How to eliminate "phantom" modem Install Windows

[OldVeryOld]

I have tried to update my Windows 98SE using the Windows Update icon.

I decided to download two, optional ESS audio/modem drivers.

My system already has an ESS Modem Enumerator installed under "system" and indicated to be working properly.

When Windows 98SE first starts, it flashes a window indicating that it has found new hardware, a modem. It began doing that after I downloaded the supposedly newer modem driver via Windows Update.

I don't know where to direct it to find the driver for this "new" modem. As far as I know, the modem was working fine when last I used it, many months ago.

I would like to end this annoying install process that I must cancel out of each time I start Windows.

I tried to get Windows to "find new hardware", to see if there truly were some software problem that had developed that would cause Windows to have to re-install the existing modem. The "find new hardware" option found NO new hardware.

This seems to be a "phantom" that Windows is trying to install, triggered by the Windows Update process.

How do I eliminate the forced installation? (Is this a matter of running "config" and looking for the problem in the "start-up" menu?)

Thanks.

[eidenk]

You need to undo all the changes to your system that have been made by this update. You should be able to find out what those changes are by unpacking the downloaded installer and examining its contents.

[ShadeTreeLee]

Installed modem drivers can often be found under INF/OTHER folder. Removing offending modem files from here disallows Windows from automatically installing that modem. Use the Modem applet in the Control Panel to properly dectect modems, using detect new hardware for some reason doesn't always work for modems.

No, the detection of new hardware at boot up time and subsequent installation of driver files before you see your desktop is not controlled by any "config" settings. Something added into the registry is causing this and it's most easily fixed by going ahead and reinstalling the modem you already have. DO NOT install a 2nd modem that you DO NOT have, unless as a last resort you can't do anything else and you will promptly remove all modems and reinstall only the one that you do have drivers for.

You downloaded files and you don't know where they went? Look for a folder on your largest free space drive called WUTemp, it might be there, but you were supposed to tell the bot where you wanted the WinUP files to go when you downloaded them. Very noobie of you, especially this next part...

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER take drivers from the WinUP site - NEVER!!! They always bork up a box faster than any other thing you can do. People often have to clean reinstall Windows in order to get away from these problems, and you may be one of them!! Go to the manufacturer's web site and get the drivers from there if you really need to, otherwise don't do this. If it ain't broke, don't fix it applies to you in this case. In order to point Windows to the INF/OTHER folder for old modem info, you'll have to go into those folders and change their hidden properties to non-hidden so that the Windows installer applet can "see" the locations - stupid huh? You still have to do it.

Why don't you use your modem more often than "many months ago"? Are you actually broadband DSL or wireless, and don't even have a real modem to begin with? You've got a built in modem that you don't really use? My real modem requires a phone line to be plugged into it and I can't use the phone while I'm sufing on the Internet. Is your situation any different while you are online? If you don't have or use a real modem, just remove it in the Device Mangler and/or BIOS setup screens if applicable.

Any new behaviors? Other issues?