Problem starting up Win 98

[babylon5guy]

Hi,
I put in a new video card (disabled on board video and installed a PCI card) and router for someone in win98 on a Compaq Presario 7478. Everything worked fine. They had it a few days and tried to install a Video game for the kids called Nicktoons, it asked him to Calibrate the microphone, after the 1st try there was an error and asked him to try again, he got to step 2 of 4 and it locked up the computer. Now when it boots up it gives him "C:\windows\system\SHLWAP1.DLL was not found" and does not get past this. I'm picking up the PC to try and correct this. Do you think I just have to replace this file or is something else going on?
TIA

[shawn316]

Few days ago, i had problem startin up win98 There was wrong version of a couple dll files, so i had to boot up using Windows start up disk, and i copied the dll files off another persons computer with windows98 to a floppy. Put floppy in my computer when she booted throught the start up disk, copied those files into the c:\windows\system directory, restarted and bammo she worked. So maybe that can solve your problem

[babylon5guy]

Thanks shawn316, I don't know of a win98 PC I could do that with off hand. But I will replace that file and see what happens. If it doesn't work I'll see if I can find someone who is still using 98, but everyone I can think of is now using XP.

[shawn316]

If you can't find another person with 98, there are websites that have dll files like dll-files.com However, when i used dll-files.com, the files i wanted there were the incorrect versions so i wouldn't trust them so much unless u know you are downloading the most up to date files. If u have a friend who can email u that file you can then save it on to a floppy maybe. They should be on the windows 98 cd to if you got it

[babylon5guy]

Thanks shawn316, you're absolutely right about those files, I downloaded one from a website and it didn't work. I found my old 98se disk and reinstalled windows over itself and that did the trick as far as that file was concerned. Now I'm having driver problems but I think I can work that out. Thanks for the offer to send me the file.

[Panama Red]

What drivers are you looking for? Have you tried the Compaq/HP site? I've used their stuff before on older Compaqs I serviced and the drivers were available.

[babylon5guy]

Hi Panama Red thanks I'll go to the Compaq website the ess on board sound for the Presario 7478 I'm working on is giving me trouble, they have 3 different drivers and I'm not sure which one to use.

[Panama Red]

Had the same problem a while back. I looked for a name on the chips on the board that matched the name for the driver.

[babylon5guy]

Good idea, I'll give it a shot.

[babylon5guy]

Well this really went south I don't know what happened but I got everything working. But was having problems still with this: Help MSMOUSE.VXD hanging PC so I did the ole reinstall windows 98 over itself thing. Well before I started the reinstall I had uninstalled NAV as it was not working correctly and was going to reinstall it when everything was working correctly. After the reinstall the first boot up stalled saying all these NAV files are being referenced by the System.ini file and windows will not start even in Windows protected mode. I have done the regedit /restore thing tried all the options and get the same thing. Anyone know how I can get this thing started? I don't want to loose all their data, by doing a whole new windows installation.
TIA

[babylon5guy]

^^^^

[GaryRouth]

babylon5 - Is the system Ok now?

If not, as long as you can boot to DOS, you can try the over-the-top again. Remember to turn off the Bios-level AntiVirus while reinstalling http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.p...threadid=70846

Your model's drivers are here:
http://h20015.www2.hp.com/en/any/na/...etype=software

For the ESS Allegro, I'd use the more recent drivers.

Most of the trouble with over-the-tops that I've heard of tends to be linked to Anti-Virus software that's not disabled or if uninstalled, not completely so. The Norton site might have a removal tool that will work from DOS, you could check there.

Since this is such a late reply, I imagine you may well have fixed things already - in which case, good news.
. . . Gary

[babylon5guy]

Thanks Gary, no it's still dead in the water, I'm waiting for my friend to make up his mind if he wants to go to XP. I tried to install it again over itself and no luck. I used the xcopy32 trick on the hall of fame thread on this board to copy their hard drive to one of mine so I have all their files. I also copied that D: drive partion that compaq uses for paq files. I fdisked their drive got rid of the compaq partition and formated the whole drive as one. So I'm just waiting now on what he wants to do. I can either install win98 again or xp. Thanks for the links, if he wants to stay with 98 the link on audio drivers will be especially useful, I was confused which of the three drivers to use, although I'm trying to talk him into a sound card, the onboard sound then wasn't as good as it is today. Wow this sure turned into a major project for just trying to help a buddy out installing a video card and router. And of course I'm doing this for nothing as it seems like my fault and I certainly wouldn't try to intimate anything else to him. But this PC was in bad shape, many corrupt files, tons of spy programs, he was using gator and kazaa!, and had 3 viruses and 1 trojan, so no wonder all the corrupt files and a scrambled NAV. I do want to thank you and everybody else who helped out!

p.s. I do have one question looking at the audio drivers they have one "Presario ESS Allegro WDM Audio Drivers(English)" that is quite different than the other two, and much smaller not even a megabyte. It is the latest driver, is this the one I should use or "Presario Specific Models ESS Allegro Audio Driver Update(English) 2000-08-04"?
TIA

[GaryRouth]

Those WDM drivers got their start with Windows 98 2nd Edition, I think. But it seems they weren't common for sound cards until Windows ME arrived. On older machines I usually try the .vxd first, since it might be a little more "seasoned" [tried and true]. Your friend could try either, and compare results (but he'd have to completely remove one before trying another).

Probably with an older machine, they'd be served well by Win98se. And all the drivers are there on the Compaq website [if they have the Recovery set, the job is even easier = it can recreate that Compaq system partition & reinstall the OS and software bundle all at once (saves a bunch of time). And since you have full backups of their personal files, they're not in bad shape.

KaZaa and Gator cause more trouble than . . . well, I'm having trouble imagining more trouble.

I know those "quick help" problems escalate! I have 3 boxes I'm racing to finish up that were supposed to be little fixes (according to their owners) ---> and failed memory tests, bad cd-drives, faulty floppy drives later!!! - the true picture starts to emerge. . . All three are holiday projects for kids, and all three were full of many of the same woes your friends system had (viruses, trojans, compromized AV, faulty hardware...) And of course all these are "for free" projects ---hey, it's what holdays are all about. It makes things more interesting after all, when the box fights a bit before taking the medicine

Hope it all works out -
. . . Gary

I'm thinking clean install these freebee customers. Why should you pay for their neglect in maintaining their 'puter.
Flush the junk and get it purring again.

[babylon5guy]

Thanks for driver recomendation Gary. I think everything will work out ok but I'll be glad when it's over. The older machines are always a pain. Good luck with yours.

Hey craig722 I hear you. Believe me I have felt like doing just what you said many times as I was swearing at this hunk of unforgiving metal. But they are my friends. As Gary said hey it's Christmas!