Handy-Dandy Windows Fixer-Upper Guide
Sometimes you just have to do things the hard way. When Windows--or any program--conflicts with your hardware, the easiest, most effective remedy may be a fresh start. But reinstalling devices or restoring Windows Registry files from a backup won't solve every problem.
You may be better off rolling up your sleeves and tackling the problem directly. Fortunately, both Windows 98 and Windows Me have several tools for hunting down the source of your hardware woes.
Help Me, Mr. Wizard!
Start by running one of Windows' Troubleshooters. You'll find a list of troubleshooting wizards under Start, Help in Win 98 and Me. Click Troubleshooting on the first Help screen.
The wizards lead you through a series of questions and problem fixes for a specific device or subsystem in your PC. In Windows 98, you'll see a list of the available troubleshooters as soon as you click Troubleshooting, but in Me, you must first select 'Hardware & system device problems' to see the list.
Some Troubleshooters cover many potential problems; others are more limited. But any of them is worth trying once, if only to ensure that you haven't overlooked the obvious.
Fix Faulty System Files
Next, check Windows' system files. According to Microsoft, many calls to the Windows technical support line are prompted by problems caused by damaged, altered, or out-of-date system files. Windows relies on these files (many of which have.dll or.vxd extensions) to function.
When you first install Windows, all of the system files are intact, but something as simple as an improper Windows shutdown--due to a power failure or some other cause--can damage these files without leaving any indication that trouble is just waiting to happen.
Application programs may replace certain system files during their installation. Typically, these programs copy the most recent version of a system file over the existing file to ensure that the application will run smoothly. This won't cause a problem until Microsoft releases a new version of Windows that contains new system files. Thereafter, when you install the older application program, it will overwrite the most recent version of the system files with its own out-of-date version.
Even more troubling is the tendency of some programs to write customized versions of Windows' system files over Microsoft's originals. Although these tweaked files may enhance the performance of the program that installed them, they may also hinder or even disable the operation of other programs.
Protect System Files
To preclude such problems, Windows Me incorporates a new System File Protection (SFP) scheme that monitors any attempt to change your system files and prevents detrimental changes from being made. SFP runs seamlessly in the background and requires no action from you.
In contrast, Windows 98 lacks the preemptive protection of an automated SFP scheme. But it does provide a couple of tools for checking your system files manually: the System File Checker (SFC) and the Version Conflict Manager.
When Win 98 is installed, it stores the size, time stamp, and other characteristics of each system file in the SFC database. So each time you run SFC, Windows compares the data for the old and the current files. If it finds a file that has been altered, damaged, or deleted, it prompts you to reinstall the original version.
To open SFC, click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Information, and then select Tools, System File Checker. Before clicking Start, click the Settings button. By default, the utility checks only for damaged files. I suggest you set it to look for changed or deleted files also: Check the appropriate boxes at the bottom of the Settings tab and click OK.
To run the utility, select Scan of altered files and click Start. (The 'Extract one file from installation disk' option is used to extract files from the Windows CD-ROM.)
You can also set SFC to detect changes made to other file types--such as documents or spreadsheets--located in specific folders on your hard drive. To do so, simply check the appropriate boxes in the dialog box under the Search Criteria tab.
When System File Checker finds a corrupted or missing file, it displays this box and offers to walk you through the process of restoring the file from the installation disk(s). Note that you may not be able to find some of the files that System File Checker flags as damaged or changed; Windows 98 creates these files--many of which are.ini files--after installation is complete.
Windows 98's Version Conflict Manager is useful only to people who upgraded from Windows 95 and encounter problems with a program that worked fine before the upgrade. The utility is easy to run and lets you restore the old Win 95 system files that were replaced during installation of the upgrade. Like System File Checker, it can be run from the Tools menu in the System Information utility.
Faster Graphics for Celeron-Based PCs
December 2000's Hardware Tips included a question from Katie Latimer of Denver about upgrading the graphics of a Celeron-based PC, which integrates graphics onto the motherboard. As I stated earlier, if your system lacks an AGP slot (as nearly all brand-name Celeron-based systems do), adding a PCI-based graphics card with lots of memory can enhance the machine's graphics performance tremendously.
Your PC may well be based on Intel's 810e chip set; many systems with the 810e have been sold in recent years. These machines use the PC's main system RAM for both standard and graphics duties, so they offer good economy but relatively poor graphics performance. Adding a PCI graphics card with its own dedicated graphics RAM eliminates shared memory and its lackluster visual consequences.
If you have a Dell system, you're in luck: Dell's 810e-based systems accept PCI graphics cards. But some 810e-based systems from Gateway and Compaq do not.
Check your manual for information about PCI upgrades for your system, but don't be surprised if it's not there. Low-cost PCs often lack detailed technical documentation. If you don't find the information you need, contact your system's manufacturer. If all else fails, call your motherboard manufacturer.
Out With the Old (Modem)
I finally moved up to a new 56-kbps, V.90 modem and removed my 28.8-kbps modem. Sure enough, the new modem won't work. When I try to go online, I get error messages referring to my old modem, which I removed. What gives?
Kurt Wilson, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
It sounds like your old modem is really old--so old that it doesn't support Plug and Play. Unfortunately, if you remove any non-Plug and Play device from a system running Windows 95 or later, Windows doesn't know that you've made a switch until you tell it manually.
To do so, go to the desktop or to an Explorer window, right-click the My Computer icon, and select Properties to open Device Manager. Click the Device Manager tab, confirm that View devices by type is selected, and double-click Modem. Both your old and new modems should be listed. Select your old modem, press the Remove button, and reboot. If problems continue, repeat this process two or three times; sometimes Windows just doesn't get it the first time. And if all of these efforts don't work, try removing and reinstalling the new modem as well.
Maximize File-Moving Options
Moving files between folders and hard disks in Windows Explorer can be confusing: Sometimes a file gets copied, sometimes it gets moved, and sometimes Windows simply creates a shortcut. To avoid this confusion, hold down the right mouse button instead of the left one when you drag the file from one folder to another. When you drop the file, the right-click menu displays several options, among which are Copy, Open, Print, and (one of my favorites) the very useful but terribly underused Send To.
Hardware Tips welcomes your tips and questions and pays $50 for published items. Kirk Steers is a PC World contributing editor.