Csn you guys please help me with thils win98 problem?

[Jason1974]

Hi friends

My win98 based PC has been betting various errors, for example wordpad will open, but when i try to open a file, I get "WORDPAD caused an invalid page fault in
module KERNEL32.DLL at 0177:bff7c845."

When I try to cut & paste, I get the same error, only iexplorer.....

Outlook express errored first "MSIMN caused an invalid page fault in
module DIRECTDB.DLL at 0177:5f587fd2."

I ran registry mechanic it found like 870 problems, fixed them, but the errors are still there...

Any advice would be helpful? Thanks in advance.....

 

[pawshman]

fix depends on how confident you are!

have you got a lot of info on there ?
copy any personal docs and stuff you dont want to loose.

then re-install w98 over the top, this "should" leave your system intact and fix any bugs

if not, clean re-install

also
1> have you got anti-virus
2> anti-spyware

programs installed in case something naughty has found its way in

another tip, REGULARLY, make a copy of the registry
also before you install new programs.

use the ERD utility (or do a search for it on google, its microsoft and its free)

I keep 3 generations of ERD.

sometimes reloading a previous registry can fix grmelins as well

good luck

PM

 

[pmonett]

Might be time to reinstall your Windows. How long has the system been running ?
Have you tried reinstalling OutLook Express ?
Do you have all the disks to reinstall your configuration with all the software you use ?
Do you have an AV scanner and did you run it ?
Do you have a spyware scanner ?

If no AV or spyware can be detected, and no driver updates or Windows Update patches can fix it, I would definitely suggest reinstalling the system entirely.

Pascal.

 

[Jason1974]

I'm not surprised at all that it is more than likely a case of win98 wearing out, and I need to reinstall with th 98 CD over this version...

I have spyware software, but no AV, though I did run a virus check on the symantec website, it found nothing, even the spyware scan found nothing out of the ordanary, on top of this, it is not acting like a virus, nor am I being directed to un-intended sites when I surf.

Not done nothing to windows since I got it in 99, even when I upgraded the cpu and Ram, it was running normally, so I left it alone, so it makes sense that it is wearing out....

I have the win98 CD, and and another CD "windows98 start here," I imagine that one would be for a "Clean install?"

To reinstall though, I just pop in the win98 CD, start/run...D:\setup.exe, right?

would I have to back up my syatico/DSL folder, for example what would you guys back up??

 

[edfair]

Would suggest that you put the stuff required for the reinstall on your hard drive and do the setup from there.
Cuts better than half the time off the job, and you won't need the CD when you do hardware changes.

If things are really munged it might require you to do the reinstall multiple times. My worst case was 4 times. Each one correcting some problems.

I don't normally suggest multiple "over the tops" but there are times when a fresh install is not an option. But the user in such a case is at risk because a hard drive failure will force it fresh.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[pmonett]

When I reinstalled my OS (over 300+ times with 98 in five years, 1 with XP in a year now), I put my data on a different partition and format the system partition.
That way I'm sure to get a clean install every time.

Pascal.

 

[Jason1974]

I have to be honest with you guys, my confidence level is low very low, when it come to doing stuff on the computer, if it is running good great! I'm not even sure how to back up, well, save files to dicect CD...

The thing that I do want to know is when I re-install win98 from the CD, will it write over everything: printer, or all software, will it rewrite the registry???

 

[edfair]

No, it isn't going to overwrite everything. It will overwrite any files that have the same name.

No, it isn't going to overwrite the registry.



pmonett,
I've started creating a FAT based partition at the front to contain the install stuff and put the OS on an extended logical drive. Keeps the install stuff separate, and I always have the basic system to get back to. And if I have to got to something in command line I have it available clear of the GUI. And those customers that understand the reasoning seem to like the idea.


Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[pmonett]

edfair:

I agree with you completely. My long experience in resintalling Win98 taught me to have one partition for the system, one for the applications, one for my data, and one for games.
Of course, I have to move the My Documents and Program Files folders, but that is a lot less bothersome than the Documents and Settings folder. I really hate that folder, never did manage to get it to a different partition - it stays stuck in the system partition.

Pascal.

 

[Jason1974]

Thank you for your help Ed, there is something that I do not get though, I know that putting the windows folder on the HD, takes about 174 megs, and saves time during re-installation, but, and this reveals "the green under my gills, how do I do this, what I mean, not just how, but where do I go to do this?? And is it not already on the HD, how does the re-install know, and not just write over it all?

 

[edfair]

This is what I do, but there are others that bypass some of my steps:

Boot from a 98SE boot disk (you can get one from

http://www.bootdisk.com

)

fdisk and remove all partitions then
create a primary partition <1gb
make it active
reboot with CD support

fdisk create extended partition
setup your logical drives
reboot with CD support

format c: /s
md c:\w98sein
md c:\w98sein\win98
copy e:\*.* c:\w98sein /v
copy e:\win98\*.* c:\w98sein\win98 /v
c:
cd w98sein
setup and tell it you want windows to go into d:

nothing of the windows install except the bootloader and basic bootup files will go onto C:

After all is done, put the floppy support files on c: but rename the autoexec and config to something else. If you have to reinstall you change them back to the original name long enough to boot, then change them back to the unused name so the install doesn't retain them.


Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[jimp56]

dont forget to back up the data first if you follow edfair's advice above...

to answer your question about install, if you run the setup.exe from the cdrom will windows is booted, the installer searches for any windows installs. if it finds one it attempts to "upgrade" it, which in your case means windows simply reinstalls on top of itself - retaining, data, programs, and settings.

edfair's suggestions above refer to a full, clean reinstall, meaning the disk is wiped clean and you start from scratch. this is the preferred method in your case, but since you sound unsure as to where to find your data and how to back it up, you might try the non-destructive reinstall first.

 

[edfair]

Once the initial install is in place a reinstall involves booting to the c: with config.sys and autoexec.bat active (gives himem.sys and cd drivers), renaming them again to get them out of the way, then going to C:\w98sein and running setup, making sure that windows installs in the same place.

SE is probably the best version for making in-place upgrades. (well, since 3.1) But even with it there can be problems that force multiple re-installs.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[Jason1974]

Thanks Ed, but I have no intention on clean installing win98, well, First I'll try what jimp suggested, installing win98 on top of win98, I read where it said when re-installing .... save the windows folder to the harddrive before re-installing with the CD, but where is this done? The way I read you Jimp, is it neededed?

I have win98 first edition, that is what the CD is, it came with this PC....

 

[edfair]

boot to command line and start at the first md
note that the CD will probably be at D:

 

[Jason1974]

I must say that I'm pretty confused here, i have no intention of installing anything new, I guess that I'm confused do some conflicting advice, when I search on the net for "repair or re-install win98 over win98," it says to pop the CD in D:>run>D:\setup.exe?

I drag the windows folder to C drive in windows explorer right?

 

[micker377]

No, use Windows Explorer to find the program "setup.exe" on the Win 98 CD. Highlight it, and double left click. The program should take over, just follow the on-screen directions.