Many years ago (2002) I reinstalled Windows 98 Standard Edition over top of itself. As far as I can remember, I think this was because my D:\ (CD ROM) disappeared from in My Computer and I couldn’t figure out why. Anyway, I never knew about the Version Conflict Manager until recently. The following is what it shows. In the lower table I have added a column of what versions show when I check the properties of the files that the manager shows as unknown. There you'll notice that the versions seem to be the same as the "Was" column, except for one, and that the files that were version 4.4.0.3388 now have the zero missing from the third spot.

My first question is… Should I be restoring all these files to the versions I had prior to the reinstall?

Also, I have Windows 98 Service Pack 1 listed in my Add/Remove Programs list. I don't remember from where or when this was installed. Should it have been reinstalled too, or was it on my 98 disk and would have been reinstalled with the rest of 98? I had the system built at a local shop and my disk is a Microsoft OEM that says "For distribution with a new PC only". If you do suggest that I restore the files and reinstall the Service Pack, which comes first?


File Name................Was......................Now

ACCwiz.exe............1.0.0.3..................1.0.0.2
hidclass.sys............4.10.0.2222...........4.10.0.1998
msinfo32.exe..........4.10.0.2222...........4.10.0.1998
msnp32.dll.............4.10.0.2000............4.10.0.1998
mswrd832.cnv.......1998.8.6.0..............1997.8.12.0
rnr20.dll................4.10.0.2002.............4.10.0.1998
setupx.dll..............4.10.0.2000.............4.10.0.1998
stimon.exe............4.10.0.2222.............4.10.0.1998
tapisrv.exe............4.10.0.2000.............4.10.0.1998
telnet.exe............. 5.0.1755.2..............5.0.1717.1
timedate.cpl..........4.10.0.2000.............4.10.0.1998
tshoot.ocx.............1.0.1.2123..............1.0.0.2004
uhcd.sys...............4.10.0.2000.............4.10.0.1998
usbd.sys...............4.10.0.2019.............4.10.0.1998
usbhub.sys...........4.10.0.2019.............4.10.0.1998
vdhcp.386............4.10.0.2014.............4.10.0.1726
xcopy32.mod........4.10.0.2222.............4.10.0.1998


File Name...............Was....................Now...........................Properties Show

callcont.dll..............4.4.0.3388..........unknown.....................4.4.3388
cb32.exe................4.4.0.3388..........unknown.....................4.4.3388
clrvdiddc.dll............1.3.0.2...............unknown..................... 1.3.0.2
conf.exe................4.4.0.3388...........unknown.....................4.4.3388
dcap16.dll..............4.4.0.3388...........unknown.....................4.4.3388
dcap32.dll..............4.4.0.3388...........unknown.....................4.4.3388
dcapvxd.vxd..........4.4.0.3388...........unknown.....................4.4.3388
decdnet.dll.............5.0.0.90...............unknown....................5.0.0.90
msconf.dll..............4.4.0.3388............unknown...................4.4.3388
msg723.acm..........4.4.0.3388...........unknown....................4.4.3388
msh261.drv...........4.4.0.3388............unknown...................4.4.3388
msh.263.drv..........4.4.0.3388............unknown...................4.4.3388
mst120.dll.............4.4.0.3388............unknown...................4.4.3388
nac.dll..................4.4.0.3388.............unknown...................4.4.3388
nmcom.dll.............4.4.0.3388.............unknown...................4.4.3388
ra3228_8.dll..........5.0.0.90................unknown...................5.0.0.90
ra32rv10.dll...........5.0.0.90...............unknown...................5.0.0.90
ra32sipr.dll............5.0.0.90................unknown..................5.0.0.90
rarv1032.dll..........5.0.0.90.................unknown..................5.0.0.90
ra3214_4.dll..........5.0.0.97................unknown..................5.0.0.97
raocx32.dll............5.0.0.97.................unknown.................5.0.0.97
raxtra.x32............5.0.0.97................unknown...................2.0.2.1
rrcm.dll................4.4.0.3388.............unknown..................4.4.3388
vtdapi.vxd............4.10.0.2222...........unknown...................4.10.0.2222
wb32.exe..............4.4.0.3388..............unknown.................4.4.3388

Thank you for any suggestions you may be able to give.

Appears you originally had the Second Edition installed (4.10.0.2222), and the conflict manager detects your files are first editions (4.10.0.1998) instead of the Second Edition it looks for.
I'd better not risk 'restoring' files, except you have problems (e.g. WDM / AC97 soundcards and some modems will cause trouble) and have to reinstall anyway.

I would say that something caused 98se files to be installed on your 98 system and that's what knocked out the CDROM most likely to begin with.

I would stick with the 98 Gold files so the answer to the first question is no, do not "revert back" to the 98se files. You might be able to reset the Version Conflict manager by reinstalling 98 Gold once again perhaps getting the was and now files to show 98 versions?

Win98 Service Pack 1 was not on your OEM 98 installation CD, it was on another separate CD probably no longer available from MS. The local shop probably let their copy spin for a while in your tray while they had it.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/234437/en-us

But it is available from our moderator's website.
http://www.mdgx.com/web.htm#981
Let that one load completely without any early scrolling by you and it will open to the exact spot where that service pack is.

Yes, the Service Pack should have been reinstalled and yet again if you take my advice to reinstall 98 twice to clear the Version Conflict Manager. I would reinstall 98 first and then apply the SP, but it probably really doesn't matter.

Please don't call it 98 Standard Edition, it was always 98 Gold Edition or just plain 98 and it always will be. Don't make MS's mistake and start calling it something so similar to 98se that really bad mistakes can get made. Don't ask me how MS could start doing such a thing considering that the use of the word Gold was their custom to begin with for denoting the first edition release of their software.

Thanks so much for your help guys. I will check into your great suggestions and come back with the outcome. In the mean time I'm still open for any more suggestions.

Also, I just recently noticed that my System Information says: Microsoft Windows 98 4.10.1998
Upgrade using Full OEM CD /T:C:\WININST0.400/SrcDir=D:\WIN98/IZ/IS/IQ/IT/II/NR/II/C /U:xx

But when I right click My Computer/Properties it says:

Microsoft Windows 98
Version 4.10.2222
Registered to: My Name
*****-OEM-*******-*****

What does all this mean? I know Second Edition is Version 4.10.2222A but mine has no alpha extension and does not say "Second Edition" beside the 98.

It's pretty straight forward, the line:
4.10.2222

Comes from one entry in the registry which got changed when your 98se files got put on your machine, yours is not the first time I've come across this either but I still don't know exactly which update does this or what happened to cause this. Yours should read
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion]
"VersionNumber"="4.10.1998"

The "A" comes from another entry under the same key
"SubVersionNumber"=" A "

And this is the value on my 98se box. Notice the spaces around the "A" above. "Second Edition" is NOT a value in my registry and I suspect that text as shown has been written into the System Properties display dohicky. Which is further proof that you really are 98 Gold. Mine says:

System:
Microsoft Windows 98
Second Edition
4.10.2222 A

Registered to:
Lee
5057x-xxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxx

Computer:
AuthenticAMD
AMD-K6tm w/ mutimedia extensions
125.0MB RAM


If you run the 2004 Security CD from MS it will alter your SubVersionNumber to reflect the fact that the CD's security updates have been installed. IIRC it places an A onto 98 Gold Version number line and makes the A on the same line of 98se into a B. And this is done by simply writing those values to the registry. Just change yours to what it should be manually.

Hey Lee,

Thanks for your input. I see my registry entry is different than you expected, my says:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion]
"Version"="Windows 98"
"VersionNumber"="4.10.1998"
"SubVersionNumber"=" "

That is also what my System Information says. It's the "My Computer" "Properties" that shows different.

System Information:
Microsoft Windows 98
4.10.1998
Upgrade using Full OEM CD

My Computer/Properties:
Microsoft Windows 98
Version 4.10.2222
Registered to: My Name
*****-OEM-*******-*****