Windows 98 Crash-Reducer instructions:
This is for very experienced computer users only. Don't blame me if you break your computer and can't fix it. It's just a way to reduce crashes, and I'm sure some people will figure out how simple it is once you understand the concept. Windows 98 seems to back up the registry about once a day, so you won't lose too much information if you have to restore.
This document is meant to unload a possible crash-inducing driver in Windows 98. Removing this driver from your computer may lessen it's capabilities, or even keep it from booting up if the system relies heavily on that driver, so only do this if your computer crashes 2 or more times a day with frequent use.
The driver i am indicating may not be present on all Windows 98 machines, but i have not been able to personally verify a machine that didn't have this driver.
Mine used to crash about every hour and a half...now it keeps going for about 5 hours before it needs restarting.
Do not attempt this unless the following requirements have been met:
Caution! Do not use the following set of instructions unless you are very versitile with a computer, or you are willing to take a big risk about knowing how to use your computer
Hou have to be good at working in DOS, Windows 98 and working with the registry editor before i would reccomend you try this.
1. You must have Windows 98. The reason you should only try this with Windows 98 is that i can't test it on Windows 95.
(Choose one of the following)
2A. You must have a Boot disk with attrib.com on it.(just in case you can't find it from the Hard Drive, or your system suddenly dies...i don't think this could possibly wreck your OS.)
attrib.exe is usually located in c:\windows\command.
3A. In the drive window, From your windows directory(usually 'c:\windows'), COPY System.dat and User.dat and Paste them in the base directory(Usually 'c:\'). I will tell you what to type in in the fullest extent possible, while still accounting for discrepencies between systems.
2B. If you have a Registry Backup/Restore program that can restore the registry from DOS, you should use that.
3B. Follow the program's instructions, and print out how to restore the registry from DOS.
Instructions:
4. In regedit, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
5. Double-click the tag that says 'Rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme' in the "Data" column.
6. Edit it to read '(disabled)Rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme'.
7. Close regedit, and restart your computer.
8. Next action:
-If crashes are less frequent, you're done.
-If crashes are either as frequent or more frequent, go from step 4 to 5, then for step 6, remove only the '(disabled)' part of the tag and then continue to step 7.
-If your computer no longer boots up correctly, do the following:
If you followed Step 2B and 3B, refer to the instructions you printed out.
If you refered to Step 2A and 3A, you have some more numbered instructions:
1. While booting up, a little before the 'Windows 98' splash screen comes up, press the 'F8' key.
2. You should be presented with a menu that allows you to 'Choose which drivers will be loaded'.
3. Select that option, and press 'N' for all of them.
4. Type 'CD\'
5. Type 'attrib system.dat -S -H -R'
6. Type 'attrib user.dat -S -H -R'
7. If you recieved an error message for either of them, make sure you have attrib.exe in your c:\ directory by putting your boot disk into the disk drive, typing 'a:\', then typing 'copy attrib.exe c:\'. If you are told it already exists, you should rename the one you are replacing, and try to copy it again. After attrib.exe has been copied, try this step again.
8. If step 7 fixed the problem, go to step 9. If not, type 'c:' and type 'cd\'. Type 'copy attrib.exe windows'. If 'windows' is not your Windows 98 directory, replace 'windows' with the correct directory. Type 'cd (your windows directory)'.
Type the following commands in the order shown:
attrib system.dat -S -H -R
attrib system.da0 -S -H -R
attrib user.dat -S -H -R
attrib user.da0 -S -H -R
rename user.dat *.d_0
rename system.dat *.d_0
rename system.da0 *.dat
rename user.da0 *.dat
attrib system.dat +S +H +R
attrib user.dat +S +H +R
If you follow this step, restart your computer. If you did not follow this step, continue on to step 9.
9. Type 'c:' Type 'cd\'. Type 'cd windows'. If 'windows' is not your Windows 98 directory, replace 'windows' with the correct directory.
Type the following commands in the order shown:
attrib system.dat -S -H -R
attrib user.dat -S -H -R
rename system.dat *.d_0
rename user.dat *.d_0
cd\
copy system.dat windows (Replace 'windows' with your Windows 98 directory if it is different.)
copy user.dat windows (Replace 'windows' with your Windows 98 directory if it is different.)
Restart your computer. You should now have a working registry again.
For those who have one, you may use a different registry file for the replacement if you have one and know where and how to use it, but it is reccomended that you use the specified files.
If these instructions are faulty in some way, feel free to e-mail me about it. My E-mail address can be found on the main page.
