Windows behaving strangely

  • Thread starter Thread starter Alexander Baron
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A

Alexander Baron

I've just had Windows 98 reinstalled after a disaster and it's
behaving strangely; Media Player and graphics are horrible, and some
on-line gaming programs freeze. I've downloaded all the updates but
there is something wrong with the system. Apart from Scan disk and the
obvious, what can I do to check it, and how can I put it right?
 
Alexander Baron said:
I've just had Windows 98 reinstalled after a disaster and it's
behaving strangely; Media Player and graphics are horrible, and some
on-line gaming programs freeze. I've downloaded all the updates but
there is something wrong with the system. Apart from Scan disk and the
obvious, what can I do to check it, and how can I put it right?
Click to expand...

Media Player and graphics being horrible after a reinstall usually means
that you forgot to install a video card driver or you installed the wrong
driver, or you installed the right one but failed to adjust the properties
correctly in the display settings dialogue box.

Try right clicking on the desktop, then click properties, then settings.
See if it shows the resolution at 640 x 480 and 256 colors. If it lets you
select higher settings and works, then you might solve your problems. If it
offers no better settings, then you should investigate what video card you
have in that machine and go download the right drivers for it.

The games may freeze if you have the wrong vid drivers as above (but
there's no real telling until you solve the driver problem first).

Good luck.
-Dr.X
 
Alexander said:
I've just had Windows 98 reinstalled after a disaster and it's
behaving strangely; Media Player and graphics are horrible, and some
on-line gaming programs freeze. I've downloaded all the updates but
there is something wrong with the system. Apart from Scan disk and the
obvious, what can I do to check it, and how can I put it right?
Click to expand...

What kind of a disaster? Did you just reinstall Windows, or do a
reformat, reinstall?
 
optikl said:
What kind of a disaster? Did you just reinstall Windows, or do a
reformat, reinstall?
Click to expand...

Check out my threads in the anti-virus groups. I thought the machine
was completely trashed by my technician took out the hare drive,
backed up the data to his, reinstalled Windows then copied it back.
I've just downloaded all the latest stuff from the Microsoft update
site.
 
Try right clicking on the desktop, then click properties, then settings.
See if it shows the resolution at 640 x 480 and 256 colors. If it lets you
select higher settings and works, then you might solve your problems. If it
offers no better settings, then you should investigate what video card you
have in that machine and go download the right drivers for it.

The games may freeze if you have the wrong vid drivers as above (but
there's no real telling until you solve the driver problem first).

Good luck.
-Dr.X
Click to expand...

I've already checked that; it was on 256 colours and 640; I changed it
on advice to 1024 but all it has done is make the screen smaller; it
still plays horrible and the games still freeze.


How do I go about changing drivers?
 
Alexander said:
Check out my threads in the anti-virus groups. I thought the machine
was completely trashed by my technician took out the hare drive,
backed up the data to his, reinstalled Windows then copied it back.
I've just downloaded all the latest stuff from the Microsoft update
site.
Click to expand...

First of all, I don't qualify new postings by searching news groups
using the writer's name to see if there are any clues from previous
messages. Secondly, your description of events isn't at all illuminating
and doesn't suggest why you think the machine was trashed in the first
place. Anyway, treat the symptoms like Dr X suggests. Hopefully, that
works for you.
 
Check out my threads in the anti-virus groups. I thought the machine
was completely trashed by my technician took out the hare drive,
backed up the data to his, reinstalled Windows then copied it back.
I've just downloaded all the latest stuff from the Microsoft update
site.
Click to expand...

Did you re-install the mainboard drivers? Can you set the display
properties to 640x768 and 16-bit colour? Reinstall the video driver.

Cheers,
Larry
 
(e-mail address removed) (Alexander Baron) wrote in
I've just had Windows 98 reinstalled after a disaster and it's
behaving strangely; Media Player and graphics are horrible, and some
on-line gaming programs freeze. I've downloaded all the updates but
there is something wrong with the system. Apart from Scan disk and the
obvious, what can I do to check it, and how can I put it right?
Click to expand...

See:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=827315
 
Alexander Baron said:
I've already checked that; it was on 256 colours and 640; I changed it
on advice to 1024 but all it has done is make the screen smaller; it
still plays horrible and the games still freeze.


How do I go about changing drivers?
Click to expand...

Well, I'm only suggesting the driver issue because that's what the
symptoms sound like. So you can call your doctor and tell him your side
hurts and he says broken rib. But he can't say for sure until you go see him
and he discovers there's a knife stuck in your side. hmmmm....

Anyway, to update video drivers, you have to know first what kind of
video card it is. Manufacture and model. Then go to that manufactures site
and click on their downloads/drivers link, select your vid card and
operating system, get the driver and follow their instructions.

-Dr.X
 
w postings by searching news groups
using the writer's name to see if there are any clues from previous
messages. Secondly, your description of events isn't at all illuminating
and doesn't suggest why you think the machine was trashed in the first
place. Anyway, treat the symptoms like Dr X suggests. Hopefully, that
works for you.
Click to expand...


Briefly, I downloaded a program called CCLEANER on advice for getting
rid of a Trojan, and it wiped out most of my Windows files; there was
also an error in the registry.

My technician removed my hard disk, backed up to his drive,
reinstalled Windows, and copied the data back.

I've downloaded all the updates from Microsoft but the machine is
still acting strangely.
 
w postings by searching news groups


Briefly, I downloaded a program called CCLEANER on advice for getting
rid of a Trojan, and it wiped out most of my Windows files; there was
also an error in the registry.

My technician removed my hard disk, backed up to his drive,
reinstalled Windows, and copied the data back.

I've downloaded all the updates from Microsoft but the machine is
still acting strangely.
Click to expand...
define acting strangely
what os are you running? windows 98? xp?
if you want help please give as much info as possible
relloman
 
I've just subscribed to Safe Share but when I tried to download music I
got an error message. I've been told this is due to a firewall; the
only protection I have on my machine at present is AVG and Spyware
Doctor, not sure about ntl's Broadband Medic.

Can anyone tell me how I can get around the firewall, or perhaps alter
the settings so that I can download from this particular site? I've
tried Control Panel but this is really all Greek to me.

Thanks
 
I've just subscribed to Safe Share but when I tried to download music I
got an error message. I've been told this is due to a firewall; the
only protection I have on my machine at present is AVG and Spyware
Doctor, not sure about ntl's Broadband Medic.

Can anyone tell me how I can get around the firewall, or perhaps alter
the settings so that I can download from this particular site? I've
tried Control Panel but this is really all Greek to me.
Click to expand...

What FW are you talking about, since you say you only have malware
detection software running on your machine? That's unless you're running
the XP O/S with SP 2 applied that would enable XP's FW by default.

Duane :)
 
boot in safe mode and look in the device manager to see if you have multiple
monitors, keyboards, ports etc installed. Sometimes you end up with
multiple things installed in your device manager and it results in periodic
system barfing, freezing, etc. you can remove and let them be recognized
during normal startup- which will prompt for a windows 98 install CD.
 
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