Reinstall or Restore?

[RickD]

To clean out the clutter and improve things, I recently uninstalled my W98
SE operating system using the command prompt. But I don't think the
uninstall completed itself, as it ran over a half hour before I stopped it.
I then reinstalled the OS from the CD.

The PC runs okay, but there has been no real improvement in speed or
performance. Worse, some applications have caused problems. For example, I
lost the Uninstall options for MS Money and some Symantec/Norton 2003
products. I uninstalled Symantec using their online utilities. After I
loaded new 2004 Norton Int. Security software, it will not launch. (I did
not yet activate the software.) There may be other problems not yet evident.

I have the W98SE CD, and also the manufacturer's original Restore CD. I feel
I need to wipe the existing OS and start over. I'm not sure which route to
go. I know the Restore CD should take the PC back to a factory-new state,
which seems like a good thing. I've already saved any data files worth
keeping, and can reinstall any software apps I need.

Or should I just reinstall W98? If so, is there a better way to remove the
current OS?

I'd appreciate any thoughts (and links on how-to) on which option might be
best to do. (And if you have any comments on the Norton issue, like why it
won't launch, that would be great.)

Thanks in advance.

[Ron Badour]

The only way you can uninstall W98SE is if you upgraded over W98, elected to
save the files and want to revert back to W98. I would not recommend this
process to anyone. To get a clean install, back up all data you want and
then either delete the Windows folder from DOS, format the C: partition or
install W98SE to a new folder (for example, win98 instead of windows). For
information on installing W98, go to:
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html

If your W98SE disk is an upgrade disk, your W98 restore disk might not work
as a qualifying system disk. If this is the case, you would have to do a
restore and then upgrade to SE. The problem with a restore is that it loads
all kinds of crap you don't want or need.

I will not have a Norton product on my machines and many of the regulars who
post here feel the same way. 2004 is so problematic that MVP Ron Martell
has decided it may be a virus <G>.

AntiVirus programs

AVG, free AV program: http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php

ETrust, reasonably priced AV program that I use:
http://www1.my-etrust.com

EZ Armor Security Suite, One year free trial :
http://www.my-etrust.com/microsoft/

--
Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

"RickD" > wrote in message
...
> To clean out the clutter and improve things, I recently uninstalled my W98
> SE operating system using the command prompt. But I don't think the
> uninstall completed itself, as it ran over a half hour before I stopped
it.
> I then reinstalled the OS from the CD.
>
> The PC runs okay, but there has been no real improvement in speed or
> performance. Worse, some applications have caused problems. For example, I
> lost the Uninstall options for MS Money and some Symantec/Norton 2003
> products. I uninstalled Symantec using their online utilities. After I
> loaded new 2004 Norton Int. Security software, it will not launch. (I did
> not yet activate the software.) There may be other problems not yet
evident.
>
> I have the W98SE CD, and also the manufacturer's original Restore CD. I
feel
> I need to wipe the existing OS and start over. I'm not sure which route to
> go. I know the Restore CD should take the PC back to a factory-new state,
> which seems like a good thing. I've already saved any data files worth
> keeping, and can reinstall any software apps I need.
>
> Or should I just reinstall W98? If so, is there a better way to remove the
> current OS?
>
> I'd appreciate any thoughts (and links on how-to) on which option might be
> best to do. (And if you have any comments on the Norton issue, like why it
> won't launch, that would be great.)
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>