My Computer & Properties

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,microsoft.public.win98.performance (More info?)

I am using W98. When I right click on My Computer on the Desktop and
then left click on Properties nothing happens.
Any help will be appreciated.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,microsoft.public.win98.performance (More info?)

In microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion, Bill Watt <nobwatt@epix.net>
wrote:

>On 21 Feb 2005 20:44:42 -0800, "mike" <trvlnmny@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>I am using W98. When I right click on My Computer on the Desktop and
>>then left click on Properties nothing happens.
>>Any help will be appreciated.
>
>Mike,
>
>Find the SYSDM.CPL file in the Windows folder and d-click it, if it
>doesn't display the applet then it may be corrupt.

Bill, in Win98, it should be in the System folder, not the Windows
folder.

....Alan

--
Alan Edwards, MS MVP W95/98 Systems
http://dts-l.org/index.html

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,microsoft.public.win98.performance (More info?)

"jane" <jane@internet.com> wrote in message
newsk%23GIvMGFHA.1924@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...

> > Using the SFC scan can cause problems and void any updates. Just
> > extract the one file.

> I'm seen it here before and read about it at sites, it always has the
> same vibe about it, Cautious.
> Is there a time when it can be used/run without fear, or is it something
> that perhaps microsoft should have been more wary about
> when including it with O/S's.

The point is that SFC's database is created when
the OS is installed and not updated by any later installation
including security updates etc.: so blindly following all its
recommendations would undo correct and undesirable changes.

But the control panel CPL files are different, (probably) never
changed since Win98 was first created: so reinstalling those
(as single filepaths) via SFC is reasonably safe.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,microsoft.public.win98.performance (More info?)

1. Unless you run SFC after each and every installation or update,
whatever, its database becomes obsolete. In most cases, running SFC
should consist of telling it to update its database.

2. For various reasons, SFC occasionally flags files as corrupt when
they are not. May be the way the file is constructed, or it may be that
it simply doesn't fit into SFC's logic.

3. When restoring files using SFC, you have to know where to restore
from. Say it flags a file that is corrupt or wrong version, but the file
that is the *right* version isn't from the original installation CD, but
rather, it's from the most recent installation of IE--restoring the file
from the original installation files is the wrong choice. It should be
restored, instead, from the IE installation files, usually stored in
C:\Windows Updates Setup Files. And that's just one example in
thousands. Restoring the wrong version of a file may allow a totally
screwed up system to function again, but you would want to know where
the most recent item came from so that you could reinstall it. I used to
use the DLL Help Database as microsoft.com in order to determine which
versions came form where and where to obtain replacements.
Unfortunately, some idiot at Microsoft has totally screwed up the DLL
Help Database. It is currently worthless, even for system that are still
being fully supported.

Also, in the original Windows 9x setup files, there are occasionally two
versions of a file. One that is used during Setup and a different one
that is installed later for normal Windows. SFC, when pointed to a
directory, searches the directory itself, first, then searches inside
CAB files. Because the files that are used in Setup get searched before
the files that are eventually installed, the file that's used in Setup
(not for normal Windows) gets chosen to restore. Most famous example is
User.exe, because it's quite frequently flagged as "wrong" (sometimes it
is, sometimes it isn't), and is replaced with the wrong version.

SFC is like most other utilities that analyze your system. If you don't
know enough to decide for yourself whether a prompt to "fix" something
is the proper action to take, then you shouldn't use it at all.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"jane" <jane@internet.com> wrote in message
newsk%23GIvMGFHA.1924@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> > Using the SFC scan can cause problems and void any updates. Just
> > extract the one file.
>
> Hello Bill,
> sorry for the butt-in, but I do it when I notice something I
> too am interested in.
> The thing here is my noticing the Caution implied when using SFC,
> just why is that?
> I'm seen it here before and read about it at sites, it always has the
> same vibe about it, Cautious.
> Is there a time when it can be used/run without fear, or is it
something
> that perhaps microsoft should have been more wary about
> when including it with O/S's.
>
> thanks.
>
> regards Jane
>
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,microsoft.public.win98.performance (More info?)

On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 19:16:08 +1100, Alan Edwards
<edwards@southcom.com.au> wrote:

>In microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion, Bill Watt <nobwatt@epix.net>
>wrote:
>
>>On 21 Feb 2005 20:44:42 -0800, "mike" <trvlnmny@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>>I am using W98. When I right click on My Computer on the Desktop and
>>>then left click on Properties nothing happens.
>>>Any help will be appreciated.
>>
>>Mike,
>>
>>Find the SYSDM.CPL file in the Windows folder and d-click it, if it
>>doesn't display the applet then it may be corrupt.
>
>Bill, in Win98, it should be in the System folder, not the Windows
>folder.
>
>...Alan

Alan,

Thanks for the heads up. I even found the file to be sure and
copy/pasted the name then got the folder wrong. :-(

Regards,

Bill Watt
Computer Help and Information http://home.epix.net/~bwatt/