David Hall <dhall@iname.com wrote in message
news:7i8n69$rtd$1@nclient3-gui.server.ntli.net...
  Since installing Win98, my computer has been far more crash-prone than was
  previously the case. Sometimes, it just resets w/out any previous signs of
a crash, and often I get bluescreens (mainly fatal errors). Is there any way
  to detect or fix the problem w/out formatting the hard-drive??? TIA

  -- -------

The common causes of this behaviour include:

(1) Device drivers in need of updating.  Check at the manufacturer's sites
(not at Windows Updates) for the latest drivers, especially video card
drivers.

(2) BIOS or other system updates your system requires for Windows 98.  Check
at your computer/motherboard manufacturer's site for updates.

(3) Bad memory modules.  Windows 98 works your memory a lot harder than
Windows 95 did because of changes in the memory management scheme.  You can
try substituting known good modules - or sometimes all you need to do is
remove the old modules, clean the contacts with an electronic cleaning
solution and the module sockets with compressed air, then replace and firmly
reseat the modules.

(4) Add-on software designed for Windows 95 that requires updated components
to work properly with Windows 98.  Programs like FirstAid, Norton Utilities,
CleanSweep and the like often require updates to work properly under Windows
98 and can cause crashes if not updated.

(5) If you have CrashGuard installed and enabled, disable and remove it.
For a large number of users it is a major cause of system stability
problems.

(6) If you installed Windows 98 over the top of Windows 95, or were running
Beta test software prior to installing Windows 98 you may need to reformat
and reinstall.  I know you don't want to hear this, but sometimes this is
the only solution.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP-DTS] - rgharper@email.com
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