how to reinstall Windows

Dear surfers,

this is my response to a thread in another newsgroup.
I do not wish to cross-link the thread to here,
as it is a newsgroup for local taste, unlike
microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion


Just for your info:

Dave wrote:
I think some of my Windows '98 files may have become corrupted
after the computer crashed.
How do I reinstall Windows '98 *but still keep* all the present
settings for 'desktop' layout and other shortcut links, ect ?
Thanks.

The "alternative way" to Windows 95/98/98SE troubleshooting:
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1. Download "http://sta.c64.org/dosprg/lfn-en.zip"
and unzip it into floppy, and make the floppy bootable ("google" for
more info).

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2. Boot to floppy, then run the lren.exe program (always) to rename
your Windows.
e.g. A:\lren.exe "C:\WINDOWS" "WKEEP"
A:\lren.exe "C:\Program Files" "PKEEP"
lren.exe is for renaming long file names.

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3. Remove the bootable floppy and reinstall Windows without formatting
your harddisk. Choose "C:\WINDOWS" as Windows folder instead of
"C:\WKEEP"

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4. Once installation completed, you should be able to start your new
Windows.
In Control Panel:System:System Properties:Virtual Memory, set the
virtual memory to drive C, and reboot.
Dont bother the Windows warning. It is not that serious.

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5. In Windows, select My Documents:View:Folder Options:View, enable
"Show all files" and disable "Hide file extensions for know file
types".

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6. Create a "restorable" version of Windows:
* In Windows, create a new folder in C, let say "C:\TEMPWIN" and copy
your current "C:\WINDOWS" and "C:\Program Files" folders into the
"C:\TEMPWIN" folder.

* Again in Windows, now open folder "C:\TEMPWIN" and rename "Windows"
to "WinOK" and "Program Files" to "ProgOK"

* Remove "C:\WinOK" and "C:\ProgOK" folders if there is any

* Cut and paste "WinOK" & "ProgOK" folders into your root directory of
C i.e. C:\
AND
delete the "C:\TEMPWIN" folder.

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7. Now you are running an "experimental" version of Windows.

Do all the fixes that you want, in your case, copy the desktop
shortcuts from "C:\WKEEP\DESKTOP" folder into "C:\WINDOWS\DESKTOP"
folder.

Do what you think works until you are happy with your experimental
Windows.

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8. If your experimental Windows crash again, do this:
* boot to the floppy disk created in step 1,

* "temporary" remove your failed Windows, by
a:\lren.exe "C:\WINDOWS" "WINDEL1"
and
a:\lren.exe "C:\Program Files" "PROGDEL1"

* put back your "OK" Windows into action, by
a:\lren.exe "C:\WinOK" "WINDOWS"
and
a:\lren.exe "C:\ProgOK" "Program Files"

* Start Windows and remove all those temporary non-working windows
folders (if there is any), i.e. "C:\WINDEL1", "C:\PROGDEL1", etc.

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9. Repeat step 6 to 7 until you are happy with a stable, working
Windows.

Once your Windows is satisfactory, create a "restorable" version of
Windows so that you dont waste time fine-tuning, as in step 6.

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10. Whenever you need to restore your Windows, just do step 8.

THE_END
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