Re Installing Windows95/98/Me
Why Re-Install?
Is it because Windows has stopped working?
Is Windows giving lots of general protection faults?
Is the computer running more slowly than it did yesterday or last week?
NOTE: If any of the following is beyond your skills, get really competent help, not from the boofhead next door!! Unless of course he is a really competent boofhead.
Check Your Hardware
Your hardware must be up to the task. If your hardware is unreliable or inadequate, fix that first or you are wasting your time. Windows 95 will run with 8Mb RAM and a 120Mb hard disc drive (HDD) but most of us wouldn’t bother. Windows98 needs 16Mb RAM and 850Mb of HDD. Most of us would want 32Mb RAM minimum and prefer 64Mb or more. Most of us would want 1.6Gb of HDD and prefer 4Gb or more. Remember that some older motherboards can’t see the larger HDDs and special patches are needed to get around this.
Life With Windows
We are born. We are taught things, some of which we don’t really need. We suffer illnesses and recover. We eventually kark it!
So it is with Windows. We install it. Over time, we add programs. We add a few frivolities which we sometimes regret. Eventually Windows gives a few General Protection Faults (GPFs) and a few Fatal Exceptions. We work our way round these if we can. Finally, we get sick of putting up with an unstable machine. We stab the b----r in the heart! We re-install Windows.
Attacking The Problem
Can you pinpoint the cause of the problem? Was it a new application you installed? Whatever the reason for reinstalling Windows, you should consider carefully how you are going to attack and hopefully fix the problem.
Firstly, shut down the machine and re-boot.
Then, click Start/Settings/Control Panel and open System. The right hand Tab is Performance.
If the system resources are less than 60% you have got too many things loaded into the machine at startup and you will find that as your work session progresses the machine will slow and possibly become unstable. This is the result of installing programs over time, clogging up the registry, and maybe the system tray has lots of icons showing. While you can remove programs you no longer use, this will not always cure the problem; try it and see!
Removing Programs
Removing programs the right way is important. At installation, many programs create an uninstall option in the Menu, so choose it.
If no uninstall option exists in the Menu, click Start/Settings/Control Panel and then open Add/Remove Programs. Check the Install/Uninstall list and if you find the program, click on it and choose Remove.
If you run either of these and it operates successfully, the program should be removed correctly. Sometimes a few files are left in the program’s folder – you may remove these and the folder.
When an uninstall fails you are a step nearer to re-installing Windows. Nothing is more certain than at some stage Windows will have to be re-installed.
Installing a Program or Application
To minimise the chance of an installation problem follow these rules:
Re-boot your machine.
Shut down any running applications.
Install the program. Perhaps the CD Autoruns the Install.
If not, Open Windows Explorer.
Find the Setup file for the program and run the installation.
When the installation finishes, re-boot your machine.
Installing Windows
Option 1
Run Windows Setup from the CD and re-install over the top of the old version. This is a temporary fix at best and will sometimes revive a very sick Windows. This is all you have to do, however the problem with this fix is that the old initialisation files are retained and with them the old faults. So it really only puts off the inevitable. Suck it and see !!
Option 2
Renaming the Windows and Program Files folders and re-installation is the best fix. A small hard disc will make this more difficult. If you have 1Gb or more free then you should have no problem; if you have less than 200Mb free you will find the going difficult. You will probably need a boot disc with the CDROM drivers.
Option 3
Re-formatting the hard disc and re-installing is drastic but sometimes necessary. Careful backing up of your data before you start is vital and is not simple. Many little things can be tucked away so they get missed and then they are gone when you format the HDD. You should only use this option if you can’t avoid it. One reason could be if you wanted to change from the old FAT system to FAT32. You must have a boot disc with the CDROM drivers.
Careful preparation is vital
If you are really lucky you may have a boot disc in the box that came with the computer. If you don’t have a boot disc with the CD driver files you will need one. If Windows will still run, make a boot disc, otherwise make one on a friend’s machine.
Creating a Boot Disc
There are lots of ways to do this. The easiest is using a machine running the version of Windows you want to use. The Startup Disc option in Add/Remove Programs will create a very smart boot disc. Add format.com to the contents; you will find format.com in the C:\Windows\Command folder. Check that the disc works properly. Re-set the BIOS to boot from the floppy disc first, then the HDD. Now boot with the floppy disc. Check that your CDROM is working – if not you must fix this.
Command Lines
When you boot from a floppy disc you are confronted with the unfriendly flashing cursor. Communication with the computer is achieved with commands typed in.
Command lines are typed in capitals and at the end of the line you must press the Enter key.
The ^ in the command lines indicates a space so type a space here, not the ^. Don’t put in any extra spaces. If you get the entries right there should be no error messages.
Drivers
Before you do anything you must have all the necessary drivers, either on CD, floppy or in their initial state on the HDD so they can be installed as you need them. Some drivers come with Windows but you may need drivers for the following:
Motherboard, usually .inf upgrades, on a CD that
came with the motherboard
Video Card, sometimes part of the motherboard
Sound Card, sometimes part of the motherboard
Printer
Scanner
Modem
SCSI devices (If you have a SCSI CDROM be very careful !!)
Other devices
Motherboards made after the date of your Windows version, require updates for the chipset on the board (e.g. Windows98 and a 1999 motherboard). These are usually supplied on a CD with the motherboard.
Software
Make sure you have the originals for all your software.
The Option 2 Process
If the following information is too hard, get help!!
Usually Windows will run well enough to allow renaming and copying of folders and files using Windows Explorer. If it won't run in Normal mode, try Safe mode. The following assumes Windows98, the CDROM drive is E: and Windows is installed in C:\Windows. If you are short of hard disc space, get rid of old program folders and their contents which you don’t need. Do not remove any of the following:
The current Windows folder or contents
The Program Files folder or contents
The My Documents folder or any other data folders
Files in the root of C:
If you have an IDE CDROM you should not need either an Autoexec.bat or Config.sys in the root of C:.
Rename them to Autoexec.bbb and Config.sss then, if you need them later they are still there. Sometimes drivers need to be loaded for special devices by these files and you can add these after the installation of Windows.
Assuming you have plenty of space, create a folder on the C: drive called Utils with a sub-folder called Win98 and copy the contents of the Win98 folder of your Windows98 CD to C:\Utils\Win98. This is a collection of .cab files and other necessities.
After the copying is complete, re-boot to the BIOS
Re-set the BIOS to boot from the floppy disc first, then the HDD
Turn off the boot sector Virus protector
Save the BIOS settings
Boot with the Boot disc
Now type in these commands:
C:
CD\
REN^WINDOWS^OLDWIN
REN^PROGRA~1^OLDPROGS
REN^OLDWIN\WIN.COM^OLDWIN\WIN.CCC
If all this went correctly, you should have no Program Files folder, no Windows folder, and no Win.com which the Windows Setup program will interpret as an operating system and stop Windows installing!
Remove the boot disc and type in these commands:
CD^\UTILS\WIN98
SETUP
(Now skip Option 3 and go to The Final Stages)
The Option 3 Process
If the following information is too hard, get help!!
Re-set the BIOS to boot from the floppy disc first,
then the HDD
Turn off the boot sector Virus protector
Boot with the Boot disc and check that your CDROM is working
FDISK the HDD, partitioning if you must; generally partitioning is not needed
Re-boot with the Boot disc and format C: with the system files
Type in the following command line.
(Remember! Command lines are typed in capitals and at the end of the line you must press the Enter key. The ^ in the command lines indicates a space. Don’t put in any extra spaces.)
FORMAT^C:^/S
When this is done, don’t bother naming the HDD.
Now some folder creation and copying. This assumes Windows98 and the CDROM drive is E:
Type in the following command lines.
C:
MD^UTILS
MD^UTILS\WIN98
COPY^E:\WIN98\.^C:\UTILS\WIN98
Note that the full stop after E:\WIN98\. must be typed in to copy all the files.
After the copying is complete, remove the Boot disc and CD. Now the final commands:
CD^\UTILS\WIN98
SETUP
The Final Stages
Don’t forget to reset the BIOS to boot from the HDD first. Disable other boot options. Turn the boot sector Virus protector back on.
Your installation should proceed normally from here. A fresh registry and all the other initialisation files will be created.
Now install the following, re-booting between each is safest:
Motherboard .inf upgrades
Video driver
Sound card driver
Modem driver
any other vital device drivers
Then, click Start/Settings/Control Panel and open System. The second Tab is Device Manager. Check for any problems indicated and fix them if you can.
Now install your software re-booting after each install. You can install over the old version if you wish. You may need to move the old version back to its original folder first, but you almost always must re-install over the top of it. Often this will retain your old settings.
Other Comments
If you do not delete your Windows and Program Files folders, but rename them as suggested, all the information contained in these folders prior to re-installation is retained and can be recovered.
Your Favourites folder, for example, is in the OldWin folder so you can copy its contents into your new Favourites folder, and so on. Your old Dialup Networking details can be recovered but it may be easier to recreate your internet account. All your email can be imported from your OldWin folder … and so on.
Putting the Windows installation folder - the cabinet files - on the hard disc uses up some space but there are two major benefits. Firstly, Windows installation is quick and can be repeated whenever you like. Secondly, whenever an installation needs the Windows CDROM files, you will not be asked to insert the Windows CD; it knows where the files are located! Occasionally it may forget but just point/navigate to the folder and all will be well.
In the Utils folder in the C: drive, create a sub-folder Drivers to keep the Win98 folder company. When you install a piece of hardware, store its driver software on your hard drive too.
Don't worry about using too much space; hardware support software packages often require an entire CD, but the actual driver installation folder (generally labelled Win98) is usually small.
C:\Utils\Drivers would need sub-folders for your modem, sound card and so on; say C:\Utils\Drivers\Modem and C:\Utils\Drivers\Sound etc.
Creating a folder for your drivers makes hardware redetection and reinstallation much simpler. Whenever Windows wants a driver, select the Have Disk option. Click Browse and navigate to the folder containing your driver.