Decided it might be a good idea to upgrade the old computer, in case parts became a little tight later.

Swapped out the old motherboard for a new 450 EP-MvP3C Epox, reconnected power supply, set the jumpers, added the video card and modem, a set of USB ports, fdisk(ed) the HD, went to fat32, formated HD, installed windows 98B. Windows runs fine, so installed McAfee Antivirus, and it changed a lot of the settings.

For the life of me I can't get the USB ports added back in, and have spent an entire week on it. (Swapping off the motherboard only took a few days.) Went back into "System" and USB ports shows that the "NTKERN.VXD device loader for this device could not load device driver. (Code2)" But under drivers it shows that this driver is loaded. It shows that the following drivers are loaded: (1) usched.sys, (2) NTKERN.VXD, (3) usbui.dll, (4) usbhub.sys, (5) usbd.sys.

When I tried to install "new hardware", windows tries to install a "VIA tech 3038 PCI to USB Universial Host Controller" and it doesn't want to take standard USB drivers.

We have several things that need to run on USB ports. Have installed USB ports before and never run into this (although have not installed under 98B before). I am sure this thing runs inspite of me and not because of me, and am certainly not very experienced in computer stuff. What am I doing wrong?

Another real funny thing, the mouse just seems to fall off the screen and then bounce off the bottom of the monitor. Neither the actual mouse or mousepad are moving. Any thoughts?

-- suzy (HAYSandCO@aol.com), February 05, 2000

Answers

...How about an exorcist?

-- for all them (mean@little.bugs), February 05, 2000.

Your USB port is being ID'd as a PCI/IDE interface device (which is correct, your USB's are not built in to the motherboard, they're plugged into available PCI/IDE slots, right?). While McAfee was being installed, some of the installation files may have overwritten/updated some windows-native files that could be tied into Win98's ability to properly ID PnP devices. If so, once you rebooted, those new files loaded with Windows. Try this:

* Go up to McAfee's site (http://download.mcafee.com/updates/updates.asp) and be sure the scan engine and the virus update (DAT file) you have match one another (try redownloading the super.dat file where you get the engine and the DAT file.).

* If you're updated, then check their tech support knowledgebase to search and see if there's anything about your problem. If nothing is there, call them first thing on Monday. Ask if there are recent reports of your problem, and ask for a solution.

If they can't help (or you don't want to wait till Monday), try this:

* Remove the device ID'd in your control panel (VIA tech 3038 PCI to USB Universial Host Controller), and be sure and rename or delete those 5 named files, then restart and when the PnP stuff takes over, use the defaults - should work OK.

* Get on the USB.ORG website tech support forum at www.usb.org/forums/retail/messages/3808.html and see if there are solutions up there.

Hope this helps

-- Win98 solution help (noreply@nothere.com), February 05, 2000.

McAfee will do it sometimes. I had to scrap it in favor of Norton AntiVirus...But had to get rid of Norton Crashgard in favor of McAfee CPR. Go figure!

I'm gonna give you about the only advice that works for me when a system really goes Tango Sierra (always wanted to use that!)...wipe the Hard Disk and start over! Mc Afee may affect options on the Chipset, or it may assume your installation efforts are a virus.

Back up what you can, and reboot with a universal (if it is available) Boot Disk in Drive A. Go to FDISK, remove partitions, and then go to FORMAT. Type FORMAT C: /S to format the hard disk, then reload Win 98B.

You must start with a clean machine. Sorry

P.S. I NEVER keep work files on the hard drive...I use Zip Disks (100&250 MB). However, that MAY change...in about two weeks, I will install another hard disk and play with Drive Image to attempt to keep backups on the new drive...it might be an alternative. Good luck!!

-- Z (Z@Z.Z), February 05, 2000.

suzy:

Do you like to mudwrestle?

-- Ghost of KOS (king@madrid.cum), February 05, 2000.

why in g-d's name dont you use mac instead???

-- INever do Windows (inevercheckmy@onebox.com), February 06, 2000.

Jeez! Really! A Macintosh has problems sometimes (I've owned six since 1985), but this is ridiculous. You still have to back up, still have to worry about incompatibility at times, but when a Mac does go bad, it sure is easier to figure the problem out and fix it. Ah well, maybe it just seems that way cuz I'm used to it; I admit I've had to reformat a hard disk more than once. But man, that's a serious gobbledygook problem you seem to have there. Now if I could just keep this forum from cutting off the ends of my posts

-- freez (windows@sucks.kludge), February 06, 2000.

Right, McAfee will do it to you sometimes. Particularly if you install MS Plus. Plus defaults to virus check by McAfee which is on the disk. If you try to install Norton's later, you find all your .exe and .com file date-time stamps changed, and you get date-time errors from then 'til eternity.

Couldn't stand that. It was easier to reformat the HD than to fix it.

-- elskon (elskon@bigfoot.com), February 06, 2000.

Yes, that Norton Crash Guard was a pain in the ass. It kept crashing my computer.

-- (I'm@pol.ly), February 06, 2000.

Sunday 7:71 PM CST. Thanks for the help. Bit the bullet, and reformatted the HD this afternoon. Took less time to format HD and reinstall than to figure out the problems. Everything works now. Won't use McAfee again, that was nasty! Thanks again.

-- suzy (HAYSandCO@aol.com), February 06, 2000.