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Yikes! Did I blow it??

Last response: in Windows 95/98/ME
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Hi all...

It appears I broke a fundamental “rule” when I installed a new hard drive and OS (98SE) on my Dell Dimension 4100 by not installing the Chipset Software Installation Utility (INF Utility) and updating the 815E chipset drivers before installing my other hardware and drivers and software programs. I am now considering starting over from scratch and reinstalling OS (any need to reformat and partition, too?)

Question: If I do this, do I need to remove/disconnect all hardware first (CD-ROM, sound card, modem, printer, NIC card) so that the OS doesn’t recognize them and start installing generic drivers before I can update the chipset drivers? And when/how in the procedure do I install OS updates from Microsoft if I can’t have my NIC card installed before updating chipsets.

Also, since I switched from WinME to Win98SE (don’t ask!), will I find all the drivers I need for the new OS on the Dell Resource CD (since that CD came with an WinME system) or should I get the various drivers individually from Dell, Intel, and other manufacturer’s websites?

I guess my new procedure would be this(?) :

Disconnect/remove all hardware

Reinstall OS

Install INF Utility

Install Intel Application Accelerator (or ATA Storage Driver??)

Install NIC card and get online

Download and install Win 98 updates

Install Rage Graphics Card (and current driver)

Install CD-ROM (and driver)

Install printer, modem, sound card (and their drivers)

Install various software programs and associated files (My Documents, etc)



Is this a correct approach or am I off base here?

Thanks for any input...

showhost

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The first thing I do is use my computer to download all the necessary drivers for the change over. [And put the drivers on a CD, or diskette]

The first actual drivers you need to install are the M/B chipset drivers, so everything works and can communicate with the other components of the installation.

Then I usually install DirectX, because some of the higher end Graphics Cards will not even install without it, and then the Graphics Card so you can clearly see what you're doing.

Win98SE always had trouble with the IRQ allotment, and sometimes some simple juggling would solve the situation, but you may not have a problem with that at all, if you have a PCI soundcard I always got my best results with it in the middle PCI slot area, IE 5 slots put it in the 3rd slot, Etc.

So many people say to pull everything out of the machine but to me thats not necessary unless you have a problem component, unless say in the case of a ZOOM Modem the software is required to be installed before the card is inserted, some hardware requires the software to be installed first, but usually it will have instructions specifically about that.

I would load everything in the computer and get everything software installed and check for any IRQ conflicts, IRQ conflicts can be manipulated by swapping the PCI cards around, or through disabling some IRQ allocated ports you may not be going to use like the Serial Ports.

Then go get the available Windows Updates, heres a 98SE tip for the Windows Update Website> Do not allow the Website to restart your computer, close all open windows and restart the computer yourself like you normally would and it will not crash on you.

I hope this helps you, if you get in trouble PM me. Ryan



<A HREF="http://forums.btvillarin.com/index.php?act=ST&f=41&t=25..." target="_new">System Specs</A>


<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by 4ryan6 on 06/01/05 04:54 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

98SE is more stable than ME and often more responsive. 98SE can use most ME drivers too.

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