<***@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message news:XMHSf.6032$***@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.n
et...
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comPost by Swart SimonHad a look at the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files
and, although I must confess that much of it is
'Greek'
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comPost by Swart Simonto me, it didn't look as if anything unusual is
being
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comIn most cases, those files should be pretty much
empty on a Win98
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comsystem.
Post by Swart SimonAccording to Device Manager the parallel port was
working properly.
I then 'removed' the parallel port. When rebooting
a
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comPost by Swart Simonmessage came up asking me, if I remember correctly,
to
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comPost by Swart Simoninsert the original Windows disc. Despite just
about
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comPost by Swart Simonturning my house upside down I could not find what
looked like the disc that I thought was required.
You should have received a Windows 98 CD if the
system came with
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comWindows 98 installed. If one was not included, you
should probably
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comshop elsewhere next time you buy a computer.
Post by Swart SimonAll I could find in the package I got with the
machine
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comPost by Swart Simon(when I bought it 5 years ago) were two CDs, the
first
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comPost by Swart Simonsaying on the printed label: "3rd Party Chipset
Series
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comPost by Swart SimonMainboard Utility CD - Chipsets/Audio/Network
Drivers"
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comPost by Swart Simon(and that didn't look like the right one), and the
second relating to the modem software. Thinking
that
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comPost by Swart Simonmaybe the first disc was the one that was required I
inserted it. I then got some kind of error message
which, if I remember correctly, said something to
the
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comPost by Swart Simoneffect that what it was looking for could not be
found.
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comThere should be a way around this. Did it say what
file it was
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comlooking for? If you could point it to the location
of that file, it
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comwill probably work. It may be in your Windows\System
directory since
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comyou had it installed previously. You could use the
Windows Find
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comutility (on the Start menu) to search the hard disk
if you know the
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comname of the file it wants.
Post by Swart SimonI got past the error message, whereafter the machine
worked normally (except of course for the printer).
If
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comPost by Swart SimonI now go into Device Manager, 'ECP Printer Port'
which,
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comPost by Swart Simonif I remember correctly, was listed under the item
'Ports (COM & LPT)' before I 'removed' it, is now
listed under a new (?) item called 'Other devices'
with
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comPost by Swart Simona big yellow question mark.
I seem to be digging myself a hole which is getting
deeper and deeper. Maybe time to buy a new
machine.....
Well, you do seem to be using some pretty old stuff.
But if this
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comproblem you're having is the only reason you're
considering upgrading,
Post by D***@ix.netcom.comit shouldn't be necessary.
I have managed to re-install the parallel port, in the
way you have suggested. (Yes, it was from the
Windows\System directory.)
I have also deleted the printer in the Printers section
of Control Panel, and re-installed it. ( I had to do
this from the Windows\System directory as well, because
it was asking me to insert the Windows 98 CD.)
But, bad news, the printer still does not work - the
'ready' light does not come on if I reboot. (By the
way, it is an old Epson RX80 from the (don't laugh)
early 1980's - in my view a superb piece of
engineering.)
So, maybe there is a problem with the Autoexec.bat or
Config.sys files. To me they are not 'pretty much
empty' as you say they should be. I am copying the
contents hereunder. Can you tell if there is something
wrong here? What makes me doubt that there is, is that
the two files have exactly the same date and
time-of-day as all the other files in the directory
where they are located (Windows\Command\Ebd).
_Autoexec.bat:_
------------------------------------
@ECHO OFF
set EXPAND=YES
SET DIRCMD=/O:N
set LglDrv=27 * 26 Z 25 Y 24 X 23 W 22 V 21 U 20 T 19 S
18 R 17 Q
16 P 15
set LglDrv=%LglDrv% O 14 N 13 M 12 L 11 K 10 J 9 I 8 H
7 G 6 F 5
E 4 D 3 C
cls
call setramd.bat %LglDrv%
set temp=c:\
set tmp=c:\
path=%RAMD%:\;a:\;%CDROM%:\
copy command.com %RAMD%:\ > NUL
set comspec=%RAMD%:\command.com
copy extract.exe %RAMD%:\ > NUL
copy readme.txt %RAMD%:\ > NUL
:ERROR
IF EXIST ebd.cab GOTO EXT
echo Please insert Windows 98 Startup Disk 2
echo.
pause
GOTO ERROR
:EXT
%RAMD%:\extract /y /e /l %RAMD%: ebd.cab > NUL
echo The diagnostic tools were successfully loaded to
drive
%RAMD%.
echo.
IF "%config%"=="NOCD" GOTO QUIT
IF "%config%"=="HELP" GOTO HELP
LH %ramd%:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001 /L:%CDROM%
echo.
GOTO QUIT
:HELP
cls
call help.bat
echo Your computer will now restart and the startup
menu will
appear.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
restart.com
GOTO QUIT
:QUIT
echo To get help, type HELP and press ENTER.
echo.
rem clean up environment variables
set CDROM=
set LglDrv=
------------------------------------
_Config.sys_
[menu]
menuitem=CD, Start computer with CD-ROM support.
menuitem=NOCD, Start computer without CD-ROM support.
menuitem=HELP, View the Help file.
menudefault=CD,30
menucolor=7,0
[CD]
device=himem.sys /testmem:off
device=oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
device=btdosm.sys
device=flashpt.sys
device=btcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
device=aspi2dos.sys
device=aspi8dos.sys
device=aspi4dos.sys
device=aspi8u2.sys
device=aspicd.sys /D:mscd001
[NOCD]
device=himem.sys /testmem:off
[HELP]
device=himem.sys /testmem:off
[COMMON]
files=10
buffers=10
dos=high,umb
stacks=9,256
devicehigh=ramdrive.sys /E 2048
lastdrive=z
------------------------------------
I see there is another Config.sys file (in C:\), but
this is completely empty.
Simon