Upgrading Windows98?

wolfman

If using Linux, you'll need to pick the correct distribution too. Simply picking something like Ubuntu won't help given the specification of your computer.

You could possibly have a look at Xubuntu.

It's definitely a possible option, although does require a lot of learning time. Wireless for example can often be tricky to setup on Linux.

Alternatively another 256 or 512mb RAM and XP should run ok. I can remeber back in the day when I had a P3 450Mhz, and then a 600Mhz both with XP on, and it ran ok.

bat999

Well travel_freak

You've had lots of advice.

It looks like the simplest route is to check out that non-wireless ethernet card from Maplins and use it with Windows 98.

If you're feeling adventurous you could move on to Linux later.

travel_freak

Thanks to everyone for the really helpful advice.

I'm definitely interested in trying out Linux in the future and was really interested to hear about the other Word/Excel alternative software that's available, but for now, bat999, I reached the same conclusion as you: the simplest thing is to try the Ethernet card from Maplins.

Anyway, I have installed the ethernet card (it is a Realtek 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet PCI Adapter) and loaded the CDRom which contain the drivers. So far so good.

BUT, now I'm having problems. For some reason during running the CDRom it kept saying that things could not be found and asking me to install the "CDRom marked Windows 98". So I dug out my original Windows 98 CDRom that came with the computer and put that in. Then it came up with loads of weird stuff saying that all this obscure sounding stuff couldn't be found on the disc. there must have been about 20 or so items. The only option that would let me proceed to "Finish" was to "skip file" for all of the things it said it couldn't find.

Finally I got to "finish". Then plugged in the ethernet cable and tried to set it up to AOL wired broadband but it said it couldn't detect the connection.

One suggestion was to check that the this network adapter was listed in my device manager. I checked and it is but it has a yellow exclamation mark next to it, when I click on the details this is what it says:

"Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Ethernet NIC

The NDIS.VXD, NTKERN.VXD device loader(s) for this device could not load the device driver (code 2). To fix this click Update Driver to update the device driver".

I tried clicking update driver but that wouldn't work either.

Please does anyone have any suggestions on where I'm going wrong or what I can do to successfully install the drivers for this adapter?

Many thanks in advance.
Regards,

Donnie

Isn't the problem due to the fact that you are running such an old version of Windows 98?
That needs to upgraded; http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/default.asp

travel_freak

Thanks Donnie.

I don't know but I'll give that a try and see what happens.

Regards

GreenNotM

Hi Travel freak - 98 needs reboots, for changes to take effect.

bat999

Hi travel_freak

Try to do the updates, as Donnie has suggested. You may find that updates are no longer available for W98.

I'm not a W98 expert, but here are some suggestions:-

i) If you right-click on that yellow exclamation mark it might give you the option to uninstall the ethernet card. If so, then you could uninstall and reboot and try again.

ii) When it's asking you to insert the W98 disk I think it's because it needs some files that weren't installed originally (because they weren't needed then - no ethernet card fitted at the time).

As a very last resort - if nobody else has any better ideas - you could reformat and do a clean install of W98.

:cool:

Donnie

Updates are available for the older versions of Windows, up until they were no longer 'supported'.
I installed Windows 98SE to an old laptop. It only had Internet Explorer 5 installed and refused to work with Windows Update. I then installed Windows ME and was able to apply all of the latest updates to date. i.e. Internet Explorer 6 Service pack 1.
I'm just concerned that the browser supplied with such an early version of Windows 98, may not work with the ActiveX control that needs to be installed to scan your computer.

Maybe someone here knows more about this.

travel_freak

Hi Donnie and Bat999,

I went to the site you mentioned, Donnie. It did do the scan and told me there were 26 critical updates I needed and more non-critical ones. I started the download process and it seemed to be chugging along. An hour and a half later(!!!) it downloaded everything and should have then gone on to install it all but the installation of every different file failed. Any advice as to why, or what I can change to get the installation to work?

Also, will these "downloads" be stored anywhere on my PC or will I need to repeat the whole process afresh?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm extremely non-techie has you might have guessed!

Regards

Donnie

I really don't know. Hope someone else can help.