BleepingComputer.com: Win 98, format, re-install, drivers missing

I've been here some time ago with many malware problems and ended up by formatting the hard drive and doing a clean install of Windows 98. Now it seems there are many drivers missing. Per other posts, I downloaded Everest in this computer and copied it to a CD, then installed and ran it on the bad boy. I cannot get on the internet, can't even get Windows to recognize the US Robotics modem that's installed. I was able to find drivers for my old Epson Color 600 printer, and now have 53 pages of 'good stuff' that I cannot decipher. The failing computer is a Quantex, several years old, Biostar M6TWG motherboard, Pentium IIIE 600 MHz CPU. I've spent several hours putting this all together, as I cannot write to the CD. So far the only luck I've had is getting the printer to work.

After the install, I installed the Hardware Driver CD that was shipped with the system. It wanted me to choose each driver, which I could not do. For example, when I looked for 'Monitor', I had 4 choices, All MAG Monitors, All Princeton Monitors, All Sampo Monitors, or All Viewsonic Monitors. I have no idea what the original monitor was, but I have a Gateway EV910 plugged in right now. I know this is a plug and play monitor and feel the original was also, so what am I looking at wrong?

There must be drivers on a disk somewhere that will work. This thing used to work with what came with it. I know there may be updated drivers, and I'd sure use them if I could just get it to talk to the internet!

I started with the monitor, thinking I could learn from it and perhaps get the rest of the devices working, (and I'd like to see more on a page while I'm at it). Then from need, I jumped to the printer, and got a driver from Epson on this computer, then copied it to CD to get it to the old one. Yes, I can read a CD, but not write one.

I'm getting very paranoid right now, and would sure love someone to cheer me up by telling me a good 'next step'. I really feel after a format, install, and no internet access, I'm not fighting trojans and worms yet.

Thanks, Stan

http://www.driverguide.com/ try this link to find drivers also manufactor web sie

Well, I have to admit to being totally dismayed. I have no idea what to look for in the Everest report. The first page has a group............

Display:
Video Adapter Standard PCI Graphics Adapter (VGA) (64KB)
3D Accelerator Inteli752
Monitor Gateway EV910

First I tried the monitor and downloaded a driver which, when I tried to install it, was already in the Cabs folder where it tried to install.

I then tried to find something for the display adapter, but have no idea what to look for, or how to decipher what I have to look at. I feel like a wounded water buffalo on snowshoes, but really need help and direction. Is it possible to get this thing back to the configuration in which it was delivered somehow?

Let's try tackling one thing at a time... and since I am coming late to the game here, let me get caught up. Do you have any of the other installation disks for any of your hardware?

If your monitor is working, then there is no need to install a monitor driver. We can worry about the video card driver later.

The first thing I would do is figure out which US Robotics modem you have. Would I be correct to assume that you have dial-up? You should be able to go into your device manager and look under modems to see which kind you have... it's been ages since I used Win 98 though.

Start>Control Panel>System>Device Manager should get you to where you need to be. Look under the Modems tab. Hopefully it will give you a model number of your modem so that we can track down the proper drivers for it. If you right click on your modem, and select properties, it will tell you if it is working or not. If it is working, then you will just need to create a new dial up connection, which means that you will need you username, password, phone number, etc.

Put your hardware drivers disk away for the moment. If we can get your dial-up connection working properly, then you will be able to download what you need.

How refreshing to find someone willing to type more than a half-line nerdy response. Sorry Indiandan, but your response, especially after all I had already done was somewhat lacking in empathy.

Device driver showed NO modem at all? I powered down and moved the card to a different slot, and on bootup, Windows found a new PCI Communications Device. When I said to install it, Win said it could find no drivers, and it was not installed. I then went to Control Panel>Modems>Install New Modem. Win did not find any new modems, so I chose one from a list. I know it's a USRobotics, so I picked that then guessed at 56000 bpi Flex Modem. Hooked up a phone wire then tried to make an internet connection. Windows could not find a modem!!

I deleted the modem I had installed and brought my phone line back here. I was so happy for a while, now I'm dejected again. Gotta go visit my fat, crabby, old sister but I'll check back when I get home later to see if anyone can get a handle on what I'm doing wrong. Thanks.

What does Everest say about your Modem? The more info the better.

What does Everest say about your Display Adapter? Look under Display>Windows Video.

This is not too much fun as I am not a bit familiar with the layout of Everest. Also I am reading a printed version, and don't know exactly where the line wraps and columns should be. I'll do my best. I think there are 5 occurences:

1. Windows Devices
[Other devices/PCI Communications Device]
PCI Device US Robotics 56k Fax WinModem

2. PCI Devices
[ US Robotics 56k Fax Winmodem ]
Device Properties:
Device Description US Robotics 56k Fax WinModem
Bus Type PCI
Device ID 12B9-1007
Subsystem ID 12B9-00C2
Device Class 0780

3. [ Debug - PCI ]
B01 D05 F00: US Robotics 56k Fax WinModem
I don't have the typing skills to enter the dump that follows. If it is
important, I will have to figure a way to get it from the other machine
to here, perhaps I can scan it from the printout. Let me know if you
want it.

The Device manager had a yellow question mark and when I expanded it there were 3 entries: Unknown Device, PCI Multimedia Audio Device, and (sometimes) PCI Communication Device. If I remove these entries, then reboot, Windows goes through the Add New Hardware Wizard for these 'things'. If I leave them I can reboot without incident. There are three slots and the same thing happens no matter which slot the modem card is plugged into.

I've also noticed there are tracks in here for an HP printer that is not part of the current configuration. There were new modems plugged in at an earlier time, so could the info from them be lurking? The modem is USR, but I can find nothing on it to tell me the model.

Try the 98 driver from this page for your modem. They say to point to the .exe download from the Add New Hardware Wizard but I wouldn't do that. Run it from Start>Run and browse to wherever you saved the file.

Quote

The last two are probably the sound card and modem. The sound drivers should be on the CD you mentioned earlier. Run that modem driver and go back to Device Manager and see whats up. These USR modems are notoriously hard to install so you may have to remove the three problem items from Device Manager, reboot, cancel the Add New Hardware Wizard when it comes up and then run the downloaded .exe from USR.

This post has been edited by Leurgy: 21 August 2005 - 07:26 AM

REMOVED

This post has been edited by acklan: 21 August 2005 - 12:44 PM

I think it might be a good idea if we can get his Internet connection working first before we recommend that he download anything, especially since his Internet connection doesn't seem to work at the moment.

Leurgy gave you the link.. you will need the 7 meg install package. Copy it to a CD and transfer it over. There are pretty specific directions on that page that will aid you in the installation.