My aunty owns Microsoft Windows 98 according to the boot up image and Windows 98SE according to System Properties. I installed a few programs (PCMedik, Spybot, Adobe Reader 6, Spyware Blaster, nVidia 44.03 graphics drivers, Internet Explorer 6.1, WinZip 8.1 SR-1, X-Setup, DirectX9.0b, Jv Power Tools and RegSeeker. I uninstalled a few games and got rid of their entries in the registry. I uninstalled eAnthology with Stop sign and other stuff and got rid of its registry entries (because Spybot said it was [bad]. I ran PCMedik first for Windows 98SE (Heal & Boost), reset, used Registry Cleaner in Jv Power Tools then RegSeeker. I also changed a few BIOS settings, Video Ram Cacheable and others like that. Now her CD-ROM (Drive D:) doesn't show up in My Computer and she get continuous errors every few minutes that a program has used a more recent file from the windows directory then the one located there. To make matters worse, she’s changed and lost his internet password. When I let Windows automatically search for new hardware, it finds nothing. After installing and uninstalling products (written about above), I also noticed that when I went to System Properties -> Performance – The following information is here: Memory: 320.0 MB of RAM System Resources: 86% free File System: Some Drives are using MS-DOS compatibility Virtual Memory: MS-DOS compatibility mode Disk Compression: Not Installed PC Cards (PCMCIA): No PC Card sockets are installed. Select and item, and then click Details for more information. |Compatibility-mode paging reduces overall system performance. | |Drive C is using MS-DOS compatibility mode file system. | | | Details for the first box item are: Compatibility mode paging reduces overall system performance: Windows was unable to identify a real-mode driver or memory-resident program loaded in your Config.sys or Autoexec.bat file. You will see another message that lists the name of the driver or program causing the problem. Because Windows could not identify the driver or program, it has switched to MS-DOS compatibility mode to ensure the program will run. However, this decreases overall performance. To improve performance, remove the program or driver causing the problem, or contact its manufacturer for an upgraded version. Details for the second box item are: Drive X is using an MS-DOS compatibility mode file system. This problem often occurs on more than one drive. Usually it is caused by a driver listed in the Config.sys file that Windows does not recognize and that is related to the message Compatibility mode paging reduces overall system performance. If you see both messages, see the Help for the Compatibility mode paging reduces overall system performance message first. If you only see the message Drive X is using an MS-DOS compatibility mode file system on one drive, that drive is using an MS-DOS compatibility (real-mode) driver, which may reduce that drive’s performance. Contact your hardware manufacturer to see if an updated driver is available for your drive. If not, the drive’s performance may be less than optimal, but you can still use it. The I checked config.sys, this is what is in it: DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.exe Then I went to Himem.sys (Near the end of the file): Windows XMS Driver Version 3.95 Extended Memory Specification (XMS) Version 3.0 Copyright 1988-1995 Microsoft Corp. $ Shadow RAM disabled.$< WARNING: Shadow RAM disable not supported on this system.$7 WARNING: Shadow RAM is in use and can"t be disabled.$3 ERROR: HIMEM.SYS requires MS-DOS 3.00 or higher.$: ERROR: An Extended Memory Manager is already installed.$4 ERROR: HIMEM.SYS requires an 80x86-based machine.$1 ERROR: No available extended memory was found.$% ERROR: Unable to control A20 line!$3 ERROR: VDISK memory allocator already installed.$( XMS Driver not installed. $ $$ extended memory handles available.$ Minimum HMA size set to $ K.$ Installed A20 handler number $ .$" Installed external A20 handler.$8 WARNING: The High Memory Area (HMA) is unavailable. $/ WARNING: The A20 Line was already enabled. $' WARNING: Invalid parameter ignored: $/ 64K High Memory Area (HMA) is available. $& HIMEM is testing extended memory...$ done. $B ERROR: HIMEM.SYS has detected unreliable XMS memory at address $5To continue starting your computer, press ENTER. $6This program is the property of Microsoft Corporation.4½ ïþ ? ENUNS‡ And I also checked Emm386.exe (Near the end of the file): EMM386/Windows interface failure. EMM386 will remain off. $0reBoot .ContinueO EMM386 has detected error #xx in an application at memory address xxxx:xxxx.¤ To minimize the chance of data loss, EMM386 has halted your computer. For more information, consult your documentation. To restart your computer, press ENTER.r EMM386 DMA buffer is too small. Add D=xx to your EMM386 linein CONFIG.SYS. If you do not have a EMM386 line, }consult your documentation for help on installing EMM386, When your machine restarts, press F5 or F8 to bypass this error. h EMM386 Privileged operation error # xx - Deactivate EMM386 and Continue (C) or reBoot (B) (C or B) ? 9 EMM386: DMA mode not supported. Press ENTER to reboot.N EMM386: Unrecoverable privileged operation error #xx - press ENTER to rebootP EMM386: Unable to start Enhanced Mode Windows due to base memory back fill. $j EMM386: Unable to start Enhanced Mode Windows due to invalid path specification for EMM386. $ Press any key when ready... 1EMM386 not installed - incorrect DOS version. W Windows Expanded Memory Driver Version 4.95 Copyright 1988-1995 Microsoft Corp. 4 Available expanded memory . . . . . . . . %1KB *Expanded memory services unavailable. 3 LIM/EMS version . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.0 1 Total expanded memory pages . . . . . . . %1 1 Available expanded memory pages . . . . . %1 1 Total handles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . %1 1 Active handles . . . . . . . . . . . . . %1 5 Page frame segment . . . . . . . . . . . NONE 5 Page frame segment . . . . . . . . . . . %1 H 4 Total upper memory available . . . . . . %1 KB 4 Largest Upper Memory Block available . . %1 KB 5 Upper memory starting address . . . . . . %1 H "EMM386 successfully installed. EMM386 Active. EMM386 Inactive. XEMM386 Inactive. Expanded memory data is inaccessible until EMM386 is re-activated. EMM386 is in Auto mode. (Weitek Coprocessor support is enabled. )Weitek Coprocessor support is disabled. DWeitek Coprocessor is inaccessible until EMM386 is re-activated. Invalid parameter specified. 4[HMAon] is an invalid parameter on this machine. 0Insufficient memory for UMBs or virtual HMA. #Page Frame Base Address adjusted. $Mapping Register Address adjusted. (Size of expanded memory pool adjusted. :WARNING: Option ROM or RAM detected within page frame. CWARNING: EMM386 installed without a LIM 3.2 compatible Page Frame +WARNING: User specified ranges overlap. .WARNING: Weitek Coprocessor not installed. /EMM386 not installed - insufficient memory. 1EMM386 not installed - incorrect DOS version. 2EMM386 not installed - incorrect machine type. AEMM386 not installed - unable to set page frame base address. EMM386 already installed. 3EMM386 not installed - XMS manager not present. GWARNING: This version of HIMEM.SYS may cause conflicts with EMM386. BEMM386 not installed - other expanded memory manager detected. EMM386 driver not installed. EMM386 Active. EMM386 Inactive. DExpanded memory data is inaccessible until EMM386 is re-activated. EMM386 is in Auto mode. Unable to activate EMM386. UUnable to de-activate EMM386 as UMBs are being provided and/or EMS is being used. &Unable to place EMM386 in Auto mode. (Weitek Coprocessor support is enabled. )Weitek Coprocessor support is disabled. -Unable to enable Weitek Coprocessor support .Unable to disable Weitek Coprocessor support #Weitek Coprocessor not installed. BWeitek Coprocessor is inaccessible until EMM386 is re-activated. 3Turns on or off EMM386 expanded memory support. +EMM386 [ON | OFF | AUTO] [W=ON | W=OFF] H ON | OFF | AUTO Activates or suspends EMM386.exe device driver, 3 or places it in auto mode. D W=ON | OFF Turns on or off Weitek coprocessor support. GUnable to turn EMM386 ON - protected mode software already running. Invalid parameter - %1 CEMM386 not installed - protected mode software already running. 0EMM386 not installed - User requested abort. In config.sys, I took out the line referring to emm368, nothing different after reboot. I don't think I should take out HIMEM. Please help me fixing up the CD-ROM problem and this MS-DOS compatibility problem.

Hi Nate In Device Manager, is there a yellow ! next to hard disk controllers ? If yes, then run REGEDIT and go to... HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\SERVICES\VXD\IOS Look on right hand screen for NOIDE and delete it, if you find it there. Krystyna

Why not undertake an over-the-top install of W98 ??

There used to be a yellow exclamation mark next to the mdoem but i removed it from the menu in the hope of a new install. I can't use the CD-ROM Drive so how am I suppoesed to install it again?