Unless the caller either has the
install CD for Windows, the install floppies for Windows or the cab files, do
not, under any circumstances continue.Before beginning, it is important to make sure that the caller has the correct cabinet (or cab) files for the reinstallation. If the member has upgraded from Windows95 to Windows98, make sure that the files you use are the Windows98 ones, to avoid creating version conflicts.
If the caller is not sure, cick on Start, Find, Files or Folders. In the named field, put win*.cab and click on Find Now. For Win95, you should find files like win95_03.cab. For Win98, win98_22.cab. In either case, make a note of the folder. The most common place to find them is c:\windows\options\cabs, but they can be anywhere.
Unless the caller either has the
install CD for Windows, the install floppies for Windows or the cab files, do
not, under any circumstances continue.
To begin, click on the Windows Start button, go to Find, Files or Folders. In the named field, put v*.386 and click on Find Now. You should see a number of files. The two important ones are vip.386 and vtcp.386. You can have the member right-click on each and rename them (e.g., vip.eln or vtcp.old). You can also simply delete them, as this just moves them to the Recycling Bin.
Close the Find window. Click on Start, Settings, Control Panel and Network. Select Dial-Up Adapter and have it removed. Click OK, but do not allow the computer to be restarted. Open Add/Remove Programs. Select the Windows Setup tab. Click once on Communications to highlight it, then click on Details. Do not double-click Communications. This will select everything in it. Find out if direct Cable or Virtual Private Networking are selected and uncheck them. Before removing them, find out if the caller really uses them. Chances are that they're not needed; if they are, make a note of it. Uncheck Dial-Up Networking. Click OK. Click Apply. When you get a cursor back, click OK, closing Add/Remove Programs.
Open Add/Remove Programs again. Click on Windows Setup. Click once on Communications and then on Details. Reselect Dial-Up Networking. If the client is using either Direct Cable or Virtual Private Networking, reselect them. Click OK. Click Apply. Windows will now copy files from the cabs. If Setup reports that the file being copied is older than the one on disk and ask that you keep the newer one, select No. We are presuming here that we either have version conflicts or file corruption, and any newer files are probable suspects. When finished, Windows will tell you to restart. Select No.
Open up Network Control Panel. Make sure that you have Dial-Up Adapter and TCP/IP installed. If either IPX/SPX Compatible Protocol or NETBEUI is installed, remove them. (If the caller is on a LAN, only remove any bound to Dial-Up Adapter.) In Windows 95, make sure Client for Microsoft Networks is installed; in Windows 98, use Microsoft Family Logon instead. Click on Dial-Up Adapter, then Properties. Click on the tab Advanced. Select Use IPX header compression and set the value to No. Click OK. Click OK again. Windows will copy files. Again, do not keep newer versions of files, if asked. When finished, you will be prompted to restart Windows. This time select Yes. When the computer is finished rebooting, Control Panel can be closed if it is open. You are now ready to test the connection to see if this has corrected earlier difficulties.
Now, this may seem like a lot of work. However, it's child's play, compared to what Microsoft would have you do. I really don't know why they go to this much work, unless they want to make it so hard that it's easier just to re-install Windows, something they think everybody should do at the drop of a hat.