A Column 0998 by Rich Schinnell

Published in the September 1998 issue of the Capital PC User Group magazine Monitor.

Windows 98

You have been listening to the hype about the new Windows 98 operating system and are just dying to see what all the hoopla is about. I have a few words of wisdom for you.

Some guidelines for making the upgrade decision follow:

1.If your system is working and operating the way you want: No

2.If you have a critical project ongoing and can't afford downtime: No

3.If you are adventuresome and love to tinker: Yes

4.If you don't know what you're doing and could care less: No

5.If your system is acting weird and flaky: No

6.If you have finally decided to get a new humongous hard drive: Yes

7.If you are using Windows 3.1 and have finally decided to upgrade: Yes,

but only if you have enough hard disk space (200 Mbytes free) and at least 32 Mbytes of RAM.

Seriously, don't upgrade just because it's there. (Unless you own Microsoft stock and want to help the cause.) Take the time to think about the consequences of your upgrade. Is it going to increase your productivity Will Windows 98 allow your computer to operate more smoothly or faster? Do you have your system so convoluted now that the only sane solution would be a FORMAT C:? Remember KISS? (Keep it simple, stupid. <G>) The more generic your system is, the easier it will be for you, and the better chance you have of a successful installation. If you are using one or more of those programs, such as First Aid or Norton Utilities, that monitors your system, you should, of course, disable them, or your upgrade is doomed to fail. My recommendation is for you to first backup any data you have on your existing hard disk. Do this by copying the data to floppies. Don't backup your applications software because the applications will have to be reinstalled on the new operating system. Then create a boot disk that will include your CD-ROM drivers so that you will be able to install the Windows 98 upgrade CD-ROM. Here is a CONFIG.SYS file that I had modified after creating a startup disk in Settings | Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs | Startup Disk:
BUFFERS=30
FILES=25
LASTDRIVE=Z
DEVICE=HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=SBIDE.SYS /D:OEMCD001

Caution is advised if you are using a SCSI CD-ROM because the drivers will be different and a bit more complicated.

The SBIDE.SYS file could be different from yours, so check on your CD-ROM diskette. Copy it to your new startup diskette. Change the CONFIG.SYS to properly address the xxx.SYS file. This is my AUTOEXEC.BAT file

from my new startup diskette:

MSCDEX.EXE /D:OEMCD001

Make sure you copy the program MSCDEX.EXE from the subdirectory C:\windows\command to your A drive. This file, combined with your CD-ROM driver, will allow you to access your CD-ROM after booting in the A drive.

Once you have backed up your data and are ready to install Windows 98, you can boot your system in the A drive. Before you proceed, however, make sure that you can read a CD-ROM in your CD-ROM drive. If you can do a DIR command on your CD -ROM, then you can go forward with reformatting your C drive and installing Windows 98 on your now clean hard disk. Believe me when I say, this is normally the best way. Less is better. Type FORMAT C: /S to place the new operating system on your hard disk. If you decide to do the upgrade on an existing Windows 95 system without purging your hard disk, you could be in for a bit of aggravation. Especially for those of you who started with Windows 3.1, upgraded to Windows 95, and now are ready to upgrade to Windows 98. Each of the prior versions brings excessive baggage with it and sometimes will wreak havoc with your upgrade. My advice is to start fresh. Backup, backup, backup, backup, backup, backup! Is that enough repetitions of the word “backup”? If not, then backup again. If you have made the decision to upgrade to Windows 98 anyway, remove all the programs from your Startup folder and check your WIN.INI file for LOAD= or RUN= lines, as they sometimes will load programs that could possibly interfere with your upgrade. Many computers that have been upgraded from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95 have a CONFIG.SYS file that still loads what are called real mode drivers. These are older 16-bit CD-ROM drivers. Some of them are required, especially if you have an older CD-ROM. To test whether they are really required for operation,

rename the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files and shut down your system. Check to see if you can access all the drives and other peripherals in your computer. If you can get to your CD-ROM, then the real mode driver in your CONFIG.SYS is not required. Windows 98 will create a new startup disk that has most of the generic CD-ROM drivers on it. Great idea, Microsoft!

In conclusion, don't rush out and spend your money upgrading to Windows 98 unless you really have to have it or are getting a new system. My recommendation is to wait for a while to see what other bugs or hazards appear. Good luck if you decide to upgrade. I have upgraded to Windows 98, and now that I have been able to clean up the desktop to my own liking, I think Windows 98 is more stable than my Windows 95 machines. But, of course, I think I know what I am doing. <G>

Rich Schinnell is retired, mostly, except for some regular small business consulting. He has been a volunteer for the Capital PC User Group since day one. His monthly colu mns in the Monitor have created panic in some and brought mirth to a few. He can be counted on to help members with their computer problems over the phone in the evening from 6-9pm. If you are having computer problems, give him a call at (301) 949-9292 or send him e-mail at schinnel@cpcug.org. He will try to answer your questions.

Permission for reproduction in whole or in part is hereby granted to other non -profit and computer user groups for internal, non-profit use, provided credit is given to the Capital PC Monitor and to the author(s) of the reproduced material, and attribution of copyright is included.

Permission is also granted for posting on electronic bulletin board systems, provided credit is given to the Capital PC Monitor and to the author(s) of the reproduced material, and the files are made available in their entirety, without alteration, including this notice.

All other reproduction, other than for personal use, without the prior written permission of the Capital PC User Group is prohibited.

Unless specifically stated, opinions expressed in any article or column are those of the individual author(s) and do not necessarily represent an official position or endorsement of the Capital PC User Group.

Capital PC User Group, Inc.
51 Monroe Street STE 1605
Rockville, Maryland 20850

MIX BBS: (301) 738-9060 (10 MultiTech v.34 modems)

(301) 738-9061 Alternative modem

Office: (301) 762-9372