Need to repair windows 98SE

I am running windows 98SE. I have lost my volume control panel and the
computer in general is working crazy. Can I put the windows 98
installer CD in and have it replace or place things back in order
without having to reinstall all my drivers and programs. In other
words is there a way to clean and repair problems without having to
redo the whole hard drive? Is there a utility in windows I could try
to run and hopefully fix things?

You don't mention what else is going wrong. There is a setting to show the
volume control in the tray. Use Control Panel to open the sound control and
look for that option.

No, reinstalling "over the top", which is the procedure you're describing,
will not likely fix things. Reinstalling over the top tends to overwrite
newer versions of operating system files with older versions, breaking
Updates and any other modifications made to the system by applications
installations, etc. Reinstalling over the top is usually only recommended as
a last-ditch way to get back into your system to retrieve data before
reformatting and reinstalling "clean", not as a long time fix. If you can't
clean up your system decently, then it's time for a reformat/clean install,
not a reinstall over the top. So, what else is going on. Maybe we can help
you clean it up without having to reinstall Windows.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"DJW" wrote in message
oups.com...
I am running windows 98SE. I have lost my volume control panel and the
computer in general is working crazy. Can I put the windows 98
installer CD in and have it replace or place things back in order
without having to reinstall all my drivers and programs. In other
words is there a way to clean and repair problems without having to
redo the whole hard drive? Is there a utility in windows I could try
to run and hopefully fix things?

On Jun 23, 10:33 am, "Gary S. Terhune" none wrote:
You don't mention what else is going wrong. There is a setting to show the
volume control in the tray. Use Control Panel to open the sound control and
look for that option.

No, reinstalling "over the top", which is the procedure you're describing,
will not likely fix things. Reinstalling over the top tends to overwrite
newer versions of operating system files with older versions, breaking
Updates and any other modifications made to the system by applications
installations, etc. Reinstalling over the top is usually only recommended as
a last-ditch way to get back into your system to retrieve data before
reformatting and reinstalling "clean", not as a long time fix. If you can't
clean up your system decently, then it's time for a reformat/clean install,
not a reinstall over the top. So, what else is going on. Maybe we can help
you clean it up without having to reinstall Windows.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/Userwww.grystmill.com

"DJW" wrote in message

oups.com...



I am running windows 98SE. I have lost my volume control panel and the
computer in general is working crazy. Can I put the windows 98
installer CD in and have it replace or place things back in order
without having to reinstall all my drivers and programs. In other
words is there a way to clean and repair problems without having to
redo the whole hard drive? Is there a utility in windows I could try
to run and hopefully fix things?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -
Well for starters my volume control is gone from my system tray. And a
search for sndvol32.exe shows it is gone when I do a find for it.
I am trying to install AOL 9 and it tells me it can't because acsd.exe
is not found or is aolacsd.exe either. My AOL 7 already installed
keeps starting up without me initiating it.

On Jun 23, 11:47 pm, DJW wrote:
On Jun 23, 10:33 am, "Gary S. Terhune" none wrote:



You don't mention what else is going wrong. There is a setting to show the
volume control in the tray. Use Control Panel to open the sound control and
look for that option.

No, reinstalling "over the top", which is the procedure you're describing,
will not likely fix things. Reinstalling over the top tends to overwrite
newer versions of operating system files with older versions, breaking
Updates and any other modifications made to the system by applications
installations, etc. Reinstalling over the top is usually only recommended as
a last-ditch way to get back into your system to retrieve data before
reformatting and reinstalling "clean", not as a long time fix. If you can't
clean up your system decently, then it's time for a reformat/clean install,
not a reinstall over the top. So, what else is going on. Maybe we can help
you clean it up without having to reinstall Windows.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/Userwww.grystmill.com

"DJW" wrote in message

roups.com...

I am running windows 98SE. I have lost my volume control panel and the
computer in general is working crazy. Can I put the windows 98
installer CD in and have it replace or place things back in order
without having to reinstall all my drivers and programs. In other
words is there a way to clean and repair problems without having to
redo the whole hard drive? Is there a utility in windows I could try
to run and hopefully fix things?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Well for starters my volume control is gone from my system tray. And a
search for sndvol32.exe shows it is gone when I do a find for it.
I am trying to install AOL 9 and it tells me it can't because acsd.exe
is not found or is aolacsd.exe either. My AOL 7 already installed
keeps starting up without me initiating it.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Gary thanks for the input I posted to another group too to get a
second opinion and resolved the volume control vanishing from their
instructions dealing with the add remove control panel. I still need
to figure out the AOL 9 installation error. I went online and found a
lot about the acs files being related to ad ware. Not sure what is
going on and if it's not there why AOL would not install the files
from there installer disc if it is in an AOL folder in the commons
file folder in the programs folder. I was hoping I could just find a
place online to download that exe application(?) file and then drag it
to the acs folder and then complete the install.

The problem isn't as simple as you think. I would suggest the same as
someone else suggested in the other thread. Uninstall ALL AOL components and
then try installing the version you want. Or, take it up with an AOL forum.
Not going to find too many AOL users in these Win98 groups.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"DJW" wrote in message
oups.com...
Gary thanks for the input I posted to another group too to get a
second opinion and resolved the volume control vanishing from their
instructions dealing with the add remove control panel. I still need
to figure out the AOL 9 installation error. I went online and found a
lot about the acs files being related to ad ware. Not sure what is
going on and if it's not there why AOL would not install the files
from there installer disc if it is in an AOL folder in the commons
file folder in the programs folder. I was hoping I could just find a
place online to download that exe application(?) file and then drag it
to the acs folder and then complete the install.