Andromeda43

Published info states that Windows will create a new Restore Point every time you turn on your PC on a new calendar day. NOT so. (but Win-98 DID!) I have a little vb-script to force this action. I put it in my Startup folder for a forced Restore Point every time I reboot. Here it is: **************************************** Set SRP=GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\default:Systemrestore") CSRP=SRP.CreateRestorePoint("Hacked the registry", 0, 100) **************************************** Just copy the two lines into a notepad or wordpad document and save it with the name "Set Restore Point.vbs" and then put the file in your startup folder. That will take care of it. Every restore point will have the name "Hacked The Registry" with the time and date that it was created. Works like a champ. Cheers mate! Andromeda43

To eliminate clutter, I deleted all the i386 folders from my HD. But, if I run sfc /scannow, it asks me to insert my XP CD, which of course I can....lol It's just a cache of install .cab files. Delete it, move it to another HD or leave it alone. Doesn't make much difference one way or the other.

Using the "del" command in a batch file won't get it! "Del" will only delete files in the prescribed folder and not in nested folders which you get a lot in the Temp folder, etc. The command you need to use is "Deltree.exe". It first showed up in DOS 6.0, I think. I've been using it ever since I first became aware of it, oh those many years ago. It's probably the most powerfull command ever put into DOS, as it deletes an entire tree structure. The command line: " deltree /y C:\*.*" will erase an entire hard drive, or any other tree structure including and below the folder prescribed in the command. So be very carefull with it! It's been eliminated in XP however, so if you want to use it, you gotta put it back. In the "\windows\system32" folder, to be exact. You'll find the XPCleanup.bat file and a copy of Deltree.exe HERE. Since it's a batch file however, you can edit it to suit your own needs. But do take a look anyway. I've added a few extra folders to it for my own use to dump some unneeded cathes, etc. I put a shortcut to it in my Startup folder for a nice little cleanup every time I reboot the PC. It's also on my desktop as part of my regular maintenance procedure. Remember, "A clean computer, is a happy computer!" Good Luck, Andromeda43

Many older PC's will run XP satisfactorily if only you give it the RAM it requires. (it can be a real RAM hog) 256 is said to be a bare minimum. 512 is very good and 1 gig is 'Prima!' One key factor that most users and even some techs seem to miss is.....unload your CPU...!!!! Shut down all those redundant Services that Windows loads by default. Here's a good list to start with: ************************************* Here's my short, short list of services to disable for a stand alone PC, not on a network: From the RUN box, type in Services.msc , then maximize the window to full screen size. Then scroll down the list of services to each item on the following list and right click on an item and then click Properties. In the properties box you can Stop a running service and then set the action box to "Disable". Then Apply the change and OK the window to close it. Move down the list to the next item and repeat the process. When done, close the entire window and reboot your PC. Clip book Computer Browser Error Reporting Service Messenger Performance Logs and Alerts Portable Serial Number Remote Registry Remote Desktop Help Session Manager Routing and Remote Access Server (leave this on for a local network) Smart Card Helper System Event Notification Task Scheduler Themes Universal Plug and Play Device Host Upload Manager Web Client Windows time Wireless Zero Configuration (disable if you will never use a wireless network) Removing half the load off of your CPU, equates to an improvement in performance of 100% !!!! Now, that ain't too shabby!!! ************************************** Go through your MSCONFIG and deselect all those resource hogs that you don't need to have running all the time. Then go into the registry and get windows tweaked out to run most efficiently with your installed ram.: ********************************** Decrease Shutdown Time Cut the amount of time it takes your computer to shut down to only a few seconds. Click Start, click Run, and type regedit. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Control. Click the Control folder. Right click "WaitToKillServiceTimeout" and click Modify. Set the value to 1000 (one second). ********************************************************** Memory Performance Tweak These Settings will fine tune your systems memory management -at least 256MB of ram recommended, 512 preferred for first tweak. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ Session Manager \ Memory Management 1.DisablePagingExecutive -double click it and in the decimal put a 1 - this allows XP to keep data in memory now instead of paging sections of ram to harddrive. 2.LargeSystemCache- double click it and change the decimal to 1 -this allows XP Kernal to Run in memory improves system performance a lot. ******************************************* Thank you Shadow for the above mentioned tweaks. Just a few minutes spent doing the above tweaks can result in a much better running PC. I applied all these tweaks to my own PC and it made a BIG difference in performance. Cheers, Andromeda43

Remove the lan card Remove all power from the system. Reset the CMOS....if you can't find the reset jumpers, just remove the battery for about a half hour and then replace it and try to boot up again. Never put the lan card in slot #1 on the mobo. Try slot 3 or above. Keep us appraised as to how you're doing. Cheers, Andromeda43

NO! Unless Windows loads,,,,where ya gonna git the logic to do the downloading of the software from the network, load the network drivers, etc.???? That's why 355 people have read your post and nobody has answered it....cept me.

There are two very major topics of discussion on the internet and even right here in the LG forums. Number two is "NEVER get driver updates from Microsoft"... If the modem is still working then you don't need driver updates. If it's slowing down look elsewhere, like is your system overloaded with junk and spyware? Are all your phone line connections nice and clean and shiney? Recently I discovered that my modem has slowed way down after a severe thunder storm. But, it was still working. I tried a new modem after checking everything else and raising he** with the phone co. and that brought me back up to full speed again. In more than twenty years of working with dial up modems,,,,I've never improved the performance of one by upgrading the drivers. NEVER! Good Luck, Andromeda43

I'm terribly sorry.....no one including myself ever did give the best answer to your original question. And it's so very simple. Here's how I do it. Click Start Click Settings Click Control Panel Click System .... Now, right there on the screen in front of you is the General tab from the System folder. At the top right of that window is the Windows version information. Further down the right side is your CPU make and sometimes even the size/speed. Right below that is the amount of RAM memory that's installed in your PC. If it says some odd number like 124 megs....that means that 4 megs is being used for the on-board Video circuit. If the number is a nice round 64, 128 or 256, that means that your computer is using a discreat plug-in video card. Sorry,,,,,when I made my last post, I didn't realize that your first question had not been thoroughly answered. Cheers, Andromeda43

Only a non-tech would ask a question like that. "why upgrade instead of doing a clean install" If you have all the driver disks laying there for all the hardware in the system, then by all means do a clean install. But if you don't and want to avoid spending countless hours on the internet chasing drivers, you do an upgrade, or even several upgrades till you get to where you're going. You may wind up replacing a modem, but that's about it. This cost me nothing and I cleaned up some of my pile o' computer stuff. I charged them one peach cobbler for my time. Thanks again.

So far, I've set up several SATA hard drives on my system, which does NOT support SATA at the mobo level. I'm using the Buslink SATA controller plug-in (PCI) card. I boot up with my DOS 98/SE or ME floppy and FDISK and then format the SATA hard drive. Then load my OS. Works like a champ! I just unplug my IDE devices first to eliminate any possible conflicts. I've used Ghost Restore twice now from a bootable DVD, to reinstall my XP-pro OS to my new SATA drive. I had to RMA my first WD sata drive. Good Luck, Andromeda43

When you get an error message like, "can't create Log file" it's usually because there's already a log file on the hard drive and its locked. Either unlocking it or just deleting it would solve that problem.... But why anyone would want to keep Win 95 is absolutely Beyond me. Your first priority should be to find yourself a 98-Upgrade CD and do the upgrade. Finally, upgrading to Windows 98/Second Edition gives you much better printer and USB support. I have all the CD's here and do that upgrade every once in a while. It just takes a little time.....no big deal. I've got an old packard bell computer on my bench right now.....I added some ram, put in a larger (faster) HD, and put in a new Intel hardware modem and upgraded it to Windows 98/SE w/ Service pack. Believe it or not.....that old dog runs pretty good now. Doing upgrades is better than doing a clean install because it saves all the old hardware drivers that may be impossible to find. Good Luck, Andromeda43

Quite often (I'll resist saying "Usually" here) the ability of a system to run some piece of software or another is not the OS but the hardware itself. Some old CPU/mobo combinations are highly efficient and others are real Dogs! There are some old 98 machines still running a pentium II CPU and using only 16 megs of ram. Try playing Doom on that pooch! It would struggle with "PacMan". I've just installed XP-Pro+SP2 on an old 300mhz HP with a 20 gig ATA100 HD. It is however using 256 megs of RAM and runs pretty darn'd good. So, in so many cases, it's actually the installed hardware and not the OS that governs whether some game, etc. will run well or not. I think MS just takes it for granted that any PC still using 98 is an old, slow dog. But, that's not always the case. Good Luck, Andromeda43

Don't get crazy and complicated with something so very simple. It's just a text file. Just download the dern'd thing and put it away in the proper folder. Job done. For Windows 98 its the folder: C:\windows\ and in XP its either the folder: "c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\" or it's: "c:\WINNT\system32\drivers\etc\" it just depends on which folder name your system uses for Windows. Since it needs to be updated regularly, putting it on a reinstall CD would be counter productive. It's like last weeks AV files. Stick it on a floppy disk or data CD instead. I check the URL given, every couple of weeks for a new version of the custom Hosts file. I install the latest version for all my customers. It is after all a text file. Open it with Notepad or Wordpad and read it. You'll be amazed at some of the url's you'll find in there. If you find one that you want to go to, just delete it from the hosts file and resave the file. Then, you'll be able to go to that site without any hinderance. Be carefull though, that url was probably put in there for a very good reason. I never question mine....I just use it and thank God for the guy who spends his valuable time keeping it up to date. Good Luck, Andromeda43

All too many users who still have Windows 98 or SE think that they can run all the newest MS software on their old system. Nothing could be further from the truth. Any software written after 2000 was probably written with W2k or Xp in mind. As you've already found out, (the hard way) these new programs can often CRASH an old computer that was originally designed to run 98 and its associated software. On Win-98 don't load anything higher than Media Player 7.1. Or Office over Office 2000. If you do, you're just asking for touble. Office 2003 is buggy, and causes problems even on XP systems. Good Luck, Andromeda43

Ok, you've been to MSCONFIG, I presume. And, you've de-selected everything you don't need.......Right? OK, next step. From START, go to RUN, then type in Services.msc Maximize the window and look down the list of Services. Take note of the ones that are set to Automatic and are already running. What you need to do here is change Automatic to Disable on many of the Services. Here's a list from The Shadow's website. ************************************* Here's my short, short list of services to disable for a stand alone PC, not on a network: From the RUN box, type in Services.msc , then maximize the window to full screen size. Then scroll down the list of services to each item on the following list and right click on an item and then click Properties. In the properties box you can Stop a running service and then set the action box to "Disable". Then Apply the change and OK the window to close it. Move down the list to the next item and repeat the process. When done, close the entire window and reboot your PC. Clip book Computer Browser Error Reporting Service Messenger Performance Logs and Alerts Portable Serial Number Remote Registry Remote Desktop Help Session Manager Routing and Remote Access Server (leave this on for a local network) Smart Card Helper System Event Notification Task Scheduler Themes Universal Plug and Play Device Host Upload Manager Web Client Windows time Wireless Zero Configuration (disable if you will never use a wireless network) *********************************************** Getting un-needed services shut down can speed up your computer CONSIDERABLY! Finally: One of the worse things that slows down PC's is spyware and / or viruses. Here's another good source of info on what to get and where to get it.::: *********************************************** These are the programs I use every day to keep my own PC spotlessly clean. I suggest every person having any Virus or Spyware issues get these programs and use them immediately. Do check for updates to all your security software on a DAILY basis. SPYWARE BLOCKERS/REMOVERS: a-squared (a²) is a complementary product to antivirus software and desktop firewalls on MS Windows computers. Antivirus software specializes in detecting classic viruses. Many available products have weaknesses in detecting other malicious software (Malware) like Trojans, Dialers, Worms and Spyware (Adware). a² fills the gap that malware writers exploit. a2 FREE can be downloaded at: http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free/ Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on "Download a2 Free now" Spybot Search & Destroy, a great anti Spyware program. Can be downloaded from: http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_desc...id,22262,00.asp For instructions on how to set up Spybot for best operation, download the instruction sheet from my website. http://theshadow.members.atlantic.net AdAware SE/Personal. Another top notch anti Spyware program. Can be downloaded from: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download506.html Spyware Blaster, a great Spyware Blocker. Protects both I.E. and Mozilla Firefox. Can be downloaded from: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download2859.html ANTI-VIRUS PROTECTION: AVG 7 FREE: World famous AVG will keep your computer free of viruses, trojans, dialers, etc. By default, it updates and scans for viruses on a daily basis. Can be downloaded from: http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/ Save to your desktop and run the install from there. Immediately get updates. More than one may be required. Stinger: Stand Alone Virus Scanner Check for new version, once a week. Can be downloaded from: http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/ Save to your Desktop and run from there. vCleaner, Stand Alone Virus Checker from Grisoft. Can be downloaded from: http://www.infinitevelocity.com/tips/tips_vcleaner.htm Save to your Desktop and run from there. REGISTRY CLEANER: Easy Cleaner, the best Registry Cleaner I've found so far. Can be downloaded from: http://personal.inet.fi/business/toniarts/ecleane.htm Just scroll down to "Download & Installation" and click on the first floppy disk symbol. FIREWALL: The XP windows firewall is only a 50% firewall, blocking incoming hackers but doing nothing to stop any ET that's already on your PC from "Phoning Home". It seems like almost every program you install anymore, wants to "Phone Home". It's a good idea to NOT allow this activity. My suggested Firewall to prevent this activity is the FREE version of a world famous product called "Zone Alarm". ZA can be downloaded from: http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/cata...lid=dbtopnav_za And, while you're there, notice their FREE security test. This test uses Active-X controls and will only work if you access it from Internet Explorer. (will NOT work from Firefox or Netscape) It's a long download on a dial-up service. You'll probably just want to skip this test. If it does find something, it won't remove it unless you buy the full retail version. Just download the FREE version of ZoneAlarm. ************************* When installing any new software packages, the instructions will usually ask you to shut down all running programs before proceding. To do this manually is a real pain. A very simple way to do this is to run a little utility called "End It All 2". End It All has been around for several years but did not shut down 'services'. The new and improved version "End It All 2" shuts down both programs and services alike. Download it and use it before installing new software, doing a Defrag or burning a CD/DVD. You can download it from here: http://www.docsdownloads.com/Tier1/enditall.htm Happy Computing! If you do all of the above, your PC will love you and you'll have the cleanest PC in the neighborhood. *********************** Thank You Shadow, Morbius

that's an oxymoron.....moron! Home means a stripped down and crippled version of XP for HOME use only. Corporate means an Advanced version..... the two are opposites! Comprende?

Pro is the FULL version. Does anything you may need it to do. Home is a stripped down and crippled version. Media is a version seriously bloated with media software.

I took the warnings of the heavy hitting Guru's and decided to not futz with my pagefile. However, when doing a Ghost image it adds almost a gig to the size of the backup. SO, in the process of preparing for Ghost to run (from my DOS boot disk) I run a cleanup batch file that deletes the pagefile and all the Restore points as well as the temp files, etc. Then when ghost does its thing, it's not backing up over a gig of C.R.A.P. Next time XP boots up, it just re-creates the pagefile....no problem. Cheers, Andromeda43

Most all defaults are stored in the registry, someplace. If you can find it......you can change it. Just search the registry for what you want to change. Like, you can change the registered users' name. If the old users' name was "Joe Schmoe" for instance, search for the whole name and then search again for just "Joe" and then for just "Schmoe".

I've had my morning coffee and I still don't understand Can you elaborate on that question some? What's ffp?

Why can't we have an adult and meaningfull discussion on a topic without some folks getting their panties all in a wad and poking accusations of "Piracy" at someone? It's a fact of life like hemorroids.....get over it! As long as no-one is offering to sell you a pirated version of some "Holy" software what's the big deal anyway? If this or any forum dies, it will be because of you "Holy'er than thou" guys that run off the rest of us by refusing to engage in a meaningfull dialog on some topic you feel is "verboten".

Leave the pagefile alone....many programs require it to be there so they can use it for their own storage. Apply these registry tweaks for increased performance. ************************************** Decrease Shutdown Time Cut the amount of time it takes your computer to shut down to only a few seconds. Click Start, click Run, and type regedit. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Control. Click the Control folder. Right click "WaitToKillServiceTimeout" and click Modify. Set the value to 1000 (one second) ********************************************************** Memory Performance Tweak These Settings will fine tune your systems memory management -at least 256MB of ram recommended, 512 preferred for first tweak. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ Session Manager \ Memory Management 1.DisablePagingExecutive -double click it and in the decimal put a 1 - this allows XP to keep data in memory now instead of paging sections of ram to harddrive. 2.LargeSystemCache- double click it and change the decimal to 1 -this allows XP Kernal to Run in memory improves system performance a lot. (This tweak can actually slow down a system with less than 256 megs of ram.) ******************************************* Cheers, Andromeda43

My own software guru tried the Media Center version and told me it's horribly "Bloated". He was glad to get rid of it.

A Hosts file give information to Internet Explorer as to what URL's are safe to visit and what ones are NOT. Monthly I download a custom hosts file and install it in windows. It contains url's for many porn sites and virus and spyware sites. It just adds one more layer of protection against viruses and spyware. It's very easy to just download and install it. Both Spybot S&D and Spyware Blaster perform a similar function. Cheers, Andromeda43

The difference between Mp7.1 and Mp9 is like the difference between a VW Beetle and a Caddy Coupe De Ville. Many or even most of the old Windows 98 machines don't have the horsepower to drive MP9. I've seen music CD's skip badly and I've even seen 'puters lock up when trying to play CD's with MP9. MP 7.1 is the largest Media Player that really runs good on Windows 98. Sometimes when MPxx gets screwed up, the only quick fix is WinAmp. I've had to use that fix many times myself. Uninstalling MP9 is sometimes just not possible. Cheers, Andromeda43