>After a massive struggle with W98 and the lockup problems
>with NAV over the past 2 days -- I think I have finally got to
>the bottom of the problem for W98 users.
>
>It turns out that the W98 problem is not caused by the JVM
>Update, but by the Y2K update!  Consequently, the problems
>W95 users are having and the problems that W98 users are
>having -- though they produce the same problems (stalls,
>lockups, IPFs) -- are caused by completely different
>circumstances.
>
>
>Here's what I've found:
>
>1. The Y2K update for W98 updates several system DLLs.
>
>    However, the Y2K update *also* patches IO.SYS, the
>    main DOS 7.1 bootup-file that starts your machine before
>    W98 even begins to load.
>
>2. The Y2K update-DLLs and the IO.SYS file are a matched
>    set.  Mismatches will cause stalls, lockups and GPFs.
>
>3. The Y2K patch cannot be installed with *any* on-the-fly
>    Virus Scanner (be it Norton, McAfee or whatever) running.
>
>    If the Y2K patch is installed with an on-the-fly Virus Scanner
>    running, this will prevent the update of IO.SYS, (although
>    the date/time info changes, the info inside the file does not)
>    producing the very mismatch mentioned in Item2 -- along
>    with all the instability problems that occur when the Y2K
>    update DLLs and IO.SYS are mismatched.
>
>4. All "rescue" disks, such as the W95 Boot Disks, W95
>    Emergency disks, Anti-virus rescue disks, the Norton
>    rescue disks, Zip-rescue disks, DOS-based Tape-Backup
>    disks, etc., *must* be updated with the new IO.SYS or
>    there will be endless problems when booting from floppies
>    and trying to work with W98 -- due to the DLL/IO.SYS
>    mismatch problems.
>
>
>How to tell if you've got the problem:
>
>1. Try to go to the Windows Update website.  If you have
>    the DLL/IO.SYS mismatch, you will get an IPF in
>    Explorer when the update page tries to query your
>    machine to find out what is already installed.
>
>2. Another test is to open Windows Explorer, navigate
>    to the C:\Windows\System folder, and try to scroll
>    quickly up and down the file-list.  You will get the
>    same IPF as found in Item1 if you scroll quickly
>    enough that W98 has to use the swapfile and cache
>    routines to show the screen-info.
>
>2. If you confirm that the Y2K patch is not properly
>    installed -- you must manually perform the Y2K
>    update WITH YOUR VIRUS SCANNER DISABLED
>    in order to properly update your system.
>
>
>How to perform the manual update:
>
>1. Normally, the Y2K update file itself will be found
>    in one of the subfolders off your
>    C:\WINDOWS\msdownload.tmp folder.
>
>    Note: Each update down from the W95 Updates
>             page will produce a subfolder off the page
>             with a randomly-generated name.  This is
>             normal and correct.
>
>             Move into each of the randomly-named
>             subfolders in sequence.  You should find
>             two or three files in each subfolder.
>             Folders with only two files are "control"
>             subfolders, and can be deleted.  Folders
>             with 3 or more files are "payload" subfolders,
>             and actually contain the update-programs
>             the W98 update-engine uses.
>
>2. You are looking for a folder which contains the file
>    Y2K.EXE.  Once you have found this folder, move
>    the Y2K.EXE file to an unrelated subfolder.  You
>    will need this update again in future if something
>    goes wrong with your system.   Once you have
>    Y2K.EXE -- *ensure* you have a proper backup
>    of this file.
>
>3. If you cannot find the Y2K.EXE file on your system,
>    then you will have to get someone who has the file
>    to send it to you.
>
>    If you have another machine with e-mail access,
>    get a friend who has the file to mail it to that machine
>    as an attachment.
>
>    Note: The machine receiving the e-mail with the
>             file does not have to be a W98 machine.
>
>             All you need to do is get the W98 Y2K.EXE
>             file in your hands - by whatever means.
>
>4. Once you have the Y2K.EXE file, open W98 and
>    close everything that could possibly be running
>    in the background.  This includes the Microsoft
>    Office toolbar, System Tray items such as
>    Norton Crashguard and anything else in the
>    System tray that has an "Exit" command.
>
>5. Any remaining System Tray items that cannot
>    be removed should be disabled if possible.
>
>    It is *absolutely mandatory* to disable all
>    on-the-fly virus-scanner-related utilities for
>    the Y2K patch to install correctly.
>
>6. Open a W98 DOSbox, navigate to the Y2K.EXE
>    location, and run the Y2K.EXE patch from there.
>
>7.  The patch will install and then prompt to reboot
>     your machine.  At this point, you *must* shutdown
>     and restart for the update to be applied correctly.
>
>8. After the reboot, you should find your system now
>    runs stably.  The lockup problems at startup and
>    the instability problems with Windows and Internet
>    Explorer should be gone.
>
>9. If your machine does run stably after the above
>    update -- ensure that you properly update each
>    and every one of your "Emergency" or "Rescue"
>    disk-sets so your DOS files match properly
>    between your boot-floppies and your
>    newly-updated Hard Disk files.
>
>    You can perform this update by opening a W98
>    DOSbox, putting the "Boot" disk (normally the first
>    disk of a multi-disk "Rescue" set) into the floppy drive,
>    and typing "SYS A: <return>" from the C: prompt
>    in the DOSbox.
>
>    The above will update IO.SYS and a bunch of
>    other files on the floppy with the updated versions
>    from your Hard Disk.  Voila -- things are fixed... <g>
>
>
>Caveats, wrinkles and "gotchas":
>
>1. According to the W98 update website, the
>    Y2K update *requires* the installation of the latest
>    MS JVM before the Y2K update will work
>    correctly.
>
>2. Actually, what is needed is the latest OAINST
>    update and Regsvr32.exe -- these are packaged
>    with the MS JVM update.
>
>3. The easiest way to ensure you have the proper
>    files installed before you run the Y2K.EXE is to
>    download and install the stand-alone
>    MSJavX86.exe Build 3158 update from the MS
>    Java website.
>
>    I have confirmed that the Java cabs in this
>    package and the OAINST.EXE update in this
>    package are identical to the cabs found in the
>    W98 Java Virtual Machine update available
>    through the W98 update site.
>
>    The manual-update package contains an installer
>    which checks the version of Windows on which it
>    is installing -- and performs the appropriate
>    patches only.
>
>    The manual-update package does NOT perform
>    either the DCOM95 or CRYPTSYS updates on
>    W98 machines -- which is consistent with my
>    observations in a previous post that the files in
>    those updates are older than those supplied with
>    W98.
>
>    Consequently, it is perfectly acceptable to use
>    the MSJavX86.exe (Build 3158) update file to
>    prepare the machine for the Y2K.EXE patch.
>
>    Note: If you know you have run the JVM
>             update in the past, you don't need to
>             worry about the above problem.
>
>             As far as I am aware, everyone who
>             has run into this problem after performing
>             updates to W98 will already be running
>             an updated JVM before the Y2K patch is
>             run.
>
>4. If possible, do not "stack" the Y2K patch along
>    with other patches from the W98 update site.
>
>    In my experience, it is OK to download and
>    install the W98 Java Virtual Machine update
>    (along with any other desired updates) in a
>    group of download-items from the W98 update
>    site.  However, it is best to ensure that all other
>    items are fully and correctly installed before
>    running the Y2K update as a standalone item.
>
>
>Final recommendations:
>
>1. Norton users should confirm they are running
>    the latest patches for NU95/NAV on their
>    machines.
>
>    Note: People updating to NU95 Version 3.09
>             must run the Live-Update procedure at
>             least *twice* before they have the latest
>             updates available.
>
>             Since the release of NU95 V3.09, a
>             small update (366K) has been released
>             which improves the capability of NU95V3
>             to shutdown without system hangs.  It
>             is important to install this update.
>
>             Furthermore, when updating any Norton
>             product -- it is always best to revisit the
>             Live-Update procedure as many times
>             as necessary, until a dialog appears which
>             tells you your system is completely up to
>             date.
>
>             In some cases, Symantec require a
>             machine to be patched to a certain level
>             before the next set of updates can be
>             installed.   The procedure in the above
>             paragraph ensures you are actually
>             running all the patches and updates
>             available for your product.
>
>
>Hope this helps.  <whew><wiping brow>
>
>
>
>Best I can do for now. <tm>
>
>
>Bill