Someone else posted this suggestion a week or so ago.  I checked out that
key in the registry, and although I have PCMag's "regedit plus", which
allows you to undo registry edits, I was hesitant to do it.  The previous
posting about it did not mention that you may get multiple entries doing it
that way.  I need to be sure my computer will work, and although my way can
be a pain, I already know how to fix the problems, and with Goback I can be
sure that in a minute or two it will be up and running even if I can't fix
the problem manually.  Windows 98 seems to be settling down since my first
posting about the multiple installs, and has only booted into safe mode once
this week.  It happened to my wife during the day and she had no idea about
how to fix it so she shut it down.  When I got home from work it booted up
just fine.  If she hadn't told me it had happened I'd never have known.
Little by little I'll work out the kinks, and Win 98 will be no more messed
up than it would normally be.  I haven't looked this week, but I would bet
that device manager in safe mode will show multiples, but if it works, why
fool with it?


I keep seeing this all the time, and want to make a suggestion to others as
well. There is another way of removing all your devices in device manager!
It is easy and quick, and has worked quite well for me in the past. But I
still have to insist that you do this only when neccessary.!!!

This method requires a small registry change. Be forwarned if you are not
familiar with editing the registry, then stay away from this method.
But.....

First click Start | Run | in the box type  regedit

Next look for and click on the plus sign next to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE , then
right click the Enum folder, and delete it!! At this point you have deleted
all you hardware from the Device manager, and you can reboot!!! Be aware
that you will probably be rebooting several times to setup all hardware.
After Windows is done setting up all your hardware, you may still have a few
double entries, be sure to check them to be sure.



> I installed a new mobo and kept my existing system (Win 98).  I installed
> all the PCI cards on the new mobo without uninstalling them before the
last
> shutdown.  I did not expect that Win 98 would see them as new devices.  It
> reinstalled everything, and I had to go into safe mode and uninstall
> sometimes 2 or 3 listings of the same thing.  It hasn't been completely
> right since then.  I would recommend that you uninstall all the
peripherals
> in device manager, and be especially watchful for USB devices.  Go into
> C:\windows\inf and c:\windows\inf\other to remove the .inf files on your
PCI
> cards and ISA cards.  Uninstall the software for them.  You can boot into
> safe mode to check device manager and remove your drives (I sometimes had
as
> many as six type 47 generic drives.  It would also be good to remove all
the
> stuff under "system resources". You will have a big reinstall while Win Me
> detects and installs all the stuff.  Before you reinstall any PCI or ISA
> cards or printers and scanners, run any software that came with your mobo.
> Win Me may be better at this than Win 98.  About every 4 or 5 restarts it
> will boot into safe mode because there are too many hard drives, and too
> many of several other things.  I find a Promise Ultra card and an ISA
modem
> installed that I physically removed and deleted the software for.  I don't
> know how Windows does that.  I posted this problem but did not get a
single
> answer.  Wait for some other answers from people who use Win Me before you
> do anything.  Win 98 may be completely different.
>
>
> Greetings,
>
> I plan to upgrade my PC by installing a new motherboard, memory and
> processor.
> I will be using the same hardware in the new system.  I would like to keep
> my present OS (WinME) intact.
>

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