Sometimes, when installing various peripherals, maybe even programs, I am prompted to 'please insert my W98SE disk'. Well with a little tutoring, I've now learned how and where to find the drivers requested but I'm unsure as to where to put them.

Should I create a folder for them? Will Windows know to look in the folder I create? Sometimes by 'pot luck' I just drop the drivers in Program Files othertimes in the software folder for the peripheral I am installing and the device has worked after that.

Why I ask is because eventually I will need or want to reformat and all this effort would be wasted unless I could do an easy backup to reinstall afterwards. (Floppies or CD-R's) Currently I am asking because of a scanner and faxing setup I am working on.

Anyone got a good plan in use to deal with such things? I am putting all the drivers to floppy but it's the 'where do they belong' that has me puzzled. :confused:

Thanks all,

Hi Ted.
In my (limited) experience, when installing drivers etc, if you are asked for the win98 disc, it's for a DLL or VXD file that is actually part of windows. These files usually go into the windows/system directory. The driver files themselves may go there or in a new folder for the peripheral in question.

There seems to be no accepted pattern, probably it depends on which side of the bed the programmer got out of that morning! :D

Hope that has not added too much to the confusion quotient!

David

After you've installed your version of windows; say 98 in this case, copy the Win98 folder from the 98 CD to your root ( C: ), then in the future if a program asks you to " insert 98 CD ", just point it towards that folder. This works for any version of Windows, including the NT based ones (2k,XP)-except in their case you copy the I386 folder over to the root.

As for putting all your drivers together, what i do is create a CD with whatever drivers i need that i've downloaded, and place them in their own folders according to the version of Window's they need; example-HCFmodem_98{files in this folder for HCFmodem in 98'}

Then whenever i have to reinstall an OS, i simply place the CD in and keep pointing the OS towards it until it gets the files it needs.


Hope this gives you some idea's. :)

For the win98 CD issue, I always copy the win98 folder on the CD to a folder on the hard drive BEFORE installing windows, and install from there. From then on, it never asks for the CD, when you install drivers etc it goes straight to the folder where the cab files are. I usually name that folder win98, since that's the name it has on the CD, so it's consistent.

For driver files, I create a folder usually on a separate partition named Download and all downloads go to that folder. I create appropriate subfolders for each file downloaded, so it stays organized. That way if I need a driver later, I go to D:\Download\Drivers\whatever and there it is.

Notice that Download is 8 characters, so if I have to find it in DOS it's easy...I also try to keep all folder names in it under 8 characters for the same reason. Most of the other files I don't worry about much, but if I need to find anything while in DOS I don't have to deal with Downlo~1. Try finding the Microsoft Internet Explorer folder in DOS sometime...

That also makes things a lot easier if I have to reinstall. All I format is C drive, the other partitions are usually untouched, and all the drivers and other files are still there. After I accumulate enough I burn the entire folder to CD as well, for emergency backup.

Not long ago I had trouble reinstalling Office from the CD (it was taking forever) so I managed to copy it to disk and install it from there. I then deleted the files to recover the space. Later when I needed to access the files it couldn't find them of course - BUT - it wouldn't allow me to point to the CDROM drive! So had to put the files back onto the HDD, where they will remain until the next reinstall.

Like PPete, I copy the OS installation to HDD and install from there, but I wonder if the same thing would happen if you deleted these files later or whether this is a specific Office2000 thing to prevent pirating.

For those who like to live on the edge you can edit the install path in the registry and put the files anywhere you want (NO! that IS NOT an option!!! :D), I don't know the key off the top of my head but I can look it up if anyone is interested.

I really like these hints/tricks of the trade responses.


Well, all except mjc's that is :D ! No I will NOT divert the next lunar landing module and aim it towards Mars instead! :eek: I'm still a freshman here and maybe we could save the registry tweaks for maybe my junior year, first semester courses OK? :confused:

iisbob, you is good... ;)

Pete,
I always copy the win98 folder on the CD to a folder on the hard drive BEFORE installing windows,
I'm a little in the fog on how you would install something to Windows before it actually has a place to put it. Could you elaborate and use tiny words??? :p And is there a way to put the OS onto the HDD, then install FROM the HDD?

Partly my question was as a result of how I had done things in the past. I would get prompts at start up, copy them down, find or D/L the files and install them where I thought they should go. It seemed to work but these past few times I think I'm finally getting it right.

Now I reboot, let the prompts reappear and have a loaded floppy ready and waiting. Point it to the file, it neatly puts it where it is needed just like a little 'packrat'. This (floppies,) is quickly becoming my preferred storage space for things as small as drivers. No need to put a couple hundred KB's on a CD-R, You would think it was still blank if you didn't label it.

The Windows folder to the HDD is the next order of the day for me. Thanks. Y'all is too :cool: .

It is really pretty simple...when you format the drive you format it with the system files (not absolutely necessary but it can make some things easier, especially if you need to reboot before you run the install), then you boot with the boot disk, selecting "with CD-ROM support", then instead of letting the Win CD autostart you change to the drive and navigate (in DOS to the folder) and then just copy it. when the copying is doen you change to the hard drive, navigate to the folder and then run the install...take the CD out first.