Geek help urgently needed

[fluffymark]

Who knows how to fix a very ill computer? Windows 98 gurus required urgently.

My housemate snow_leopard's computer is not in a good way this morning. Basics of what happened:

She installed some new software (label making package) this morning. Windows 98 then stopped working, complaining certain DLL files were now missing or corrupt. I'm guessing it overwrote some of them with old versions. Safe mode refused to load correctly too. (Explorer crashes upon loading, and we get an empty Windows screen with no menus, icons - just the mouse pointer). The only thing that works is a reboot.

Decided it was bad enough to reinstall Windows 98. This was done, but at the final stages it would not recognize F: (the CD drive) exists and refused to allow it as a valid location to install drivers from. After skipping the drivers, and attempting to run Windows again, there is no improvement.

In fact, things are worse - the CD drive no longer exists according to the computer. I'm using a floppy disk with CD drivers on, which worked the first time I tried reinstalling windows this morning, but now refuses to install any CD drivers on the grounds that it cannot locate a CD drive. Hence I can't even access the Windows install CD anymore.

Damn Windows. Any clues? Its looking as if we're searching for a friendly person with a spare Windows 98 install CD, with CD drivers that work.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Update: It's being random. It's decided the CD drive exists again now. Which is good, but I don't know why it failed to find it before. Am attempting another reinstall.

Further update: Have come to the conclusion the copy of the Win98 CD we have is dead.

Comments

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I might, but I think Ducnan's got it. Let me check and get back to you. Would arrive Wednesday at the earliest by post if we could find it...

[fluffymark]

Thankyou - that would be very useful. I'll get back to you later if all other attempts to install it from the copy of Windows 98 in this house have failed. Hopefully it's just being random and will work if i hit it hard enough (this usually works).

[arkady.livejournal.com]

Whereabouts are you? I have a Win98SE CD sitting in front of me right now....

[fluffymark]

Oh that would be excellent if you could get it to us. You're a star! :) We live near Thatched House (border of Stratford and Leytonstone). Whereabout are you? I may (or may not depending on how my hangover goes) be in the dev about 5-5.30pm later if that helps any.
Catt's friend Nathan has offered his Win98 CD on Tuesday, and firewoman can't get her copy to us before Wednesday, so if we can get it from you before Tuesday, that would be fab. If this seems possible, we can come up with a cunning plan to meet somewhere.
*hugs*

[arkady.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I'm in Winchmore Hill (near Southgate); however I may well be in the Dev later after I've done a quick pikey-mart run to pick up rat supplies. Probable ETA about 6pm I think. I'll bring the CD with me.

[incy.livejournal.com]

I have win98 cds at work (that is between Moorgate and Liverpool Street). If it is desperate I can get them today. Are you sure the Cd drive itself is OK (it sounds far more likely to be the cause, could even explain the other failures, if ti finds no drive it can do all sorts of un things). At the very leas have you checked all the cables going inot it are in properly? If one is slightly lose might explain why it works some of the time.

[fluffymark]

Yay! I'm up for the dev. Am meeting spidosaur in there soon after 5ish (which means I probably should get a move on...eeep). They will be going for noodles after, but i'm noodled out so i think i'll stay in the dev, and wait for you and the CD. :)

[fluffymark]

Looks like i'm getting a CD from arkady.

That CD drive has been playing up a bit recently, so you may be correct in your diagnosis. A couple of weeks back Catt's CD drive wouldn't read some photos off a CD which worked perfectly in the CD drive in my machine. I've seen that sort of thing cause all sorts of mayhem in the past, so maybe she needs a new CD drive.

[fluffymark]

Just so you know, although I assume you'll have already read my recent post by the time you read this - don't need Win98 CD anymore thanks to arkady, but the chaos continues unabated.