Windows Question "Duhhh"

[Travlur]

Where are the Windows Setup Files??
I thot I knew but while trying to load in a software program (98lite)
it keeps telling me the path is not correct, "The files cannot be found there".
Thanks

[Rick]

on the CD they are stored in
(drive Letter)/win98

[Travlur]

Thanks.
My windows 98SE came with my Compaq. Have no CD.
I,m looking for the files/programs that are available when u click on add/remove/windows setup.
I have no trouble enabling/disabling these programs within windows.

Can u give me the correct path in DOS MODE.?

[Rick]

In the past Compaq used
C:\windows\options\cabs


If nothing else just do a search for the Cab files.
The MS standard format for these files is
Win98_nn.cab
Basen.cab
Drivernn.cab

Where n= a number

In Dos try DIR Win98_*.cab /s /p
The /S will search all sub folders and the /p will force it to display the files found one page at a time.

[Travlur]

Thanks Rick.

Then I entered the path correctly in the first place.
I checked the Options/cab file and the program (98lite) is in there
but I have no entrys showing in add/remove/ windows setup.
The software is/was supposed to give a listing and options to disable/enable more programs as I needed them.
If I am confusing this query, check out www.litepc.com. That was the software I downloaded.

Thanks again.

[Sylvander]

Hello Travlur.

The Windows installation path would normally be the address of the folder which held the "Setup.exe" file used to install Windows onto your PC.
That would normally begin at the CD-Drive letter, say "D:\Win98".
This path would then be recorded by Windows during installation in a registry key and "98lite" is looking for this and cannot find it.
That's probably because it does not exist to be found.
Compaq [or whoever made up the PC] cloned a whole batch of Hard Disk Drives with identical software installations and since they intended not to supply a Windows installation disk, deleted the Installation path from the registry because it would be a misleading setting.

I presume there are no Windows installation files anywhere on your HDD either but you could try searching for them.
I tried searching all my drives [using the "Find" facility] for "Setup.exe" and it found only a few and one was in my second HDD at "D:\win98tmp", which is where I've put a copy of my installation files. [This can be REALLY convenient. Whenever I want to do something like you're trying to do, I don't have to fiddle around with CD-Drives and Windows looks on the D: drive and finds the files every time.]

Do you know if ANY provision has been made for re-installation of your Operating System?
Have you made any backups of your software installation?
Do you have a CD-ROM drive with which to install if you can get a Windows installation disk?
You can remove Windows features easily enough but I don't see how you can put them back.
If you really can then there must be files somewhere to be found.

[Travlur]

Sylvander
I read your post and will get back to you on your comments.
My system is still loading, and I am still learning.
May need to wait till to-morrow.

[Travlur]

After searching (a whole lot) I found the Setup.exe inside the 98lite.
It loaded Windows 98, and I presume the options specified, did an auto reboot to configure, and promptly displayed an error message referring
to a "Non-disclosure Agreement"
Basically, I am now stopped.
Clicking OK on this error window puts me in shutdown mode, and PC does
indeed shut down to "It's now safe to shut off off your computer"
I,m not sure if this is due to 98lite, Microsoft, or Compaq.
As you already know Compaq does fiddle with the windows files, so
naturally Microsoft is off the hook for any help.
Compaq is propietary, so mucking with their software voids their help.
Once I find out who is blocking me from using my Windows program, I may be able to unlock it.
I can restore my system back to factory specs, and I do have backups of all downloaded software.
I am a stubborn bugger tho, so I am not going to until I stir up some
hate and dis-content first hehehehehe.
I like your saving in D suggestion, tho. Thanks.

[Sylvander]

Hello Travlur.

You said:
1. “I found the Setup.exe inside the 98lite”
This will be the “Setup.exe” programme for “98lite” not “Windows 98”.

2. “It loaded Windows 98”
I think not. I think it tried to re-install “98lite” but found it was already installed.

3. “promptly displayed an error message”
Probably because “98lite” did not need re-installation.

Have you tried booting into what’s left of Windows 98 after you’ve made it “lean and mean”?
Does it boot successfully?

4. “Once I find out who is blocking me from using my Windows program, I may be able to unlock it”
No one is blocking you. You have no Windows installation files! Can you say that you know you do have them? Where are they?
You only need to use the “Find” facility to find all instances of “Setup.exe” and one of them [the Windows 98 installation “Setup.exe” file] will be in a folder marked “Win98” or something similar beside a whole list of “Win98_??.cab” files [the ?? substitute for various integers (whole numbers like 0 through 9)].
You could search for Win98_??.cab instead if you like.

5. “I do have backups of all downloaded software”
This is, I think, only a copy of the installation programme’s for various applications and as such is not going to help put Windows back to its full original state.

6. “I am a stubborn bugger tho, so I am not going to until I stir up some hate and discontent first”
This is an excellent strategy to implement if you desire to fail.
Alternatively, if you plan to succeed, make friends with others and give them the impression that you deserve to be helped.
“Wisdom is the principal thing, and with all thy getting get understanding” was said 2 or 3 thousand years ago. Were they wiser then, than you are now? If someone brought them here and gave them a PC would they run rings around you?

It’s very difficult to help solve problems at a distance, especially when questions go unanswered.
e.g.
A. Do you know if ANY provision has been made for re-installation of your Operating System?
B. Have you made any backups of your software installation? [Your C: drive contents including Windows]
C. Do you have a CD-ROM drive with which to install if you can get a Windows installation disk?

[randyrhoads1981]

Some Compaqs had the restore files which are image files, saved on a second D partition and dont have the cab fles on the C drive. Id suggest you get a real 98 SE full CD and use that instead. I have the 98 Lite Pro and made a CDR with 98 Lite Pro, the win98 and win95 folders, on a bootable CDR, everything is on one CD and its alot easier.

[Sylvander]

I found my own "SourcePath" in my registry at the following location:

"HKEY_LOCAL MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Setup\SourcePath"

Name = SourcePath
Data = D:\win98tmp\

As I said earlier, this is the name I gave the folder on the drive where I decided to copy the installation files to, but this only exists in the registry because I then installed from this location.
During the installation, the "Setup.exe" prog put this setting in the registry having detected this as it's own location or address.
Your own Windows installation was never installed in this way.
The original installation was done on some other machine perhaps and then copied to lots of HDD's which were installed in identical machines.
Yours was one of these.

Take a look for your own "SourcePath".
You may have one but I doubt if it will be meaningful even if it does exist.
That's why I think "they" would delete it.

[Travlur]

Randy: Thanks. I did just that.
Sylvander: My post was done "tongue in cheek" although I am a stubborn bugger. Your philosophy and apparent computer knowledge is head and
shoulders above mine. If I was that knowledgeable I probably would,nt need to post in here.
I bit off more than I could chew with 98lite.
Their site has been down since Nov 16, so can get no tech help.
An e-mail to them produced no response, so I wrote them off.
I could answer and comment on all your querys, but it is just not that
important to me. My system is back to A-1, and I was able to do what
I initially intended before 98lite.

[Sylvander]

I'd love to know what it was all about.

What caused the problem?