Okay. I have a custom built pc. It's been an isolated, stand-alone system since day 1, never online. My version of 98SE is backed up on it's own partition, and also on disk. I.e., no other version of my OS has been run on this comp. I haven't had a history of problems; recently i did need to re-format and re-install. I read about the SP 2.1, and it sounded like a good idea. Downloaded from MajorGeeks. Which stated: from the author's website, "Uninstallation is possible from Add-Remove Programs" Cool. No harm, no foul. 1. I'm having sound problems - game starts up, has sound in the intro, but once in the game no sound. Exit the game, start again, and i have sound. Am also having some choppy sound on wav files, and Winamp will stop in mid-song. (As for Winamp, i had a stable version i was using, but now i have 5 diff versions, i don't remember the one before the re-install, so maybe that's a Winamp prob, but it keeps happening with every version i install -and i do check the tech specs for versions that support 98SE) This is unusual, this is not a problem i ever had before 2. I used to run Diskdoctor and Windoctor from the (Norton) Systemworks 2003 cd. Runs better from the cd, installing it was not a good idea (this was just before Symantec turned to the Dark side of the Force). I can't run them from cd now, the program says "your comp is missing system files required to use this program, let me install the missing files". I've been using this same disk on my comp for years -this has never happened before, ever. And a few left-click mouse functions, have a "lag-time"/pause of a few seconds before whatever function takes place. This again, is not a problem i ever had before. The only new thing that's been added to the equation is this 'Service Pack'. And when i go to the author's site, i read this: "Uninstallation needs Windows 98 SE CD-ROM. It also doesn't remove all installed files. It only reverts back half of the installed files with original 98 SE files. So, I don't recommend uninstallation of the pack, unless you are having a serious problem." (Please bear with me, i'm trying to be concise yet thorough) I'm not a novice. But i'm a bit freaked out here, 'cause now it seems i can't un-install this patch after all. And every time i run CCleaner, it gives me some kind of Registry error re Notepad.exe; then i find this much farther down in the list of changes: "Better Notepad: MetaPad 3.5 (Optional)." Well apparently my comp didn't like that. I'm not angry or blaming anyone; i understand computers, i have some experience programming but a lot more at trouble-shooting. Due to major health problems i'm currently disabled and backing up 15 gig to a series of cds to re-format and re-install was a major task. And that's why i'm a bit freaked out. (Right now i'm running Scandisk -taking forever- and then defrag) I was trained to start with the simplest solutions. Okay, remove the 1 thing that's different about the system, see if the problems persist. OH, i'm not sure if doing that will create problems. -And i guess that's what i'm asking: can i remove this?, will doing so create problems?, is removing this mean i have to do another OS re-install?, has anyone added this and then removed it, if so what did you experience? I can find some things for 98SE; but not a sound driver upgrade, (if that's even the problem). Okay, sound: VIA AC97 ("enhanced audio controller") chipset in a VIA motherboard. Cracked the case, and it appears fine. Current sound driver files: viaudio.sys, ntkern.vxd, mmdevldr.vxd, file version 5.12.01 (that's what the comp says it's using) I don't know what else to add (starting to have trouble concentrating). I would be very grateful for some assistance and information about this. Regards, Poet