tmue
asked on
Win98 Registration errors after program install
null
Also, I'd take out anything you don't absolutely need to get Windows installed (ie sound card and modem) and see if it makes any difference (if so then it may be a bad driver / hardware for one of those cards).
ASKER
Dennis,
Thanks. I had the foresight to try steps 1-3 and 6 before asking for help but that didn't do any good. The BIOS steps have my curiosity. Oddly enough, I updated my BIOS just last week from the latest file downloaded from my MB's web site. The update was successful and I followed the manufacturer's instructions to the T, choosing load BIOS default before going in to change the settings back to what they should be for my system. Believe me, I have checked these settings several times to make sure they are correct. What is your reasoning on BIOS setup relative to registry errors? I'm not challenging you but want to understand how this may affect the registry. My problems do seem to coincide with the BIOS update. Before the BIOS update and Win reinstall, I would only occassionally get a registry error with an application, but never right after a program install like I do now. Something else I would like to mention, which may or may not have a connection to this problem. Since owning my computer (about a year now), I have never been able to run defrag w/o it causing at least one program to crash. Although defrag would complete w/o error, there would always be one program I would try to run afterwords and it would report some sort of error. I even disabled (end task) all programs that were active in the background before running defrag but that didn't make a difference. I'll try steps 4-7 but it pains me to do this because I have gone through most of this drill five times in the past week and now I have all my programs installed and running. I know...I asked for help and appreciate your response. Because of my work schedule, I wont get to this until tomorrow.
For jsexton: Thanks for the tip. I'll try Dennis' method first and if things don't work I'll try yours. Just to note, my system was up and running w/o major problems prior to the BIOS update.
Tom
Thanks. I had the foresight to try steps 1-3 and 6 before asking for help but that didn't do any good. The BIOS steps have my curiosity. Oddly enough, I updated my BIOS just last week from the latest file downloaded from my MB's web site. The update was successful and I followed the manufacturer's instructions to the T, choosing load BIOS default before going in to change the settings back to what they should be for my system. Believe me, I have checked these settings several times to make sure they are correct. What is your reasoning on BIOS setup relative to registry errors? I'm not challenging you but want to understand how this may affect the registry. My problems do seem to coincide with the BIOS update. Before the BIOS update and Win reinstall, I would only occassionally get a registry error with an application, but never right after a program install like I do now. Something else I would like to mention, which may or may not have a connection to this problem. Since owning my computer (about a year now), I have never been able to run defrag w/o it causing at least one program to crash. Although defrag would complete w/o error, there would always be one program I would try to run afterwords and it would report some sort of error. I even disabled (end task) all programs that were active in the background before running defrag but that didn't make a difference. I'll try steps 4-7 but it pains me to do this because I have gone through most of this drill five times in the past week and now I have all my programs installed and running. I know...I asked for help and appreciate your response. Because of my work schedule, I wont get to this until tomorrow.
For jsexton: Thanks for the tip. I'll try Dennis' method first and if things don't work I'll try yours. Just to note, my system was up and running w/o major problems prior to the BIOS update.
Tom
ASKER
Can someone explain to me technically what the command "scanreg/fix" is doing to the registry allowing me to restart Win w/o the registry error reappearing?
TM, I understand the frusteration, believe me I do, but unfortunately it's like reading all the computer industries dirty little secrets. As an example, rarely is it publicized that you should not upgrade the bios unless it: A\Corrects a known problem with the motherboard, B\ Correct a hardware compatibility issue with other hardware components, or C\Adds an enhancement that the operating system can utlize not formerly available.
While Windows 95 was dynamic in some respects, the new kernel in Win98 is entirely dynamic and interacts with the dynamic portion of the Bios. Part of this process is the preparation of the VMM32.VXD file on which your system depends. If you make a major motherboard and/or Bios change, your system will most certainly crash unless there is sufficient similarities between the old and new bios to permit Win98 to do a safe recovery.
As partially noted above, the errors you're experiencing are normally caused by CPU problems, including heat, memory module problems, bios and/or memory timing issues as well as read\write errors to and from the hard drive.
The reason for the steps posted is to factually stabilize the system by making sure primary cpu and memory timings, such as CPU voltage and speed settings are correct and that the memory and its settings are correct. It's more of a check and verify as correct procedure more than anything, as you pull the specs for the motherboard, cpu and memory and verify everything and then go onto other issues.
I understand that you may have done 1, 2, 3, and 6, but it is important from a troubleshooting point of view not to cut corners and run each step in order.
While Windows 95 was dynamic in some respects, the new kernel in Win98 is entirely dynamic and interacts with the dynamic portion of the Bios. Part of this process is the preparation of the VMM32.VXD file on which your system depends. If you make a major motherboard and/or Bios change, your system will most certainly crash unless there is sufficient similarities between the old and new bios to permit Win98 to do a safe recovery.
As partially noted above, the errors you're experiencing are normally caused by CPU problems, including heat, memory module problems, bios and/or memory timing issues as well as read\write errors to and from the hard drive.
The reason for the steps posted is to factually stabilize the system by making sure primary cpu and memory timings, such as CPU voltage and speed settings are correct and that the memory and its settings are correct. It's more of a check and verify as correct procedure more than anything, as you pull the specs for the motherboard, cpu and memory and verify everything and then go onto other issues.
I understand that you may have done 1, 2, 3, and 6, but it is important from a troubleshooting point of view not to cut corners and run each step in order.
ASKER
Dennis,
Your solution worked and now I'm back up and running. Guess I'll never know which of the steps did the fix, and I followed them all. Most likely it was clearing the CMOS by way of a jumper on my MB and then configuring the BIOS again. Another difference from previous things I had tried was that I pulled the CPU, cleaned the contacts, and reseated it per your instructions. One bug that hasn't gone away is that SFC always reports at least one corrupt file when I run it after installing Win98...and it's never the same file/files after each install session. Selecting the restore option fixes the problem. This time it was the winipcfg.exe, wsasrv.exe, pppmac.vxd, and vctp.386 files that were reported as corrupted. Should I be concerned that SFC reports a corrupted file or is it only a guess? Anyway, you got the answer. Thanks a gig.
Tom
Your solution worked and now I'm back up and running. Guess I'll never know which of the steps did the fix, and I followed them all. Most likely it was clearing the CMOS by way of a jumper on my MB and then configuring the BIOS again. Another difference from previous things I had tried was that I pulled the CPU, cleaned the contacts, and reseated it per your instructions. One bug that hasn't gone away is that SFC always reports at least one corrupt file when I run it after installing Win98...and it's never the same file/files after each install session. Selecting the restore option fixes the problem. This time it was the winipcfg.exe, wsasrv.exe, pppmac.vxd, and vctp.386 files that were reported as corrupted. Should I be concerned that SFC reports a corrupted file or is it only a guess? Anyway, you got the answer. Thanks a gig.
Tom
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ASKER
I'm adding this as a final comment to my original problem. The fix lasted two days and then I was back to having the same problems...Registry errors, program crashes, and corrupted files after running defrag. Suspecting the Motherboard, I bought a replacement (Abit BH6) and to my complete satisfaction, all my problems vanished. I have been up for three days with the new MB and no more corrupted files or registry. This is not to fault the maker of my original MB. Apparently the board was faulty when I bought my system as some of these problems occurred from the beginning. Bad chipset or CMOS? I'll never know but it's behind me now.
Glad to hear it. Sometimes motherboards can get flaky, we have that happen on occassion.
This problem could be caused by:
A. A ram module is going bad or is not fully seated in them motherboard.
B. A CPU heat problem in the closed case.
C. A bad HD sector, although I doubt it.
Try this:
1. Shut the system down and pull the case cover. Remove each memory module and clean the contacts with a pencil eraser and wipe them clean with some nail polish remover or another similar contact cleaner.
2. Check the CPU and make sure the heatsink is clean and that the fan is working properly.
3. Make sure all of the boards, cables and other components are firmly seated in the slots and connections.
4. Clear the motherboard Cmos, this may require unplugging the computer from the wall and jumpering a set of pins to do so, so check the motherboard manual.
5. Boot into the Bios setup and set it to it's default or optimal settings and save them, now reboot into the Bios setup and check each setting and make certain that memory and cpu settings are correct. Enable those settings that are relevent to your setup, such as plug and play etc.
6. Now use your Windows 98 Startup disk and boot to it. Fdisk the hard drive and remove the old partitions and create new ones. Now format the drive.
7. Now install Win98 and let me know what you find.
Dennis