Rerunning Windows Set-up (heaven help me)

Rerunning Windows Set-up

I may have been the last person alive with a smoothly running version of Windows 98SE that didn’t BSOD every half hour "“ but McAfee "corrected" that for me this weekend. I was forced to replace my two-year old version of Virus Scan because they no longer supported it and would not allow me to purchase a renewal on the virus defs. Even though I carefully followed their manual uninstall instructions (automatic uninstall does not work well with McAfee products "“ learned that two years ago when I had to replace Virus Scan then), even though the computer was booting and running very well after the uninstall "“ the new McAfee installation hosed my Windows 98 operating system. (End of editorial rant.)

With much work "“ I have it booting again and up and limping - but have numerous problems "“ all of which point to error messages telling me to "Re-run Windows Set-Up ".

I now have new manual uninstall instructions from McAfee to get rid of what I just installed "“ but I need advice on running Windows Set Up after that. Do I just uninstall everything and reinstall? (It seems like "“ if I do it - I will be blowing away every Windows configuration I have "“ and can look forward to a weekend of reloading every patch and getting everything to work with everything else again) "“ or is there some other less drastic approach? Right now I have no virus protection or firewall; IE repair, Outlook Express and Windows Update will not run "“ so I have to do something.

If anyone has some advice and can point me to a resource or two "“ it would be much appreciated.

 

WFC_Exile--I wonder if a scanreg /restore (from MS-DOS prompt) would be a better move. With luck that would put you back to where you were before installing the new McAfee. Then you could see if you still have the old and uninstall it properly. At minimum I would hope it would put your PC back to a stage where you will no longer get the "Re-run Windows Set-Up" messages.
I assume you know how to handle scanreg /restore, but if not please post back. You should have five days worth of old registry backups. The first few paragraphs of this reference explain how to run it
http://www.helpwithwindows.com/windows98/start-145.html

 

WelshJim -

Thanks for the reply. I think I know what ScanregW from Windows does - but not anything more - and my five days will be up with tomorrow morning’s boot-up! (Seems I once saw a BIOS parameter that let you have more - and I may have changed it to more - but don’t remember - -long time ago.)

Whatever info you can point me to - I would appreciate. I don't look forward to a reinstall.

 

At this point, I think you should just run scanreg /restore as quickly as possible. It seems you have nothing to lose.

 

OK - did fresh backups on all my data. With the resources you provided, read up on Scanreg.

Still had one scanreg cab file from Friday night - before the disaster (which I copied and saved just in case). Changed my sanreg.ini file for more backups - so the one good one does not get overwritten.

Was somewhat conflicted on whether or not to go through the McAfee uninstall process before or after the registry restore - decided to do it after - if I do it before - just have to do it again after the restore.

So now I'll see what happens when I run Scanreg/restore from MS DOS safe mode. I'll post back from my restored system - or the new one I'm going to buy if this does not work!

 

Excellent - an additional approach to consider. My old (hopefully good) reg cab is now safe thanks to the info WelshJim pointed me to. Can take a bit more time to dwell and read - up on Tony T's suggestion.

WelschJim - does trying Tony's idea first make your approach ineffective as a second approach? Tony's approach seems to be fixing one and your's - resetting method.

 

No need to worry. It will overwrite the oldest. I just booted the 98SE machine to check. I have files for the 9th, 5th,6th,7th,8th.

Also SCANREG.EXE can be copied form the C:\Windows\Command folder to the Startup floppy for a Scanreg /restore use if needed. I just double checked on that to be sure it still worked. ( been at least a year since I used or tested it )

After having been burned a couple of times I find it pays NOT TO TRUST Windows completely. Before making any changes look at the C:\Windows\Sysbckup folder and makes sure a recent RB00x.cab files is there. If not restart Windows and see of one gets made.

I treat the System Restore in XP the same way. And for the same reason. I DO NOT 100% trust Windows. ( OR ME )

I have had users complain about the files not being made. 98% of the reasons were Windows was not shutdown or restarted

The other 2% was that somebody had taken SCANREGSTRY out of the startup sequence.

BillyBob

 

WFC_Exile--

My thoughts are as follows. I was trying to get your PC back to where it was before you had the "Re-run Windows Set-Up" setup error messages, which I understood was also before you had installed the new version of McAfee. When/if that is accomplished, you then can try to uninstall whatever (if any) version of McAfee using Control Panel|Add/Remove. If all not OK, then you could pursue what TonyT has suggested. I think he was focussing on how to get rid of McAfee, not the "Re-run Windows Set-Up" error message.
Then you have to decide whether to reinstall the new McAfee or get a different AV program.

 

IF the registry is restored to a point BEFORE the McAffee install, any unistalling may/will need to be done MANUALLY. I doubt very much if McAffee would even show up in add/remove. Because of the fact that McAfee would actually no longer be registered ( in the registry ) properly.

WFC_Exile

Did you by any stretch of the imagination have ANY Anti-Virus and/or Firewall activated when you attempted the install of McAfee ?

I ask because I have ruined a couple of installs that way.

BillyBob

 

Billy Bob--
According to WFC_Exile's first post, he had a two-year old version of McAfee installed at some point. But I also put the words "if any" in my last post, just in case it was no longer in Add/Remove Programs. I agree that if it is not, then a manual cleanup may be required. (And WFC_Exile seems to feel that McAfee requires a manual uninstall anyway.)
But I would hope the Windows Setup error message will at least be gone.
Good point about disabling the AV before trying to install any new software.

 

Food for thought.

If that is the case and it was not removed properly OR COMPLETELY ??

I do not think I need to say anymore.

And the bit about AV & FF was learned from the College of HARD Knocks

Wife is home from work. Gotta go get dinner on the table.

BillyBob

 

I love this BBS and all of you who offer their help....

To clarify, this was the sequence of events and my desired end goal:

· Windows 98 SE – running just fine with 2-year-old McAfee AV & McAfee Firewall

· Did automatic uninstall of all McAfee Products

· Did a manual uninstall of all McAfee products – as per McAfee’s instructions – including registry edits etc., etc.

· Windows 98SE ran fine after uninstall – through numerous boot-ups.

· After exiting everything running in the background that could be exited – installed new McAfee program.

· Install went bad. (for no obvious reason), got VxD conflicts, other error msgs I’ve never seen before (but noted) on boot up after install – finally clicking to ‘rerun Windows 98 Setup message’.

· None of the new McAfee installation appears in add/remove – but nonfunctional shortcuts are on desktop and there is a ton of stuff in the registry

· McAfee has supplied new manual removal instructions for the new product

· I have preserved my last good/clean rb00X.cab file – from the boot before I attempted anything – so it is available for reinsertion into the Windows/Sysbckup folder for a scanreg/restore if I need to do it.

· Goal – get the system back up and running to either: the he way it was before the initial uninstall (doubtful – since while I have the rb00x.cab file – the program files were deleted) or I would be very happy with the way it was after the initial McAfee uninstall – before I attempted the new product install.

Do I:

· Do the manual uninstall for the new product then run scanreg/restore with the last good rb00x.cab file – then do the manual product uninstall procedure for the OLD product (seems that might get me back to the state I was in after the complete uninstall.

· Do something else – like SFC?

· Buy a new computer running XP and stop all this nonsense with my five-year-old machine (but it ran so well….)

 

WFC_Exile--Since you were happy with the way the PC was running before and after the old McAfee was uninstalled, I would vote for a manual uninstall of the new McAfee and see how the PC runs. If OK, then I see no reason to run the scanreg/restore (which while normally should not hurt, might install some old McAfee Registry settings.)
So, you should be free of all AV programs.
Now your problem will be what to do about an AV program. I gather you have already bought the new McAfee, so the cheapest (unless you can get your money back) would be to try to reinstall. However, you obviously run the risk of getting back to where you are today, and have to manually uninstall again.
The next steps would be to either buy someone else's AV (Norton well regarded by most) or get a free AV like AVG (Grisoft). http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/