Re-Install 98

take your win98 cd and put it in your computer. Explore it and run set up. YOu will then go through the motions or reinstalling windows but when you finish your stuff will still be there. It will then replace the files you are missing and you chould be okay. But you also should run a through scan disk before you do this to see if you have any errors on your hd. Also you will want to back up your existing files when windows prompts you to. this may not be the high tech solution but it beatsthe heck out of the alternative.

With Windows 98, you can acheive the same affect as re-installing using the System File Checker tool.

Run SFC from the run box, and check ALL files.
When you come to a corrupt or older version file, you can select to replace the file with the one from the CD.

Next, you need to use a good registry cleaner. I have used both Norton Win Doctor, and V-COM's Fix-It.
Typically, running either utility can give you another 6 - 18 months of viable operation on a 4 year old W98 install.

Unfortunately, Windows builds up a lot of junk in the registry and system files over time.
The most effective way to clean things out is to format the hard drive, and start over.

You can reduce the pain if you can mount the drive as a slave in another system.
I have had good luck 'selectively' deleteing files from the root folder, and the Windows folders.

The primary items to leave in the Windows folders are your favorites, mail, screen savers, etc.

You will still need to re-install the applications that you use, but so long as you install them to the same folder, the updates should stay in place for them.

As a side note, I save as many Windows Update files as I can to my hard drive, and burn them onto CDs. That way, I do not have toworry about re-downloading updates.

Chas

An *UPGRADE* will keep your old settings

A re-install over the old OS will not keep *all* of them. IE, if you have win98se and reinstall win98se.

BUT, with a re-install of the same OS>>>>>>>>> generally your desktop, favorites and documents will be there.

Caveat- As long as you install in the same directory AND choose not to delete your old windows files.

BUT>>>>>>>>>A new install, regardless of whether or not it is over the new os or not, has NO mercy for INSTALLED programs that rely on the registry!

This is something that can not be avoided.
The exception is programs that do not rely on the registry. These are the programs that you can copy on a disk, and run it from anywhere without installing.

Also IE will be reverted back to the version shipped with the OS.

I personally *NEVER* do an upgrade or an install over an OS unless there is a VIABLE, must have in order to get the OS to a point where I can get information of off it. But then I blow away the OS anddo a clean install. Reformat and all.

The short and sweet, Bite the bullet, Get all of your progarms together. Back everything up. Wipe it out completely and start over.

(hint- you may want to invest in ghost OR buy a 2nd drive and install win98 on it. Then hook up your original drive as a slave and then move data over)

I have tried to do the reinstall trick back in the earlier days of learning computers. Every time I tried it, same thing would happen. All of the links would be broken and software would be there, but wouldn't work till you corrected their errors.

This is solely based on my personal experience 100% of the time.

Mrafrohead

The best thing to do is wipe the drive to Zeros and repartion, format and reload, you may have viruses, registry issues and just plain old windows corruption. Make this a hard lesson learned. Always back up your downloads, photos and etc. Good Luck......What I like to do is partion my drive and drop all my downloaded and or installed programs to that particular drive if possible, most programs can load on a different partion.