W98 now hangs at startup after an HP printer error 1

[toonarmy]

W98 freezes just as the desktop icons are being "colored in". Ctrl-Alt-Del does nothing.
Tried W98 in safe mode - seemed OK and I executed a couple of programs, but when explorer was run, it initially displays OK but on moving the scroll bar up, it freezes again. You can scroll down and see what's on the C drive, but can't scroll up and see what is being displayed by explorer above the C drive on the Desktop list.
Ran scandisk, that checked out OK.
Thought it might be due to Norton Antivirus so I stopped Norton loading at startup - still freezes.
This all started when trying to reboot after a printer error (HP850 paper jam) - since when I haven't been unable to reboot.

 

[Styx]

Uninstall the printer in the Add/Remove Programs control pane; Restart your computer; re-install ther printer.

***

Update your antivirus, temporarily disable your screen saver (choose None) and scan with your anti-virus set to scan All Files. Update and scan bi-monthly.

You can scan on-line to double-check your Windows scanner at

http://housecall.antivirus.com

*** Mandatory (get a firewall of any brand) - Get free Zone Alarm personal firewall anti-hacker countermeasure from

http://www.zonelabs.com.

(not the ZA Pro demo) 'Don't let anything out to the Internet you don't know what it is.' Also please see

http://www.firewallguide.com/

for more information on why all on-line home computers should be firewall enabled.

***

Check your available resources by right-clicking My Computer; clicking Properties; Click the Performance tab. Resources available are displayed as percent there at top. Check it when you get done running the System Configuration Utility mentioned below.

Click the Start button; Run; type 'msconfig', without the quoatation marks, in the Run box and click OK; Then click the Startup tab; Uncheck anything you don't need running in the background. For reference on what's not needed running in the background in the System Configuration Utility, view this website first and print out the list:

http://www2.whidbey.net/djdenham/Running_items.htm

It's important that you print out the above mentioned list. The site provides a printer friendly link.

***

Cure Your Ills With the System File Checker
Windows 98

When you're having trouble with Windows 98--and who doesn't at some point--you might want to try a little-known utility called the System File Checker. Close all open programs and go to Run in the Start menu. Type sfc and click OK.
Check the Scan For Altered Files radio button and click Start. SFC will look for files that have been corrupted. If it finds any, you can use it to extract clean versions of the files directly from your installation disk.

Or

To start System File Checker, follow these steps:
Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, click System Information, and then click System File Checker on the Tools menu. Emachines, Celeron 600, 256 Mb RAM, 10 Gb HDD, ADSL.

 

[gargouille]

Excellent points, Styx, but use the System File Checker with caution...it doesn't know the difference between a corrupt file and an updated one...and it's up to you to tell it. See:

http://www.aumha.org/search.htm

for a guide on how to...and details on the extract process.
I say this because I used it and didn't KNOW the difference either, and paid for it.
Mistakes are lessons...but now I know...and can remember it.