My PC is screwed up.  I just did a complete reformat of C and the problems I had been having have only been reduced, but aren't gone. My system is Win98SE, 256MB RAM, 80G HD, and I use ZoneAlarm Pro and Firefox (whenever not forced to using IE6).  I can post a .txt file of the basic system I've got, from SiSandra, so you'll have most of what else you might need.  I don't know how this could be a hardware problem, but who knows? I sure don't.  I've been having freezing problems, too, particularly when on the Internet.  My expert switched out my CPU chip, which he said was not compatible with my upgraded system.  The problem had been devastating, but isn't completely gone, even now, though it's more at a nuisance level.  I mention it in case there might be a connection to the problem mentioned below.

A number of software installers can't find system files, even though they're right where they ought to be in C:\Windows\System, and they also tell me that a device attached to my system isn't functioning, which is ridiculous after a clean reboot.  Firefox can't play videos on cnn.com, because it can't "find" my Windows Media Player, even though I have the latest version and it is right where it belongs, too.  IE6 can play the videos, but I hate IE6.  WMP does seem to require ActiveX, and Firefox intentionally doesn't support this open invitation to malware, but has plugins which are supposed to allow WMP to play videos through Firefox.  It doesn't deny access to the videos; it simply gives a new window that says it isn't installed, with a link to MS so I can get it.  But it is installed, and Firefox isn't able to detect it.

The problem seems to me to be coming from the directory tree screwup which forced me to reformat in the first place.  I had several "Desktop" directories.  The one in C:\Windows\All Users, I've learned, belongs there, but not the one I had in C:\windows\Profiles.  There are only the two proper Desktop folders on my system since the reformat, but the problem with the directory tree has not gone away, even though the reinstall of W98SE went without a hitch.

It causes problems, because when I get one of those open or save dialog boxes, it'll show Program Files with a generic icon, not the yellow folder.  If I click it, I won't get to see the subdirectories, nor can anything be opened or saved there.  I have to "browse" to C: first, then to Program Files, and then it operates the way it should.

Something has screwed my directory tree, and I think it's responsible for these installers that can't find the files that are right there, and Firefox being unable to find my WMP.  Apparently some programs browse my directory tree to find what they want step-by-step and others use a different way, perhaps a kind of shortcut.

Whatever it is, I know for certain that Program Files (and possibly System, too) has a doppelganger, a ghost folder with the right name but nonfunctioning.  I can't find the ghost with any method I know, other than bumping into it while using my PC.  It doesn't show up in a search, for instance.

The problem is not the same as it was before the FORMAT, but it isn't much better.  What can survive a complete reformat?  Only something like malware in the boot sector, is my guess.  I'd like to know what some of the real pros will have to say, though, because I'm only at a moderate level of expertise.  Since formatting, many utilities and games have the same install problem - they can't find necessary system files that I actually do have, and some device, which is never specified, is said to be inoperative.  I don't have any way to find out what device they're talking about, so I can't investigate it.

Please let me know if you have any bright ideas about what's causing all of this, and thanks.  I just HOPE I won't have to do the reformat thing again, but a little green voice is telling me I probably will.  That's okay, as long as I can know that THIS time, the problem will be gone.  Until then, reformating is pointless.

Holly B.If you have hardware problems, the operating system cannot function normally.

i am not convinced you do not have hardware problems. With the story of the processor/motherboard switching around I think you should consult your expert again

What motherboard and what processor?
Thanks very  much for replying.

My motherboard is a VIA Technologies, Inc. P4X266E-8235, and I wish I'd never gotten it.  It's totally lousy.

My CPU was just switched out.  It used to be a Intel Celeron 2.4Ghz, and is now a Celeron 2.2Ghz.  I'd been having intense freezes which made my system unusable.  I had to very quickly launch the GAME Dune2000 in order to stop the freezes, and keep it running while I did other things.  Otherwise, the PC would freeze within 15 seconds of bootup.  It was wierd, and rather hard to live with.

My expert said the CPU wasn't compatible with the other pieces of my upgraded system; he swapped it out, and only charged me a tiny bit for his time.  The freezes stopped - for a while, but are beginning again, the same way - first slowly, infrequently, and getting worse and more frequent.  This could indeed be yet another hardware problem.

If you'd like, I have a Sandra .txt report on my basic system.  I don't see how I can attach it here, but if you say it's okay, I can copy/paste it into a reply.

If the problem IS my HD, how can I go about testing it?  I don't know how to use SmartDrive, nor do I know whether it could detect the problem, even if I did.

It would be good to know what the problem really is, before making costly changes.

Thanks again,
Holly B.<>

If that is part of the symptoms, then hard drive would be very low in my list of suspects.

I think we should look at motherboard/CPU/BIOS settings first. Any one else agree?Sorry it took so long to get back.  I don't know jack about dealing with motherboard/BIOS/CPU settings.  Such things stand my hair on end; it's geeky to the max, and the smallest error could ruin my system.

But I'm game to try anything.  What do you recommend I do?  I don't know how to even find these settings, much less improve them.

I've just been living with the problem.  I like the game Dune2000, but having to load it to do anything AT ALL with my PC isn't my idea of fun.  It seems to be the only application which has the magical power to keep my PC from freezing right away.  It still freezes, ESPECIALLY if I go online, but I get much more time with my PC with the game loaded.  Wierd, huh?

One thing I'm considering is a complete reformat of C:/, but this time using the /u switch, which I understand will yield a genuine reformat, rather than one which reuses the old registry.  If you reformatted because of problems, and the problem was in the registry, you could get the problems right back.  I had always thought that a format of C:/ was a complete wipe.  Now I know it isn't, and I'm pretty pissed that this factoid isn't generally available to the public.  I thought I was getting a complete wipe, but wasn't.

But before reformatting - again - I want to dig up some answers first, know what I mean, jellybean?

Tell me what you need from me to find these settings and I'll get down to it right away.

Thanks,
Hollyi think its a bad virus especially since you said it locks often when you go on the internet mabye someones hijacking your comp try going into safe mode (if win98 has it im not sure) and running virus scans and spyware scans. it might be your hardware who knows? if everything fails take it to like a trusted computer store not one of those private ones arund the corner and tell them to wipe your disk COMPLETELY so theres ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on it. if that still wont work buy a new hard driveI'm thinking virus/malware maybe. Is the Win98 CD genuine or copied?

If it's genuine, install your OS, and AV (Certified malware free), anti malware (Spybot and Ad-Aware will be fine) and more importantly, your firewall (Also certified malware free). Now you can connect to the internet but only to Windows Update (Critical updates only!) and to update your AV, malware, firewall defs.
Install nothing else until you've done this.