon from www.sysinternals.com to see which registry keys
are read by the program.

I just tried that. The only registry key it's accessing is the
SubVersionNumber one, but the program exits with an "error" regardless
of whether it reads the value "B" or "A".

*sigh*

Thanks for the reminder re SysInternals.

- Alan

Alan Raskin wrote in news:#SQxwsX9EHA.2032
@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl:

Ingeborg wrote:
Alan Raskin wrote in
:


I am experiencing a curious problem trying to run the security
application that came with a new USB 2.0 flash drive from Kingston
(DataTraveler Elite, 1GB, 24/14 MBps). Even though the drive is
supposed to work with Win98SE and even though someone from their
technical support says that it works fine on their system, the
application keeps exiting after telling me that it "doesn't support
this version of Windows".

After an email dialogue with their support, I began to suspect that
the Windows Security Update CD from last February had messed things up
by updating the version from 4.10.2222A (Win98SE) to 4.10.2222B
(Win98SE Security Update). However, updating the subversion number
stored in the registry from "B" to "A" (see below) didn't solve the
problem, as I get the same error message.

Kingston support has already suggested that I return the drive, so I
don't anticipate that they will provide any further details regarding
exactly what the security application is looking at when it decides
that I am not running Win98SE. So...I'd like to request that people
running Win98SE, both with and without the Security Update CD
installed, send me information regarding their version of Windows,
especially where it differs from mine; my information is as follows:

...



You can use Regmon from www.sysinternals.com to see which registry keys
are read by the program.

I just tried that. The only registry key it's accessing is the
SubVersionNumber one, but the program exits with an "error" regardless
of whether it reads the value "B" or "A".

*sigh*

Thanks for the reminder re SysInternals.

- Alan


The NT versions of windows doesn't have a SubVersionNumber AFAIK. Maybe the
software tests for NT, for some reason. You can try to delete the
SubVersionNumber.

FWIW, mine is a little different, though this may not be significant.
(Win98 SE, no sec update CD installed)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion
- ProductName = "Microsoft Windows 98"
- ProductType = "101"
- SubVersionNumber = " A "
- Version = "Windows 98"
- VersionNumber = "4.10.2222"

Note the spaces around " A " rather than the "A" you mention.

....Alan

--
Alan Edwards, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
http://dts-l.org/index.html

In microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion, Alan Raskin
wrote:

I am experiencing a curious problem trying to run the security
application that came with a new USB 2.0 flash drive from Kingston
(DataTraveler Elite, 1GB, 24/14 MBps). Even though the drive is supposed
to work with Win98SE and even though someone from their technical
support says that it works fine on their system, the application keeps
exiting after telling me that it "doesn't support this version of Windows".

After an email dialogue with their support, I began to suspect that the
Windows Security Update CD from last February had messed things up by
updating the version from 4.10.2222A (Win98SE) to 4.10.2222B (Win98SE
Security Update). However, updating the subversion number stored in the
registry from "B" to "A" (see below) didn't solve the problem, as I get
the same error message.

Kingston support has already suggested that I return the drive, so I
don't anticipate that they will provide any further details regarding
exactly what the security application is looking at when it decides that
I am not running Win98SE. So...I'd like to request that people running
Win98SE, both with and without the Security Update CD installed, send me
information regarding their version of Windows, especially where it
differs from mine; my information is as follows:

System control panel applet:

Microsoft Windows 98
Second Edition
4.10.2222B

Registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion
- ProductName = "Microsoft Windows 98"
- ProductType = "115"
- SubVersionNumber = "B"
- Version = "Windows 98"
- VersionNumber = "4.10.2222"



I find the "Product type : Unable to get information" and "Windows 98
(UNRECOGNISED VERSION)" bits very curious.

Thanks for your assistance and advice.

- Alan

Alan, I thought that the A always had spaces around it in 98SE and with the
B there is always no space. Any idea why Microsoft did this or is this not
the case in all computers?

"Alan Edwards" wrote in message
...
FWIW, mine is a little different, though this may not be significant.
(Win98 SE, no sec update CD installed)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion
- ProductName = "Microsoft Windows 98"
- ProductType = "101"
- SubVersionNumber = " A "
- Version = "Windows 98"
- VersionNumber = "4.10.2222"

Note the spaces around " A " rather than the "A" you mention.

...Alan

--
Alan Edwards, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
http://dts-l.org/index.html

In microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion, Alan Raskin
wrote:

I am experiencing a curious problem trying to run the security
application that came with a new USB 2.0 flash drive from Kingston
(DataTraveler Elite, 1GB, 24/14 MBps). Even though the drive is supposed
to work with Win98SE and even though someone from their technical
support says that it works fine on their system, the application keeps
exiting after telling me that it "doesn't support this version of
Windows".

After an email dialogue with their support, I began to suspect that the
Windows Security Update CD from last February had messed things up by
updating the version from 4.10.2222A (Win98SE) to 4.10.2222B (Win98SE
Security Update). However, updating the subversion number stored in the
registry from "B" to "A" (see below) didn't solve the problem, as I get
the same error message.

Kingston support has already suggested that I return the drive, so I
don't anticipate that they will provide any further details regarding
exactly what the security application is looking at when it decides that
I am not running Win98SE. So...I'd like to request that people running
Win98SE, both with and without the Security Update CD installed, send me
information regarding their version of Windows, especially where it
differs from mine; my information is as follows:

System control panel applet:

Microsoft Windows 98
Second Edition
4.10.2222B

Registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion
- ProductName = "Microsoft Windows 98"
- ProductType = "115"
- SubVersionNumber = "B"
- Version = "Windows 98"
- VersionNumber = "4.10.2222"



I find the "Product type : Unable to get information" and "Windows 98
(UNRECOGNISED VERSION)" bits very curious.

Thanks for your assistance and advice.

- Alan

Alan Edwards wrote:
FWIW, mine is a little different, though this may not be significant.
(Win98 SE, no sec update CD installed)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion
- ProductName = "Microsoft Windows 98"
- ProductType = "101"
- SubVersionNumber = " A "
- Version = "Windows 98"
- VersionNumber = "4.10.2222"

Note the spaces around " A " rather than the "A" you mention.

...Alan


Eureka!

Changing the SubVersionNumber to " A " instead of "B" or "A" did the trick!

Of course, I now find the security application is incompatible with my
USB 2.0 CardBus adapter, but it works fine when I instead use the
built-in USB 1.1 port. But that is a known issue with the application,
so I can't complain (although I will, of course :-).

Thanks for your information, Alan. I knew that it would turn out to be
as simple as that.

- Alan

Alan Raskin wrote:
Alan Edwards wrote:

FWIW, mine is a little different, though this may not be significant.
(Win98 SE, no sec update CD installed)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion
- ProductName = "Microsoft Windows 98"
- ProductType = "101"
- SubVersionNumber = " A "
- Version = "Windows 98"
- VersionNumber = "4.10.2222"

Note the spaces around " A " rather than the "A" you mention.

...Alan


Eureka!

Changing the SubVersionNumber to " A " instead of "B" or "A" did the trick!

Of course, I now find the security application is incompatible with my
USB 2.0 CardBus adapter, but it works fine when I instead use the
built-in USB 1.1 port. But that is a known issue with the application,
so I can't complain (although I will, of course :-).

Thanks for your information, Alan. I knew that it would turn out to be
as simple as that.

- Alan

For completeness and in case it ever becomes relevant, could someone who
has Win98SE with the Security Updates CD installed let me know whether
the updated SubVersionNumber is "B" or " B "? Thanks.

- Alan

Mine is 4.10.2222B

I am not sure if this is the answer you were looking for.

"Alan Raskin" wrote in message
...
Alan Raskin wrote:
Alan Edwards wrote:

FWIW, mine is a little different, though this may not be significant.
(Win98 SE, no sec update CD installed)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion
- ProductName = "Microsoft Windows 98"
- ProductType = "101"
- SubVersionNumber = " A "
- Version = "Windows 98"
- VersionNumber = "4.10.2222"

Note the spaces around " A " rather than the "A" you mention.

...Alan


Eureka!

Changing the SubVersionNumber to " A " instead of "B" or "A" did the
trick!

Of course, I now find the security application is incompatible with my
USB 2.0 CardBus adapter, but it works fine when I instead use the
built-in USB 1.1 port. But that is a known issue with the application,
so I can't complain (although I will, of course :-).

Thanks for your information, Alan. I knew that it would turn out to be
as simple as that.

- Alan

For completeness and in case it ever becomes relevant, could someone who
has Win98SE with the Security Updates CD installed let me know whether
the updated SubVersionNumber is "B" or " B "? Thanks.

- Alan

It looks like "B".
Have a read of a couple of these:

http://groups-beta.google.com/groups...number+b+win98

....Alan

--
Alan Edwards, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
http://dts-l.org/index.html

In microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion, Alan Raskin
wrote:

Alan Raskin wrote:


For completeness and in case it ever becomes relevant, could someone who
has Win98SE with the Security Updates CD installed let me know whether
the updated SubVersionNumber is "B" or " B "? Thanks.

- Alan