How To - fix Win '98 Solitare?

[HornyHenry]

A friend's mother has an old HP computer running Win '98. She uses it mainly for Solitare, Free Cell, Quicken, and Email.
Her solitare works if she is logged onto the internet. (AOL )
When she is NOT on the internet she gets a General Protection fault in Sol.exe, the solitare program.

Here's another weird thing: When you click on Sol.exe to start it, it will start OK. If you DO NOT touch the mouse, it looks ok. When you move the mouse, it gets the error. I tried rolling back to a different mouse driver - no help. Checked memory and 67% is available. Nothing bad is running in the processes. I even ran a memory test from floppy and it ran OK, no errors.

About a year ago, she complained about the same or similar problem and I copied MY sol.exe and sol.ini files, renamed hers, and pasted my files there. I thought it was working when I left, but she said later that she still had problems.

Any ideas? I'd hate for her to have to get a new $500 PC just to do email and solitare.
Thanks, HH

 

[1701-g]

If you still have the WIN 98 CD I would recomend a fresh re-install if Win 98. this is no big deal and WILL NOT overwrite your personal fiels (although backing up is recomended just in case)

Make sure that your friend De-fraggs her hard drive every two or three months!!

This is basic maintinence and can be found in start>all programmes> accessories> system tools.

hope this helps you out!!

 

[Weird Harold]

If you still have the WIN 98 CD I would recomend a fresh re-install if Win 98. this is no big deal and WILL NOT overwrite your personal fiels (although backing up is recomended just in case)

Youmissed the type of computer:

HP --Hewlett Packard -- computers dont come with a Windows CD, they come with a "Restore Disk" that contains an image of all of the softwre tha was originally on the computer.

Using a HP Restore Disk WILL erase and reformat the hard-drive and destroy ALL files not on the computer when it shipped from the factory.

My copy of win 98 solitaire doesn't have it, but some versions of the basic solitaire basic that comes with windows have a "share your scores" option that upload scores to MS's games site.

Try doing a Start -> Find for SOL.* and then double click SOL.INI (it should open with Notepad but any wordprocessor will work; it's just a plain text file.)

Look for any web address or IP that it might be trying to talk to and delete it.

Second, run a spyware remover -- like Ad-Aware SE, Spybot S&D, Norton, or Trendmicro's online housecall -- to see if she's picked the custom cursors spyware (I thnk its coolcursors?) or some other spyware tht links to either Solitaire or the mouse cursors.

Third, run a virus check (Trendmicro's Housecall or the newest Norton will check for both spyware nd virues at the same time.)

 

[1701-g]

Youmissed the type of computer:

HP --Hewlett Packard -- computers dont come with a Windows CD, they come with a "Restore Disk" that contains an image of all of the softwre tha was originally on the computer.

Using a HP Restore Disk WILL erase and reformat the hard-drive and destroy ALL files not on the computer when it shipped from the factory.

Ah, didn;t know that about HP machines!! I had a dan machine that came with a CD, so I'm sorry for handing out that info!!

As regards to solitare, you could either download another soliatre game on the internet (download.com has loads) or spend a couple of hundered £ on a new PC

 

[Weird Harold]

Ah, didn;t know that about HP machines!! I had a dan machine that came with a CD, so I'm sorry for handing out that info!!

Several makes of computers come with a "Restore Disk" although newer versions come with two disks that can restore just the software or do a full restore back to the factory default installation.

Compaq computers were notable for their proprietary quirks and tailored versions of Windows/DOS until they merged with HP a year or two ago. Newer models are a bit less proprietary and more compatible withthe rest of the PC world, but they still come withthat damned Restore Disk instead of a proper "Windows Installation Disk" that Windows will accept when you need to do a repair, reinstall, or add/remove windows components.

 

[1701-g]

is it 98se that came with the disk and the original win 98 that came with the disk or was it both versions?

i remember win 95 having a restore disk and no cd!

 

[Weird Harold]

is it 98se that came with the disk and the original win 98 that came with the disk or was it both versions?

i remember win 95 having a restore disk and no cd!

That depends on where the OS came from.

Win 95 was originally released on about 15-35 3.5" floppies depending on weher it was an upgrade or OEM install version. It was later released on CD for the upgrade or two CDs for the OEM install.

New HP, Compaq and a few others started shipping "Restore Disks" on either CD or 3.5" floppy sets about he time Win 95 came out.

With Win 98, almost all Windows was distributed on CD-ROM with a certificate for a matching copy on 3.5" floppies by mail -- I've seen the certificates, but I've never seen the 40 disk set of floppies.

With late releases of Win 98SE, they stopped shipping the certificates, but if you read the fine print on a genuine MS copy of Win 98SE or later, it is still possible to get a version on an alternate media type.

With Win ME, it became important to have the SAME Windows installation disk to do a repair or reconfiguration because windows began to choke on backup copies or replacement copies.

Still, the big distinction is between a "Windows" Disk and a proprietary "Restore" disk for a problem like this. Solitarie can be replaced by a fresh copy from a "Windows Disk" but it can't be from a "Restore Disk" without doing a complete Windows recovery or complete system restoration.

For HornyHenry: I would recommendgetting your mom something like Bicycle Card Games or Hoyle Card Games both include freecell and conventional solitaire but also have around a hundred different versions of solitaire and bridge, poker, hearts, and spades.

Hoyle's Card Games even has reasonably competent computer opponents who talk back to you and an online link to play multi-player games real-time over the net with other people.

 

[1701-g]

my word dude!!

You are an encyclopedia of computer knowledge and history aren't you?

I like to think I know one or two things about computers (something not exatly promoted in this thread) but i don;t know anyone with as much indepth knowledge as you!!

what do you do? are you an IT teacher or something?

 

[Weird Harold]

what do you do? are you an IT teacher or something?

Nope, I'm a retire USAF MSgt whose first "computer" was a programmable TI-59 calculator and has owned and/or used every Intel based computer from 8080/Z-80 CPM machines onwards (with a brief detour into Commodore VIC-20s 'cause I could buy a used pair for $20 in 1983)

I have worked as a part-time computer assembly and repair tech, and I've done some programming in Z-80 assembler, Commodore (BASIC and assembler) GW-Basic and Turbo Pascal.

Mostly I just pay attention to what others are saying about their computers and what finally fixed their problems.

 

[HornyHenry]

Thanks, all

I checked the sol.ini and it had no IP address in it. But that sounds like it could have caused the problem, if it had one there.
As I said, I copied the sol.exe and sol.ini from my old disk and it seemed to work for a while, but I can't swear whether I was online or off when I ran it.

The windows CD's, restore CD's, backup CD's, etc, all scare me. I know SOME of them let you restore, or write over all the bad Windows files without deleting or changing all the programs and files and settings that you have loaded. I can't tell which ones are going to wipe out everything and which will fix a bad Windows, or which will restore the system to its original condition.

I can't remember if she had SE or not. It seems like I loaded it for her, because I am pretty sure she had old Win'98 at one time.
If I load me Win '98 SE upgrade CD into her PC, which requires Win 95 or Win 98 to be installed already, will it keep all the files and settings and not overwrite them? I think it will, since it is not a full Windows installation disk.

I have loaded and updated Ad-Aware, Spybot S&D, AVG on her system and ran scans. That is not the problem.
I remember seeing something running that was something like 3dmouse.exe in the task manager. I stopped it from loading and haven't been able to get back to her to ask if it is running differently now.

If it is still bad, the suggestion of loading a freeware version sounds very good. I don't think she'll care which version she has.
Thanks. Always good to hear computer advice.
HH

 

[Weird Harold]

I can't remember if she had SE or not. It seems like I loaded it for her, because I am pretty sure she had old Win'98 at one time.
If I load me Win '98 SE upgrade CD into her PC, which requires Win 95 or Win 98 to be installed already, will it keep all the files and settings and not overwrite them? I think it will, since it is not a full Windows installation disk.

A windows 98SE Upgrade disk will NOT overwrite or modify anything except windows files unless you explicitly tell it to ignore the old settings and configuration.

The problem with a Windows (tm) Upgrade on an HP computer depends on the age and model of the computer. Some HP computers require a specially modified, proprietary, version of Windows to upgrade from the factory default software installation and a general use MS version won't work.

Newer systems that came with Win 2K and later don't seem to have the problem and some later models that came with Win ME or Win 98 don't have the problem.

 

[HornyHenry]

I knew you knew all those special HP & Compaq issues

A windows 98SE Upgrade disk will NOT overwrite or modify anything except windows files unless you explicitly tell it to ignore the old settings and configuration.

The problem with a Windows (tm) Upgrade on an HP computer depends on the age and model of the computer. Some HP computers require a specially modified, proprietary, version of Windows to upgrade from the factory default software installation and a general use MS version won't work.

Newer systems that came with Win 2K and later don't seem to have the problem and some later models that came with Win ME or Win 98 don't have the problem.

Yeah, don't those HP and Compaq compooters really SUCK!
(HP is responsible for me being unemployed, so I have a special dislike for them, besides their crappy PCs and support.)
I downloaded 123free.exe for her. That should be simplier. Besides having an HP, she uses AOL also!! Talk about problems on top of problems.
So, I don't want to mess with it much, but she's a sweet old lady and I want to help her have her computer fun.

 

[1701-g]

Nope, I'm a retire USAF MSgt whose first "computer" was a programmable TI-59 calculator and has owned and/or used every Intel based computer from 8080/Z-80 CPM machines onwards (with a brief detour into Commodore VIC-20s 'cause I could buy a used pair for $20 in 1983)

I have worked as a part-time computer assembly and repair tech, and I've done some programming in Z-80 assembler, Commodore (BASIC and assembler) GW-Basic and Turbo Pascal.

Mostly I just pay attention to what others are saying about their computers and what finally fixed their problems.

Wow, quite a history dude. I too just pay attention to other peoples problems try and help or listen as to what fixes it, but I don;t have as much experience as you. I'm just starting my first computer based job and enjoying so far.