Reply #7: Not rolling eyes at all. [View All]

[bvar22]

I was hoping that maybe you were a guru who could rejuvinate an old OS. I still have my 98se discs (and ME, WIN95/OS2, Win311 floppys, NT350, and OS2Warp...not to mention several versions of Linux.)

Unlike most people, I found 98se to be a stable operating system. I liked it.
It was more transparent than ME or 2000 or XP where most of the configuration tools have been removed from the owner's hands. I've never had the stability problems that seemed to plague other people with Windows. Most of the stability problems I fixxed for other people had to do with improper configuration or bad drivers.

I even miss Win311. Once I got it all figured out, the peripherals irq'd right, a good SCSI card, a good net card,a good memory manager, the config.sys drivers loaded in the right order, the autoexec.bat fixxed and stripped of fat, multiple configuration choice at boot,.....well, the damned thing worked OK, and if something was wrong, I KNEW exactly what it was and how to fix it! I used the File Manager as the the desktop, and could scroll through the Windows directory and kick out any files that didn't belong. Formatting the HDs (ran several SCSI) and reinstalling was a fun thing every couple of months just to keep everything fresh. Every upgrade since then has moved everything one step further away from the operator.

Windows311 was like my old 57Chevy. I could open the hood and know every piece. If it started making noises, or wasn't running in tune, I knew how to fix it.
XP is like a new imported car. I open the hood and know there is an engine in there somewhere, but damned if I can recognize anything, muck less fuck with anything.

98se is somewhere in the middle. Still accessable.
The only reason I've moved on is that I enjoy MultiMedia with high end Graphics cards,rocking games, and the latest peripherals. The drivers for 98 are getting kinda old, if they are supplied at all.

I've messed around with Linux and was never able to get everything working right, especially the graphics(games) and some of my wierder peripherals. I'm getting ready to try it again after Christmas.

So, I wasn't rolling my eyes at all.I probably understand. It's just no fun trying to fuck around with XP. Besides turning off a few things (like autoupdate) I just leave XP alone to do whatever it wants to do in blind ignorance. The games are good, and I haven't reached the end of the Internet yet, so fuck it.

I know there is a way to dual boot without spending the money for System Commander,but if you have the cash and play with different OSes it would be a good investment
Good Luck.