Add New Hardware not showing anything for flash drive

Been trying for a while to get a flash drive to work on my old Win 98
PC. I found a drive made by CRS Electronics in China that the box said
would run under Windows 98. So I downloaded the driver, unzipped the
RAR file, which created a folder called Win 98 Driver. However, in this
folder was another RAR file, which I also unzipped, getting a msg
"broken header file". I downloaded the driver 3 separate times
(deleting the originals) and got the same msg each time. WinRAR was
unable to repair the file. Emails to the company were returned. So I
took the drive back. Was there anything else I could have done?

Then I buy a flash drive from Sony. Dependable name, I figure. I
download the driver to my desktop, stick the flash drive in the USB
port, reboot the machine, and... nothing. It does NOT recognize any new
hardware.

So I go to Add New Hardware from the control panel. It doesn't find
anything. So then I use the option to find it myself from the list. But
I don't know what hardware type I'm looking for. I have nothing in my
list that says 'USB devices', 'Flash drivers' or 'Mass storage
devices'.

So what do I do now?

"bo" wrote in message
oups.com...
Been trying for a while to get a flash drive to work on my old Win 98
PC. I found a drive made by CRS Electronics in China that the box said
would run under Windows 98. So I downloaded the driver, unzipped the
RAR file, which created a folder called Win 98 Driver. However, in this
folder was another RAR file, which I also unzipped, getting a msg
"broken header file". I downloaded the driver 3 separate times
(deleting the originals) and got the same msg each time. WinRAR was
unable to repair the file. Emails to the company were returned. So I
took the drive back. Was there anything else I could have done?

Then I buy a flash drive from Sony. Dependable name, I figure. I
download the driver to my desktop, stick the flash drive in the USB
port, reboot the machine, and... nothing. It does NOT recognize any new
hardware.

So I go to Add New Hardware from the control panel. It doesn't find
anything. So then I use the option to find it myself from the list. But
I don't know what hardware type I'm looking for. I have nothing in my
list that says 'USB devices', 'Flash drivers' or 'Mass storage
devices'.

So what do I do now?

An upgrade to Win 98SE is your wisest and least stressful course of action.

..I know that Windows 98 has some difficulties with USB devices, but at
the same time I know (from casual surfing) that many, many people with
98 basic have been able to use flash drives on their PC. I'd simply
like to be among that group.

In ups.com,
bo had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

.I know that Windows 98 has some difficulties with USB devices, but at
the same time I know (from casual surfing) that many, many people with
98 basic have been able to use flash drives on their PC. I'd simply
like to be among that group.

A rather HUGE topic/thread starting in the middle of October of this year
(so it should still be easily seen and found) will likely guide you in the
right direction. (In other words, I'd not use the Sony drivers.)

--
Galen - MS MVP - Windows (Shell/User & IE)
http://dts-l.org/ http://kgiii.info/

"Chance has put in our way a most singular and whimsical problem, and
its solution is its own reward." - Sherlock Holmes

Galen wrote:
A rather HUGE topic/thread starting in the middle of October of this year
(so it should still be easily seen and found) will likely guide you in the
right direction. (In other words, I'd not use the Sony drivers.)


I see the thread, but can find no real relevant help. The generic
drivers in the thread are for 98 SE, which I do not have. And I see
nothing about getting USB mass storage devices into Device Manager
(which I assume would be necessary for Windows detection).

"bo" wrote in message
ups.com...

I see the thread, but can find no real relevant help. The generic
drivers in the thread are for 98 SE, which I do not have. And I see
nothing about getting USB mass storage devices into Device Manager
(which I assume would be necessary for Windows detection).

USB version 1 was new(ish) when Win98 first went on the market;
and was rapidly superseded by USB.v.2, incorporated in Win98SE.
Perhaps it is bad luck, but most USB.v.2 gadgets are not activated
by the USB.v.1 code.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

In ups.com,
bo had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

Galen wrote:
A rather HUGE topic/thread starting in the middle of October of this
year (so it should still be easily seen and found) will likely guide
you in the right direction. (In other words, I'd not use the Sony
drivers.)


I see the thread, but can find no real relevant help. The generic
drivers in the thread are for 98 SE, which I do not have. And I see
nothing about getting USB mass storage devices into Device Manager
(which I assume would be necessary for Windows detection).

Ah - I missed the no SE bit. My bad. However, if that doesn't work (did you
give it a shot?) see he

http://www.technical-assistance.co.uk/kb/usbmsd98.php

I'm not 100% certain but the generic drivers /should/ work for 98, 98se, and
(if needed) even for ME.

--
Galen - MS MVP - Windows (Shell/User & IE)
http://dts-l.org/ http://kgiii.info/

"Chance has put in our way a most singular and whimsical problem, and
its solution is its own reward." - Sherlock Holmes

"bo" wrote in message
ups.com...

Galen wrote:
A rather HUGE topic/thread starting in the middle of October of this
year
(so it should still be easily seen and found) will likely guide you in
the
right direction. (In other words, I'd not use the Sony drivers.)


I see the thread, but can find no real relevant help. The generic
drivers in the thread are for 98 SE, which I do not have. And I see
nothing about getting USB mass storage devices into Device Manager
(which I assume would be necessary for Windows detection).

Then try the WINDOWS section here

http://www.usbman.com/Drivers%20and%20Patches.htm