[PCTECH] Adventures in near(?)-futility

["Dan Bale" <dbale@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

So anyway, the drive is partitioned and formatted.  I copy the Win98SE
install CD to a partition I created on the end of the HD, do the setup thing
and let it do its thing.  Everything is going perfectly, but... (ya know, I
usually laugh at people who say "it's perfect except...")

Through the course of installing drivers, I make sure that I reboot as
required.  Even installing some stuff that doesn't request a reboot, I
reboot anyway.  Unfortunately, Windows kept biting me with "Windows registry
is damaged. Windows will restart and try to fix the problem" as soon as the
Windows logo came up on the reboot.  This is a result of SCANREG /AUTORUN
sensing some problem and issuing what I call an "idiot light" type of
message.

(BTW, I also got this on the first go-round with the Win98 install.
Fortunately, I learned to use the Reg Checker in the System Information -
Tools, and backup after I had successfully booted up; this saved me from
having to reinstall drivers and re-change the settings I made.)

Microsoft has several KB articles relating to this topic and one, KB 186909,
talks about defective memory as a potential culprit.  Only problem I have
with this is that I've been using this particular memory, 128MB EDO, for
about ten months now, and had no reported problems using Win95.  Does it
seem odd that Win95 had no problems running with it, and now Win98 is
choking on it?  It appears that M$ built this in by design, as the "status"
on this KB article is "This behavior is by design."

I have a few more tests that M$ suggests to help isolate, but if anyone has
comments or advice, I'm all ears.

db