[Windows 98 getting slower over time]

grandbusbee · 31st October 2008

I have a Windows 98 system. My computer is getting slower and slower. I have went to Internet Short Cuts and deleted cookies and temporary Internet files. I have my history to delete after two days. When I try to run my scandisk it finally sends a message that it has tried to scan ten times and then stops. It says a program is running, but I don't have anything running. I have my defragment program set to run for twelve hours til it completes. It will run the whole twelve hours and will not complete. It will run for a few minutes and then start all over again.I have 37% of my resources free. I have deleted all the programs that I do not need. I checked on my memory and it says its 80% free space available. I do not know how to speed my system up. I have had the defragmenting program complete in ten to fifteen minutes or even two hours, but never like this. What do I do. Thanks for your help!

**Rockster2U** · 31st October 2008

First of all, welcome to WindowsBBS - we're glad to have you as a new member of the community.

I'm going to enclose a set of instructions that one of our members, Mike Flynn, put together a few years ago for cleaning up Windows 98. They certainly worked well for me.

These are for 95 98 only!

Boot to DOS (not shutdown to DOS). While booting hit F8 to startup menu. Chose "command prompt only".

Type these commands exactly hit enter at the end (do not type the notes that are in parenthesis like this).

del c:\*.swp (may get file not found, is ok)

del c:\windows\*.swp

deltree /y c:\windows\shelli*.*

deltree /y c:\windows\temp\*.*

deltree /y c:\windows\tempor~1\*.*

deltree /y c:\windows\history\*.*

deltree /y c:\windows\spool\printers\*.*

deltree /y c:\windows\taskmon.exe

deltree /y c:\windows\applog

NOTE: deleting of taskmon and applog above are optional and may be skipped but they are well known to be useless and actually slow a defrag and waste disk space and also rob CPU resources since it runs in memory all the time. I would clear them!

Then boot to safe mode and do the following

Configure CleanMgr to max settings
Go to Start-Run and type

cleanmgr /sageset:1
the above need only be ran once (these settings will be remembered as the default until another sageset is ran).

It will present a menu select all, then

Go to Start-Run and type

cleanmgr /sagerun:1
As long as /sageset above has been ran on this computer from now on the /sagerun:1 is the only thing that needs to run.

NOW do the scan and defrag WHILE IN SAFE MODE!

These cleanups should help overall performance and stability.

Good Luck

**Admin.** · 31st October 2008

Please follow our Posting Rules (#3 - Meaningful Subject).

I have adjusted your subject.

grandbusbee · 31st October 2008

Everything went fine until I tried to go to safemode. How do I do it. Thanks Dan

**Rockster2U** · 1st November 2008

Tap F8 at start-up and select Safe Mode. Don't worry about how it looks - only basic video drivers are going to loaded for a Safe Mode start-up.

**markp62** · 1st November 2008

Two ways to do it.
1st method: When booting up, be tapping the F8 key right before it says "Starting Windows 98" or the Win98 startup logo appears. Then select Safe Mode using the arrow keys and press Enter.
2nd method: Go to Start\Run, type in "msconfig" and press Enter. Click on the Advanced tab, then put a check in the box for Start Menu, and reboot. Then select Safe Mode using the arrow keys and press Enter.

visionof · 2nd November 2008

two other things to check out or three

1) run spyware scans - that is the most common means of computer and internet slowdowns

the latest adaware will not work in 98 -
a program called spybot does

http://www.download.com/Spybot-Searc...dlPid=10861988

do the updates , do the scan and remove all it finds
as well ensure that you have an antivirus with an up to date virus definitions list. Stay away from the newer norton antivirus ( do not know if they will run on 98 anyways)
avast and antivir will run on 98

2) check your startup programs

you can go start > run > msconfig to check

here is a free utility

http://www.download.com/Startup-Insp...dlPid=10452094

3) make sure that your drive is not too full and run a defrag as well

start >all programs > accessories > system tools > defrag

**Rockster2U** · 2nd November 2008

Quote:

3) make sure that your drive is not too full and run a defrag as well

start >all programs > accessories > system tools > defrag

Sometimes it pays to read a thread and the previous posts before offering advice. Then again, maybe I just don't understand this correctly ...........

1) READY
2) SHOOT
3) AIM

ah ha ........ I think I've got it now.

hawk22 · 2nd November 2008

and last but not least, turn off any screen savers and set system to turn off:never
screen savers and themes have always restarted defrag in Win 98.
hawk22

grandbusbee · 3rd November 2008

When I am on the DOS screen and I have put in the proper commands, do I press Ctrl, Alt, and then Delete all at the same time? I don't know how else to get out of this and go to safe mode. Dan

**markp62** · 4th November 2008

If you in a pure dos screen, not being in windows, pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL should reboot your computer.