Troubleshooting Windows 98 Uninstall Problems

This article describes how to troubleshoot problems uninstalling Windows The following issues are discussed:

• Uninstall does not finish
• Long file names are truncated
• Windows 98-specific shortcuts and folders are not removed
• Your display settings are changed to Standard VGA
• Some programs do not start
• Your operating system does not start
• Internet Mail and News for Internet Explorer 3.02 does not work
• Your Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 desktop themes have been removed
• System Agent does not work
• Some Microsoft Plus! for Windows 98 files are not removed

For information about uninstalling Microsoft Windows 98, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Uninstall Does Not Finish

The uninstall process may quit after your drives are checked. This behavior can occur if the Winundo.dat file is located on a small computer system interface (SCSI) drive that requires real-mode drivers, and the drivers are not loaded. To resolve this issue, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Long File Names Are Truncated

After you uninstall Windows 98, the long file names on the Start menu may be replaced with MS-DOS-compatible (short) file names in 8.3 format. To resolve this issue, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Windows 98-Specific Shortcuts and Folders Are Not Removed

Windows 98-specific folders:

If Windows 98-specific folders are not removed by the uninstall process, you can safely delete these folders using Windows Explorer. For example, the C:\Program files\TV Viewer folder may not be deleted after you uninstall Windows 98. For additional information about this issue, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:


For information about how to delete a folder, click Start, click Help, click the Index tab, type deleting, and then double-click the "Deleting files or folders" topic.

Windows 98-specific Shortcuts on the Start Menu:

If you have shortcuts to Windows 98 components on the Start Menu, you can safely remove them. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Taskbar & Start Menu.
2. Click the Start Menu Programs tab, and then click Advanced.
3. Locate the shortcut to the Windows 98 component, right-click the shortcut, and then click Delete.
4. Close Windows Explorer, and then click OK.

Windows 98-specific Shortcuts on Desktop:

If you have shortcuts to Windows 98 components on the desktop (for example, a shortcut to Outlook Express), you can delete them by dragging the shortcut to the Recycle Bin.

Your Display Settings Are Set to Standard VGA

If your display settings have been changed to Standard VGA, reset your display adapter settings. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double- click Display.
2. Click the Settings tab.
3. Change the appropriate settings, and then click OK.

If you cannot change you display settings, you may need to reinstall the appropriate device driver for your video adapter. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double- click System.
2. Click the Device Manager tab.
3. Double-click the Display Adapters branch to expand it.
4. Click your display adapter, and then click Properties.
5. Click the Driver tab, click Update Driver, and then follow the instructions on the screen for locating and installing the correct driver for your display adapter.

Some Programs Do Not Start

Some programs may not work correctly after you uninstall Windows 98. Windows 98 may remove or change the settings of Windows 95 programs that are known to cause problems in Windows 98. To resolve this issue, reinstall the program. To do so, refer to the documentation that is included with your software.

Operating System Does Not Start After Windows 98 Uninstall

If you have installed another operating system after you installed Windows 98 (such as Microsoft Windows NT), you may be unable to start that operating system when Windows 98 restores your saved partition information. This behavior can occur if your previous operating system uses a boot loader program to initialize, or installed a third party utility to control from which partition the operating system starts. For additional information about this issue, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Internet Mail and News for Internet Explorer 3.02 Does Not Work

When your try to start Internet Mail or Internet News for Internet Explorer 3.02, your computer may stop responding (hang) or you may receive an error message that the program was unable to initialize.

To resolve this issue, reinstall Internet Mail and News.


To import the Windows Address Book and mail folders to Internet Mail, start Internet Mail, and then Import Address Book and Messages from Microsoft Exchange.

Note that if you have not installed Microsoft Exchange or Windows Messaging, you should do so before exporting the Windows Address Book and mail folders. To install Windows Messaging, double-click the Wms.exe file in the \Tools\Oldwin95\Message\Us folder on the Windows 98 CD-ROM.

Your Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 Desktop Themes Have Been Removed

When you uninstall Windows 98, your Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 desktop themes are not restored. To resolve this issue, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

System Agent Does Not Work

When you uninstall Windows 98, the System Agent tool included with Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 may not work. To work around this problem, follow these steps:

1. Delete the Program Files\Plus! folder.
   
   For information about deleting files and folders in Windows 98, click Start, click Help, click the Index tab, type deleting, and then double-click the "Deleting Files, Folders" topic.
   
   NOTE: To retain your existing scheduled tasks, save a copy of the Sage.dat file before you delete the Plus! folder. The Sage.dat file is located in the Program Files\Plus!\System folder. For additional information about retaining your existing scheduled tasks, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   ARTICLE-ID: 133191  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/133191/EN-US/ )
   TITLE : Reinstalling System Agent Without Losing Scheduled Tasks
2. Install Plus! for Windows 95 again.

Microsoft Plus! for Windows 98 Files Are Not Removed

If Microsoft Plus! for Windows 98 files are not removed, you can reinstall Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 to remove these files. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Delete the Program Files\Plus! folder.
   
   For information about deleting files and folders in Windows 98, click Start, click Help, click the Index tab, type deleting, and then double-click the "Deleting Files, Folders" topic.
   
   NOTE: To retain your existing scheduled tasks, save a copy of the Sage.dat file before you delete the Plus! folder. The Sage.dat file is located in the Program Files\Plus!\System folder. For additional information about retaining your existing scheduled tasks, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   ARTICLE-ID: 133191  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/133191/EN-US/ )
   TITLE : Reinstalling System Agent Without Losing Scheduled Tasks
2. Install Plus! for Windows 95 again.