Win 98SE "Repair" Install?

Because I need to use some peripherals that won't work with Win XP (e.g., no drivers), I need to try to reinstall Windows 98SE to a machine which had a HD failure. (AMD Athlon 1.8 mhz, 512 mb RAM, 120 gb HD)

Since W98SE is no longer supported by M$, and in order to try to preserve the W98SE updates from M$, I've cloned another HD from a (much slower) working PC which has 98SE on it (with all the updates available before M$ pulled the plug) and have attempted to restore the original computer.

After the expected jillion or so reboots for Win to find the new hardware and install it, I've had something go wrong with regards to being able to change the monitor resolution. Whenever I select "settings" (to change from the default 640 x 480 VGA), the system immediately crashes to a blank screen. For a few of the earlier "reboots" after installing the proper drivers, I could access the other monitor resolutions, but one reboot for some other PnP install reverted back to 640 x 480. Attempts to reinstall both the video drivers and the monitor drivers have not resolved this problem.

When I reboot now, Windows tells me it has found an "unknown device" which it then id's as a "PCI Communications Device," tells me it can't find a proper driver, and for me to provide one. I haven't a CLUE as to what this device is, since everything else on the m/b, etc., seems to be accounted for as far as installation. This is probably a strong hint as to what my problem is, but I can't resolve it--so far.

The only next step I can come up with is to begin a re-install from the W98SE CD as I originally die when I built this machine, but I'm fearful I'll lose all the security upgrades, etc. and be unable to get them from M$ again. Starting the process of a reinstall (as if I were installing over a previous OS), I'm offered the option to save my previous OS (which is W98SE because of the cloning) which might save some of these updates and patches, but I can't be sure.

Anyone have any ideas or experience about such a "repair" reinstallation of W98SE? IS there such a possibility? Will it work or will I be back to a "square one" unpatched OS?

No, a "repair" install won't likely fix anything and will likely only make
things worse. It tends to overwrite newer files (like updates) with original
versions. You end up in DLL Hell, at the very least.

Try deleting the entire ENUM key from the Registry (HKLM\ENUM), which is
where hardware device info is actually stored, and then redetect all devices
and install them properly. (Biggest headache with this method is to get the
video drivers reinstalled.) make certain that you really have all the
correct drivers on hand, first. (Use Everest or Aida to positively identify
hardware.)

Or, you could do a fresh install and get all the Updates that were ever
provided by MS straight from Windows Updates (after first installing
IE6SP1). Where did you ever get the idea that the Updates were no longer
possible to obtain? From the same mindset that has you referring to MS as
M$?

--

Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User



"CobraPilot" wrote in message
...

Because I need to use some peripherals that won't work with Win XP
(e.g., no drivers), I need to try to reinstall Windows 98SE to a
machine which had a HD failure. (AMD Athlon 1.8 mhz, 512 mb RAM, 120 gb
HD)

Since W98SE is no longer supported by M$, and in order to try to
preserve the W98SE updates from M$, I've cloned another HD from a (much
slower) working PC which has 98SE on it (with all the updates available
before M$ pulled the plug) and have attempted to restore the original
computer.

After the expected jillion or so reboots for Win to find the new
hardware and install it, I've had something go wrong with regards to
being able to change the monitor resolution. Whenever I select
"settings" (to change from the default 640 x 480 VGA), the system
immediately crashes to a blank screen. For a few of the earlier
"reboots" after installing the proper drivers, I could access the other
monitor resolutions, but one reboot for some other PnP install reverted
back to 640 x 480. Attempts to reinstall both the video drivers and the
monitor drivers have not resolved this problem.

When I reboot now, Windows tells me it has found an "unknown device"
which it then id's as a "PCI Communications Device," tells me it can't
find a proper driver, and for me to provide one. I haven't a CLUE as to
what this device is, since everything else on the m/b, etc., seems to be
accounted for as far as installation. This is probably a strong hint as
to what my problem is, but I can't resolve it--so far.

The only next step I can come up with is to begin a re-install from the
W98SE CD as I originally die when I built this machine, but I'm fearful
I'll lose all the security upgrades, etc. and be unable to get them
from M$ again. Starting the process of a reinstall (as if I were
installing over a previous OS), I'm offered the option to save my
previous OS (which is W98SE because of the cloning) which might save
some of these updates and patches, but I can't be sure.

Anyone have any ideas or experience about such a "repair"
reinstallation of W98SE? IS there such a possibility? Will it work or
will I be back to a "square one" unpatched OS?




--
CobraPilot

"CobraPilot" wrote in message
...

After the expected jillion or so reboots for Win to find the new
hardware and install it, I've had something go wrong with regards to
being able to change the monitor resolution. Whenever I select
"settings" (to change from the default 640 x 480 VGA), the system
immediately crashes to a blank screen. . . .

So long as you can boot Windows in Safe Mode
(and know the location of the necessary drivers for
1. Display Adapter (video card)
2. Monitor)
go to System Manager, delete these two devices,
reboot, and follow the prompts to reinstal them
with the correct drivers.

Your problem may be that the Registry now combines
elements from your PC with elements from the other you copied.

When I reboot now, Windows tells me it has found an "unknown device"
which it then id's as a "PCI Communications Device," tells me it can't
find a proper driver, and for me to provide one. I haven't a CLUE as to
what this device is, since everything else on the m/b, etc., seems to be
accounted for as far as installation. This is probably a strong hint as
to what my problem is, but I can't resolve it--so far.

"Communications" tells you this is probably the modem.
Standard cure is the same as above: remove via System
Manager, reboot, follow the prompts to instal correct drivers.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Originally Posted by Gary S. Terhune

No, a "repair" install won't likely fix anything and will likely only make
things worse. It tends to overwrite newer files (like updates) with original
versions. You end up in DLL Hell, at the very least.

Try deleting the entire ENUM key from the Registry (HKLM\ENUM), which is
where hardware device info is actually stored, and then redetect all devices
and install them properly. (Biggest headache with this method is to get the
video drivers reinstalled.) make certain that you really have all the
correct drivers on hand, first. (Use Everest or Aida to positively identify
hardware.)

Or, you could do a fresh install and get all the Updates that were ever
provided by MS straight from Windows Updates (after first installing
IE6SP1). Where did you ever get the idea that the Updates were no longer
possible to obtain? From the same mindset that has you referring to MS as
M$?

--

Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User



"CobraPilot" wrote in message
...

Because I need to use some peripherals that won't work with Win XP
(e.g., no drivers), I need to try to reinstall Windows 98SE to a
machine which had a HD failure. (AMD Athlon 1.8 mhz, 512 mb RAM, 120 gb
HD)

Since W98SE is no longer supported by M$, and in order to try to
preserve the W98SE updates from M$, I've cloned another HD from a (much
slower) working PC which has 98SE on it (with all the updates available
before M$ pulled the plug) and have attempted to restore the original
computer.

After the expected jillion or so reboots for Win to find the new
hardware and install it, I've had something go wrong with regards to
being able to change the monitor resolution. Whenever I select
"settings" (to change from the default 640 x 480 VGA), the system
immediately crashes to a blank screen. For a few of the earlier
"reboots" after installing the proper drivers, I could access the other
monitor resolutions, but one reboot for some other PnP install reverted
back to 640 x 480. Attempts to reinstall both the video drivers and the
monitor drivers have not resolved this problem.

When I reboot now, Windows tells me it has found an "unknown device"
which it then id's as a "PCI Communications Device," tells me it can't
find a proper driver, and for me to provide one. I haven't a CLUE as to
what this device is, since everything else on the m/b, etc., seems to be
accounted for as far as installation. This is probably a strong hint as
to what my problem is, but I can't resolve it--so far.

The only next step I can come up with is to begin a re-install from the
W98SE CD as I originally die when I built this machine, but I'm fearful
I'll lose all the security upgrades, etc. and be unable to get them
from M$ again. Starting the process of a reinstall (as if I were
installing over a previous OS), I'm offered the option to save my
previous OS (which is W98SE because of the cloning) which might save
some of these updates and patches, but I can't be sure.

Anyone have any ideas or experience about such a "repair"
reinstallation of W98SE? IS there such a possibility? Will it work or
will I be back to a "square one" unpatched OS?

--
CobraPilot

To: Gary S. Terhune

I obviously "overestimated" and misunderstood what Microsoft meant when it stopped providing updates to Win 98 in July. As some others have perhaps more tactfully pointed out, previous updates are still available and evidently will remain so for awhile, which is good news.

After the FIFTH deletion and reinstall of the video driver software, I finally was able to access the various resolution settings, which solves a lot of my problem. Why the first four were unsuccessful may or may not be related to my comments in the next paragraph.

As to "why M$": It's not a "mindset", it's the school of Hard Knocks/Experience. For over 20 years, I've watched M$ use its near-monopolistic position to squash competition, produce half-baked buggy software full of security holes big enough to drive an aircraft carrier through, issue patches that cause more problems than they solve, "misrepresent" release dates (which NO ONE takes seriously anymore) about the "next big thing," etc., etc., all the while using its near-monopolistic position to charge high prices for beta-quality software.

Need I go on?

My next home-built will be a Linux box, and then it'll be "AMF" to M$.
_______

To Don Phillipson:

Thanks for the insights and suggestions.

While Windows DOES now ID the missing driver as being related to the WAVE aspect of the voicemodem, when I point to the proper .inf file for that modem on the CD drivers/install disc for that modem, Windows refuses to accept anything as a valid .inf file. As I mentioned above, it took me FIVE reinstalls of the video drivers to finally solve the problem, so maybe I just need to keep trying.

However, in the case of the video problems, Windows DID recognize the drivers via the .inf files, tried to install everything properly, and seemed to do so. For the modem, I'm told that "Windows was unable to find the appropriate software," or words to that effect.

My next step may be to remove that modem entirely and install another one and start from scratch.