Hi
Before you try to reinstall Windows98 fresh (CleanInstall), or Windows98 over Windows98 (And if you do,let me know, I do it every few months to keep my hard drive clean and running right) you told me that you have Win98, and i am very good at (re)installing it as i said, i have done it many times, you do have a Windows98 CD, don't you? if you don't, you need to borrow one from somebody, or better get hold of a Windows2000 or WinXP CD, I have Win98SE so I don't Know anything about Win2000 or WinXp, but i do know that they are very easy to install, all that you have to do
is put the cd on the cd rom drive, turn the computer off and then back on and follow the promps or instructions, you do need the cd key or serial number, of course, it should be on the cd case somewhere.
Installing Windows over Windows, sometimes fixes problems
and will preserve your programs in other words it won't erase your hard drive so you get to keep all your programs and everything else in your hard drive, but does
fix some problems sometimes.
A fresh Windows reinstall fixes all problems, but you loose all the programs and everything else that you have in your hard drive, INCLUDING ALL YOUR HARDWARE DRIVERS: VIDEO DRIVERS, SOUND DRIVERS, MODEM DRIVERS, PRINTER DRIVER, CD(R)DRIVER AND OTHER DRIVERS THAT YOUR PC NOW HAS AND NEEDS.
SO IF YOU DO A FRESH WIN98 INSTALL MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE INSTALLATION CDS FOR ALL YOUR HARDWARE (MODEM, CD ROM, PRINTER, MONITOR AND OTHERS INCLUDING SOUND DRIVER)
If you are not too sure let me know, there are a few programs that will make copies of all the drivers installed in your computer and put them anywhere where you choose in your computer, like desktop or C:\ or Program Files or where ever you want, and then you need to burn them on a cd for safekeeping using a cd/r drive (CD BURNER) and that way after you reinstall windows you can restore those drivers using the cd, when the computer
asks for those drivers.
One of those programs is called "Driver Detective" you can find it on the Internet using a search engine such as
GOOGLE or ALTAVISTA or some other.
Another of those programs is called "WinDriver Expert" again look for it, download it somewhere, installed, run it, and it will automatically back up your drivers, where
you choose to in the computer and then copy them to a cd
using your cd/r rom.
One of the best is called "WinDriversBackup" use this one
or "WinDriver Expert".
That's enough of that, you might not need to reinstall windows at all, maybe the problem can be fixed, if there is a program(s) or file(s) associated or connected with the problem (The stuff that you seen on the screen) if the program is running, check by pressing the CTRL and the ALT and DELETE keys at the same time and you will see
which programs are running and when you find the program
click on it (highlight it) and then press end task, some times you have to try a few times and or wait a few seconds before the program will stop, once is stopped, then you can erase it if you know where it is, if not then you can't, after you erase it then you need to restart the computer.
If you still have problems it might help to find, download, install, run and use the following programs one at a time, make sure that everytime after you install one of them restart the computer use the program then restart
the computer again and do the same for or with all of them, here is the list of programs that you might need to use (ONE AT A TIME).
AdAware
SpyBot
X-Cleaner
EasyCleaner
RegCleaner
HDValet
They are all FREEWARE so you don't have to pay nothing for them and they are all very very good (THE BEST)
They Automatically (Almost) fix many PC problems.
Look for them, using GOOGLE, www.google.com and type the name of the program in the space provided, download, install and use them.
If you want to know and or stop any or all programs and or processes that are running in your computer download and use a FREEWARE program called "EndItAll" or another one called "StopIt".
TRY THESE THINGS, IF THEY DON'T HELP, (BUT THEY MIGHT) then you might consider backing up your drivers and any other programs that you want to save and keep on cd using your cd rom and then intalling windows over windows, all that you have to do is putting the windows cd on the cd rom then turn the computer off and then back on again and
sit down and wait.
That should also help, because it restores damaged system files and other things, if it does not help.
Then you need to do a clen install of windows.
WARNING IT WILL ERASE ALL FILES AND EVERYTHING IN YOUR HARD DRIVE.
AND YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE A FLOPPY STARTUP DISK BEFORE YOU REINSTALL WINDOWS98, YOU HAVE TO, IT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
LT CLICK ON MY COMPUTER, THEN PUT A FLOPPY DISK IN THE FLOPPY DRIVE, RT CLICK ON THE 3 1/2 FLOPPY ICON, THEN LT CLICK ON FORMAT, THEN WHERE IT SAYS "FORMAT TYPE" CHOOSE COPY SYSTEM FILES ONLY, AND THEN PRESS START, IF THE COMPUTER SAYS THAT THE FLOPPY NEEDS TO BE FORMATED OR IF THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE FLOPPY, FORMAT THE FLOPPY FIRST
AND THEN COPY THE SYSTEM FILES ON IT.
Any more questions? Let me know.
I don't know a lot, but i know a few things about Win98.