Hi, I'm new on here and know NOTHING much about computers, so please have patience and go easy on me !! My comp. keeps freezing either when I'm trying to get online (freezes at desktop stage 3 times before letting me log on) or at various times when I'm online and have to hit the re-set button each time (is this re-booting ???, see what I mean ? I haven't got a clue !)- it then takes 7 minutes to go through the "Microsoft ScanDisc is checking for errors" thing each time. I always shut down using shut down from the start menu even though it says I haven't. It's driving me nuts ! I've tried using ScanDisc (keps restarting and I can't get it to complete it) and I've tried to defragment but it won't go past 0%. Then tried using Diskeeper Lite but I can't get that to work either. Please can anyone help ?? (Simple instructions please :O )
Well, Windows 98 is not known for its durability. In other words, it is more or less certain to fail after an extended period of use. The same goes for all versions of Windows, but the "9x Family" (95, 98, 98SE, and ME) have the shortest lifespans of all. Another consideration is security. Did you take the proper precautions? Windows 98 has no security at all in and of itself, so unless you've added and maintained the necessary 3rd party security software your system is almost certainly compromised. In either case, I would backup my data (as opposed to software), for instance "My Documents", and completely reformat / reinstall your operating system. -AT P.S. - How much free space is left on your hard drive? If you don't have enough disc space for Windows' swap file, you will certainly have major problems.
in other words, scrap windows 98 and go for windows xp or higher. when i first seen a computer it had windows 98 on and i thought the os was great, but now i dont know why i thought that. windows xp is a must, or another type of operating system.
matt555 i hope i will say the same things as you about linux when i install it. is it mandrake your using?
I'd say Windows 2000 Pro, especially on older hardware. It uses less than 1/2 of the resources which XP demands, performs better, costs less, and is almost exactly the same operating system 'under the hood'. Or, like Matt555 and willhub already pointed out, there's always Linux. Linux is a free operating system which is immune to virii and spyware and can run for years without maintenance.
yea[SIC], i[SIC] think eventually i[SIC] might tottaly[SIC] convert to linux[SIC] becouse[SIC] i[SIC] have noticed even the latest windows[SIC] are verry[SIC] buggy,[SIC] its[SIC] like microsoft[SIC] are always rushing to build there[SIC] operating systems. *MODERATED* I picked a post who's content I actually agree with to make a point, so don't think I'm picking on you willhub. But we have a policy about using proper English on these forums, and this post is an example of very bad English. It doesn't have to be perfect, but please at least do a cursory check of your post before you submit it. Thanks, -AT
well they've certainly had enough time with XP time for something new, actually no because that will be just as bad...unless Microsoft do something amazing and make a decent OS......Oh my god would that be something to talk about
this forum should have a board dedicated to the newest up and coming windows (windows vista), so that loads of info on it can be posted there, i wonder if windows vista will be a good os :\ , ah proberbly not.
ah ok, i would not want to run mac os x anyway, i bieng on one of those mac g5's before, there crap, i hate the mac os too.
Thanks everyone for all this info ! Have to say I didn't understand half of it....(lol)......LINUX ?? Mandrake ??(thought that was a duck), windows this, that and the other etc etc. But I'll look into all of this (somehow !) over the next while and hope I can ask some more questions if I need more help ! I do have a couple of other problems but assume I need to start a new thread. Thanks again !
Actually to get back to your original question I found Win98 to be alright really. It does require some babysitting, should be re-installed just on general principles every few months and needs lots of third-party tools to have some approaching security but if you've got the second edition, defrag it regularly (Diskeeper is good), keep the filesystem cleaned up (for example remove any temporary files on a regular basis), install good firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware programs, and generally treat like a weak, poorly but cute puppy then it'll be just fine. Having said that I've since pinned my flags in the Linux camp but I only started looking for a way out after WinME came out and Windows went from simply being a OS that you installed on your hard-drive to being a cancer that tried to take over your life. My $0.02 worth then is either stick with Win98 but look after it or get yourself a real OS and go with Linux!
willhub, if you still haven't gotten around to installing Linux on your hard-drive then you should get yourself a Knoppix Live CD. I've used myself to see what it was like and it's very easy to use, just put it into your CD drive reboot and two minutes later you're running KDE. No installation, no partitioning, no formatting just a fully working Linux ready to be explored. There are other Live CD's around, you could even order an Ubuntu CD for free with free postage, but from the reviews I've read, Knoppix is the original and still the best of the lot.
Or there's also Overclockix, which is a highly tweaked & modded version of Knoppix. When I need a live distro, I invariably grab either Overclockix or Kubuntu. Overclockix: Kubuntu:
