Editing Windows 98

[TheSavageBeast]

First problem - Under <Run> Msconfig. How do you remove the entries that are listed. I realize you uncheck them and apply then restart but I want to get rid of the listings all together. Some are for programs not even running in the system any longer.
Second problem - Kind of like the first, in Add/Remove Program Properties I have listings there that also are out of date but when I try to remove them it tells me it doesnt have the uninstall information to remove them.
I was given this computer, it's out of date but it's all I have and I'm trying to clean house you know. One last thing, the guy I got the computer from or Gateway downloaded the Win98 Setup Disk to the harddrive but when I try to run setup it wants the product key, it's a no go, I tried Microsoft and they said they only had one code and to give it a try. It didnt work. At some point in this computers life someone had to put that code in here is there a way to find it inside of the computer itself??? Thanks for all this crap!!

[Miz]

For the product key, download and run Key Finder (http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml). Be sure to write down the product key it finds and put it someplace where you can find it again. ;)

For clearing the Run history, see this page (http://www.helpwithwindows.com/windows98/tune-20.html).

For the old entries in Add/Remove, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article, How to Manually Remove Programs from the Add/Remove Programs List (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/247501).

[winsong]

You might get "twekui98.exe"

http://www.filewatcher.com/m/twekui98.exe.115712.0.0.html

[TheSavageBeast]

Thanks so much Miz for your help, I was able to clean up add/remove program properties and alot of other crap the previous owner had on the hard drive once I got use to using regedit. I tried the key finder program, it came up with a key code but Win98 setup wouldn't accept it? I contacted the program of key finder to maybe why it wouldn't. The last thing I think you didn't understand my objective. I wasn't trying to clean up the run menu, I just used that as a pathway starter. Here's what I'm talking about Start\Run\Msconfig\and you get the System Configuration Utility Menu, right. Now the last tab is Startup, how do you remove the listings from this menu? I know if you uncheck an item it will no longer load at startup but how do you totally delete the listing. It contains listings for programs that no longer exist on the system and it just erks me seeing them there!!!
Last Winsock, thanks for your idea, I downloaded the program and I'm going to see what kind of damage I can do with it, lol.

[TheSavageBeast]

Thanks for everything Miz and thank you to Winsock I downloaded the program and I'm going to see what kind of damage I can do with it, lol:D
Now Miz the info on add/remove items worked get, I downloaded key finder and it came up with the key code only problem is Win98 setup wouldn't accept it as valid. I sent an e-mail to Jellybean to find out why? Last I think you misunderstood the other question in the following run:
Start\Run\Msconfig\SystemConfigurationUtilityMenu\ StartupTab, how do you remove items from that list? I know if you uncheck them they will no longer load at startup but I have listings in there for items that are no longer in the system and seeing them there just erks the hell out of me. I'm a nerd and a perfectionist what can I say? Please continue with the great information thanks again.
P.S. I went through regedit but nothing in it seemed to address this menu contents?

[Miz]

I can't remember if TweakUI cleans up msconfig's Startup list.

However, you can remove them by manually editing the registry. Instructions on this page (http://windowsxp.mvps.org/MSCONFIG.htm).

There's also a free utility for removing disabled items in msconfig>Startup. You can download it from this page (http://www.snapfiles.com/get/msconfigcleanup.html). I haven't used it but downloads from Snapfiles are usually reliable.

Keyfinder will show you the product key for the operating system that's currently installed on the computer. Do you have Windows 98 currently installed?

[TheSavageBeast]

You have been like a computer God. You have been so helpful it's unbelieveable!! Thanks for everything I really mean it. Winsock that link to Tweak Ul is screwed up it downloads but it is a incomplete download and doesn't apply itself properly and is useless. Thanks anyway for the idea.

[Murf]

This program will remove them:

http://www.topdrawerdownloads.com/download/104590

[TheSavageBeast]

I hope your around, you helped me so much already, your great!
I have a new question, my computer came with a 20 gig hard drive and by the sound of it it may not be around to much longer!! I picked up a nice used 40 gig hard drive and formatted it and made it a slave to the other. First, is it true that formatting it doesn't completely remove everything on the drive? I got it from the gay perverted son of my landlady (as well as the computer to) regedit has helped with the C drive (the master), removing porno crap as well as covering the original request. I also want to completely wipe out everything from the D drive (the slave), how? I want nothing on it!! The other thing is once it's wiped out I want to totally transfer the C (master) contents to the D (slave) and I will make that the master and the present C the slave in which I'll totally wipe that out and just use it for storage backup. This has to be done so everything still functions since I have no backup for my Window98 programs. I hope you catch on to what I'm trying to do and will be able to direct me in the process. Thanks Again Buddy, you are a dude aren't you?

[Miz]

Nooo...I'm not a dude. "Miz" is how "Ms" is pronounced where I come from. :)

First, formatting wipes everything from the drive...sort of. The data that was on it can possibly be recovered if you want to get the software and work at it. However, the old data is definitely gone if you write other data over it. You can do that by writing all zeroes to the drive or just by putting your data on it. As far as a hard drive is concerned, data is data, regardless of whether a human can read it. ;)

So, to format the D drive, open My Computer, right click the D drive, left click Format and let it have at it.

The second part of what you want to do...make an exact copy of the C drive to the empty D drive...is called "cloning." To do that you'll need some software. Acronis True Image (http://www.acronis.com/) gets good reviews from its users and is the one I see recommended most often. It's not free but it's what you need for the job.

[winsong]

Do a security wipe of the hard drive. If you are in a situation where someone in law enforcement were to look at the formated 'D' drive, you would be surprised what they can recover.

I think you are looking for a very big CYI, but I could be wrong.

[TheSavageBeast]

What is CYI, just to let you know I have nothing to hide on the computer! I got the computer used and it had lot of programs, information on tax returns, letter, email, and yes gay porno and thats why I wanted to wipe out the hard drive and start fresh. I am a religious man and refuse to have anything like porno around me. Now I have real problem that company you turned me onto Miz was great and had a trial version I downloaded and cloned the drive and formatted the old one, now I wish I didn't. I got carried away deleting items from the registry and now I cant get my network card up and running now! Some of the things I deleted were Microsoft Networking items I didn't think I need but I think I was wrong. I had to take AOL up on a free trial offer just to get back here!! I feel like crying, is there anyway to restore what I've erased in the registry, I know I should of been happy just getting rid of the trash material but I was like a child at a candy store with that regedit information. I wish I could go back in time but I erase goback when I first got the computer, another mistake!!! Please someone help this idiot, I'm so close, I have a clean system if I can just get my network card working again. The computer keeps tell me I need to find new PCI resourse for my sound card too I don't understand I rearranged everything in the PCI slots yes but it's working so I don't know why or for what reason the system says there are no conflict and everything is working properly. Please save me someone!

[Murf]

You just need to reinstall the drivers thats all. You will have to find the right drivers and we can help there.

Download and run THIS (http://www.cybertechhelp.com/download/file/everest-home-edition)program. It will tell you everything about your hardware .

Find the section that shows your sound card and tell us what it says, also for the network card. Then we can help to find the right drivers.

When you run this program it will create something that will look like your control panel. It will have icons for everything so if you want to see which sound card is in the system you would click on:

Multimedia Icon then on PCI/PnP Audio then post what you see here.

For your Network Card click on Network Icon then Pci/PnP

[TheSavageBeast]

That damn Firefox update just erased my whole message!! Anyway once again, I am so happy, I finally took some time to get some sleep after days of trying to get this computer straight. I also did a lot of praying to Father Yahweh. Something paid off early this morning!! I erased all the network crap the Microsoft program installed while I was trying to get my network adapter working again, I remove all the adapter software from the system, put all my card back in their original positions in the PCI slots, reinstall the software, reinstalled the hardware, rebooted, then the software kicked in and reinstalled the network adapter. I'm back on my network again and I feel great!!!!
There is still one issue remaining though, the Creative Live! Sound card. Heres what I keep getting:
At shutdown, Locate free IRQ Resources for Creative Audio Card ....
Press any key to continue ... Then I hit enter the screen clears and the computer shutsdown.
At startup, Locate free IRO Resources for Creative Audio Card ....
Creative Audio Card @ Port 1040 IRQ 10
Initialization Complete ....
The thing is under the Control Panel\System there are no conflicts and everything reports itself as working properly, now I installed that program from Everest and this is what it states under Multimedia, PCI PnP Audio, Creative SB Live! Player 1024 Sound Card, under type it states PCI. Thats it and I don't understand how that can help maybe it means something to you guy?
This appears to be my last problem I can see for now! Thanks!!!!

[TheSavageBeast]

I lied guys, I haven't received an answer to my last post yet but I do have another problem though. I know I a pain in the butt but I'm really close!
My network adapter is working now but here's what happens, and its done this from the beginning but it stopped for a while, Netgear was never able to help me with the problem and once it stopped I stopped worrying about it but it's start up again, anyway:
Wlancfg5.exe
This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.
Wlancfg5 caused an invalid page fault in module:
Kernell32.Dll at 0167:bff7a138 then,
RPCRT4.Dll at 0167:7fb91130 then,
Kernell32.Dll at 0167:bff87ede this last box freezes up and refuses to close!
Shuts of access to Ctrl\Alt\Del Menu, everything else seems to operate though but I'm forced to restart to clear the message box.
In the past there has been additional faults in other modules but it always seems to be at 0167, except for one or two unknowns. I don't know what this means but it's alittle troublesome!!!