It’s a wonder that Windows 98 and Windows Me are able to work with all the variations of hardware devices in the marketplace today, with so many made by so many different manufacturers. In most cases, Win98 and WinMe will hum along, undeterred, accessing your installed graphics card, sound card, modem, network card, hard drive, removable drives, printer, and other peripherals. There may be times, however, when a single device will bring Win98 and WinMe to its knees, taking you down with it. At other times, the new hardware device you just purchased will not work at all after you install it.

Either situation usually results in an error message displaying on-screen, offering only a few words to describe the problem. You may have a few words of your own, but what you really want is a quick resolution to the error message and to get on with your work. It is to those times that this article is dedicated.

Fortunately, Win98 and WinMe have several built-in troubleshooting features and tools that can help in resolving hardware failures. The fact that the OS (operating system) is telling you that something is wrong and giving you a probable cause to start with is actually a good first step. We will take that first step with you and guide you through some specific solutions to hardware error messages to demonstrate the troubleshooting features within, as well as other resources available for, Win98 and WinMe.



  Try This First. Write down the actual error message so you have a record of it. Then shut down and restart your PC. From the Start menu, select Shut Down, confirm your choice, and click OK. Wait a few seconds before turning on the PC again. Sometimes, when faced with an error, a fresh restart can do wonders for Windows.

If the error message refers to a specific device, try removing the device and reinstalling it. Occasionally, a device driver (a software program configured to enable the device to work with the OS) may become damaged. Removing a device and doing a “clean” reinstall often results in restoring the device driver.

First, shut down and power off your PC. If the questionable device is external, unplug it from the electrical outlet and disconnect it from the PC. If the troublesome device is internal, unplug all power cords from the electrical outlet, remove the power cord from the PC case, and open your case. Before touching any internal component, make sure you touch the metal PC case to ground yourself and disperse any static discharge your body may have built up. If you don’t, a static discharge to a component could render it useless. Then, carefully remove the device. Close the PC case, reattach the power cord, and plug it back into the outlet.

Turn your PC on and click the Start button, select Settings, open the Control Panel, double-click the System icon, and choose the Device Manager tab. Confirm that the device is not listed in the category it should appear in. If it is still listed, select it and click Remove. Close all the windows and shut down Win98 or WinMe. Unplug and remove the power cord from the PC case, open the case, touch a metal area on the outside of the case to ground yourself, and put the device back into the slot on the motherboard. Close the PC case again, reattach and plug in the power cord, and start up your PC.

During the startup process, Win98 or WinMe will sense the new device, launch the New Hardware Wizard, and reinstall the drivers. The wizard may ask for the location of the installation files which, if Win98 or WinMe is preinstalled on your PC, are on your hard drive at C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS. Otherwise, you’ll need to insert your Win98 or WinMe installation CD-ROM into your disc drive. Use the installation CD-ROM that came with the OS installed on your PC.

WinMe users should always use the device drivers available on the WinMe installation CD-ROM. The drivers that came with your device may not be compatible with WinMe, unless stated so, because WinMe is a relatively new OS.

In this article, we will present a number of probable hardware device error messages, offer a possible reason as to why the error message occurred, and then provide a suggestion for getting your system up and running again.



  Driver & Device Conflicts. It is a good preemptive measure to stop PC hardware error messages by keeping your device drivers up-to-date. Problems with errant hardware devices generally lie with the drivers. Refer to the “Device Manager” sidebar for details about using this Windows tool to help you keep device drivers current and manage a preemptive strike against error messages.

Error Message: “USB hub power exceeded. The hub does not have enough power available to operate XX. Would you like assistance in solving this problem? If you click No, the device may not function properly.”

Translation: You have too many devices needing power through the USB (Universal Serial Bus) port. The XX variable indicates the name of the affected device. While it’s true that the USB port can daisy chain up to 127 devices and provide power to devices that don’t have an external power supply, there is a limit to the power part of this attribute. The error message indicates that you reached the power-providing limit of the USB port.

Solution: Add an internal USB expansion card or an external self-powered USB hub. Another solution is to add only self-powered USB devices to the daisy chain.

Error Message: “Windows Protection Error” or “While initializing XX, Windows Protection Error”

Translation: You may see this message if you have a HP LaserJet Series 4000 or 8000 printer or one of the Epson Stylus Color inkjet printers sharing an Iomega Zip drive through the parallel printer port. The XX variable indicates the name of the affected device. A Windows Protection error message may occur when Windows attempts to load or unload a VxD (virtual device driver) that is in conflict with another device using the same resources.

Solution: You need to disable the bi-directional support in your PC’s CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) settings and in the properties of the printer. Check your PC manual to find out how to access the CMOS and change the setting for the parallel port on your PC. To access your printer’s properties, click the Start button, select Settings, and click Printers. Right-click your printer and click Properties at the bottom of the pop-up menu. Choose the Details tab, click Spool Settings, select the option to the left of Disable Bi-directional Support For This Printer, and click OK twice.

Please note that while the above will solve the specific noted problem, Windows Protection errors can occur at any time with any device conflicting with other devices. For a more universal procedure for resolving this type of error message, refer to the Microsoft Knowledge Base (http://search.support.microsoft.com/kb). In the My Search Is About field at the top, choose Windows 98 Second Edition or Windows Millennium Edition from the drop-down menu. In the I Want To Search By area, click the Specific Article ID Number option. Then, type Q149962 in the My Question Is field, and click Go. On the resulting page, click the Q149962 link, and read through the options listed for dealing with this common error message.

Error Message: “Your computer cannot go on standby because a device or program won’t allow it. Close all open programs, and then try again.” (Or you may see a variation of this message, along with a network resource error, audio device error, port error, PCI bus error, or generic device error.)

Translation: Notebook users may be the most susceptible to a variation of these error messages when they try to put their notebooks into hibernation or standby to conserve battery power. If the user happens to be sharing a file or using a program on a network, then the network resources variation of this error will pop up. If the user is using an application that requires a modem (such as a fax program or browser), then the port error message will display. There are also drivers that may conflict with the hibernation or standby mode of a PC.

Windows Me users can find more information concerning standby conflict issues by opening the Help And Support window and accessing its Power Management Troubleshooter.

Solution: If you’re on a network, close all files and applications before going into hibernation or standby. If you’re using an application connected to a modem, close the application and go into hibernation or standby. Applications and files located on your notebook that are not using a network or modem connection may remain open before you going into hibernation or standby. For more detailed solutions, refer to the WinMe Help And Support window by selecting Help from the Start menu. Type susfail.txt in the Search field of the Help And Support window. The Power Management Troubleshooter will take you step-by-step through the process of resolving hibernation or standby conflicts with any device drivers.

Win98 users can find answers concerning these conflict issues by accessing the Microsoft Knowledge Base. In the My Search Is About field, choose Windows 98 Second Edition from the drop-down menu. In the I Want To Search By area, click the Keyword Search option. Then, in the My Question Is field, type susfail.txt and click Go. On the resulting page, click the Q232728 Computer May Be Unable To Start Standby Mode link, and read through the options listed for dealing with this common error message. The page will offer solutions, as well as directions for downloading and using the Power Management Troubleshooter tool (Pmtshoot .exe) from the Microsoft Download Center. Susfail.txt is a log file that is created during a standby or hibernation failure that may determine which application, driver, or hardware device caused the failure.



  Output & Playback. It is truly amazing what you can create using a PC: documents, pictures, music, and even movies. But can your PC provide adequate output and playback for these items? The PC’s sound card, video card (also called a graphics card or display adapter), and printer are essential output devices that can cause their own variety of error messages, preventing you from sharing your creativity with the outside world. In many instances, getting updated device drivers, reinstalling the device, or just checking the connections can get the errant device running again.

Error Message: “MIDI output error detected”

Translation: Your sound card is the device that has the driver to support MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface; an interface protocol for transforming music into data and vice versa) playback from within a Windows multimedia player. This message represents a failure of the sound card’s MIDI device driver.

Solution: Click the Start button, Settings, and Control Panel. Double-click System, and choose the Device Manager tab. Select the View Devices By Type option, and then click the plus sign (+) to the left of Sound, Video And Game Controllers to list the sound card device drivers. Highlight and remove all the audio or sound card devices, and then shut down Windows. Restarting Windows will detect the sound card and reinstall the drivers.

In addition, we suggest that you periodically check your sound card manufacturer’s Web site, such as Creative’s Sound Blaster series (http://www.creativelabs.com) and Voyetra Turtle Beach (http://www.voyetra-turtle-beach.com), for the most recent device drivers for your OS. Many of the updated drivers will self-install when you click the downloaded file after you finish downloading it from the site.

Error Message: “Invalid file format” or “Cannot play back the file. The format is not supported.” or “Cannot play back video stream: no suitable compressor could be found.” or “No combination of filters could be found to render the stream.” or “The source filter for this file could not be loaded.” or “Unable to download an appropriate decompressor.”

Translation: You might receive any of these error messages when you try to play a movie file (.AVI, .MOV, and others), audio file (.MP3, .WAV, and others), or attempt to download streaming audio or video that doesn’t play. An error message might be the result of a damaged multimedia player (Windows Media Player, RealPlayer, and QuickTime) or a missing or damaged codec (compressor/decompressor) driver needed to convert the digital data for your monitor (via your video card) and/or speakers (via your sound card).

Solution: Get the most recent version of your chosen multimedia player online (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia, http://www.real.com, or http://www.apple.com/quicktime) and follow the installation directions to either upgrade or reinstall the player on your PC.

There is a codec driver available in Windows 98 and Windows Me that works with Windows Media Player.

In addition, you can try using the codec driver available in Win98 and WinMe for Windows Media Player. From the Start menu, select Settings, click Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs, and choose the Windows Setup tab. Select the Multimedia checkbox, click Details, scroll the list, select the Video Compression checkbox, and click OK twice to close both dialog boxes. Windows will prompt you for the Win98 or WinMe installation files so it can install the codec driver. Once you reboot, the driver is ready to use.

Keep in mind that this codec driver is designed for the Windows Media Player. If you choose to use another multimedia player, such as Nullsoft’s Winamp (http://www.winamp.com) or RealPlayer (http://www.real.com), it’s best to completely download the multimedia player from the chosen site and follow its installation directions because each player uses its own unique codec driver.

Error Message: “LPT Printer Error: Error printing to port lptX.” or “Severe: PnP Hardware ID not found in Canon.ini. Installation aborted.”

Translation: This printer error may pop up when you try sending something to a Canon BJC-5000 inkjet printer if the printer’s device drivers did not install properly or are corrupt.

Solution: Follow the printer’s manual to reinstall the printer drivers. Better yet, go to Canon’s site (http://www.usa.canon.com/support/files) and download the updated drivers. Follow the instructions on the site. Restart your PC and try to print.

Error Message: Your printer is not printing the way it used to or is producing poor quality copy.

Translation: Your printer device drivers may be corrupt or out of date. This may happen if you recently upgraded your OS to Win98 or WinMe from a previous version of Windows.

Solution: Delete the printer listing by clicking the Start button, Settings, Printers, and right-clicking your printer’s icon. Select Delete from the pop-up menu to remove the printer’s listing. Answer “Yes” if asked whether you are sure you want to do this and if it’s OK to delete files no longer needed by the printer.

Next, click Add Printer to launch the Add Printer Wizard. First, click Next, and then indicate whether your printer is a Local Printer or Network Printer. Click Next. Select the printer manufacturer and actual printer to highlight the listing, and then click Next. Select the available port to which your printer is attached and click Next. Use the default printer name or type one of your own, click the Yes option if you want the printer to be the default printer for your PC, and click Next. In the final wizard window, print a test page and click Finish. The wizard will add the printer to the Printer folder.

If asked for the location of the Windows installation files or CD-ROM, make sure you use the files or CD-ROM that represent the current version of your Win98 or WinMe OS. Some of the Win98 device drivers are not compatible with WinMe.

In addition, you can check with your printer manufacturer’s site for printer driver updates matching your Windows OS. Some of the most popular printer manufacturers include Canon (http://www.usa.canon.com/support/files), Epson (http://support.epson.com), Hewlett-Packard (http://www.hp.com/cposupport/software.html), Lexmark (http://www.lexmark.com/drivers), and Xerox (http://www.xerox.com).



  Faults & Fatal Exceptions. At one time or another as Windows users, we have experienced a GPF (general protection fault) or a fatal exception error message. GPF is an error condition that occurs when an application or device driver tries to access memory outside of its authorized memory space or when an invalid instruction is issued. A fatal exception is an error that causes the system or an application to crash (stop working), with no hope of recovery. With both types of errors, you have to restart your PC before you can try to resolve the problem. These errors are usually resolved by reallocating memory, installing a patch for an application, upgrading a device driver, or simply reinstalling the errant application or device.

Error Message: “This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.” or “Spool32 caused an invalid page fault in module ISM.DLL.” or “Spool32 caused a GPF in ISM.DLL.”

Translation: This message may occur when you try to print to a Hewlett-Packard DeskJet printer and a portion of the printer device driver code that is not needed for printing is accessed anyway.

Solution: Look for and rename the Image Server folder. Right-click the Start button and select Explore to open Windows Explorer. Open the C:\Program Files folder (click the plus sign to the left of the folder) and look for the Image Server folder. Right-click the folder and click Rename on the pop-up menu. Rename the folder by typing Image, press the ENTER key, and then close Windows Explorer. Restart your PC and try to print again.

Error Message: “Cmdninst has caused a general protection fault in module User.exe.”

Translation: This is a WinMe error message caused by the vendor-supplied device drivers for the Yamaha DS-XG PCI or ESS-1869 sound cards. These sound cards were typically installed in Windows PCs by manufacturers before WinMe was introduced. Trying to use these cards with their original device drivers will conflict with the WinMe OS.

Solution: Visit the Yamaha site (http://www.yamaha.com) or the ESS Technology site (http://www.esstech.com) and download the WinMe updated device driver for the respective sound card. You might also want to check out the Web site of your PC manufacturer for updated WinMe drivers for your particular PC model.

Error Message: “Fatal Exception Error: Cannot upgrade Windows with Aureal Vortex 1 driver installed.”

By accessing the Power Options Properties dialog box, you can either temporarily or permanently disable the APM (Advanced Power Management) feature.

Translation: This error message stops you from even installing WinMe on a PC that has the Aureal Vortex 1 type of audio driver installed. This is another typical PC manufacturer’s packaged installation of a sound card, this time with the Aureal A3D chipset. Diamond Multimedia, Hi-Val, I/O Magic, and Voyetra Turtle Beach are some manufacturers that have used this chipset.

Solution: In Win9x (OS you’re using before the upgrade to WinMe), you can use the Device Manager (click the Start button, select Settings, open the Control Panel, double-click System, and choose the Device Manager tab) to determine which sound card is installed on your system. Click the plus sign to the left of the Sound, Video And Game Controllers category, and write down your sound card listings. You can also check the PC’s manual or open the PC case (using the precautions about static electricity that we mentioned earlier) to see if you can identify a manufacturer’s name on the sound card (it’s the one with the speakers connected to it).

Then go to the appropriate sound card manufacturer’s site, download the WinMe drivers for the Aureal A3D chipset, and install them. You might also want to consider installing a new sound card that isn’t based on the Aureal A3D chipset. Once you restart your PC after installing updated drivers, you should be able to run the WinMe setup program to install the OS.

Error Message: “Explorer caused an Invalid page fault in module EXPLORER.EXE at 015f:000401f31.”

Translation: You may get this error message after you install Diamond Multimedia’s Monster Fusion video card device drivers and try to restart your PC. The device driver replaces the Comctl32.dll file with a version that is not compatible with Internet Explorer 5.

Solution: Go to Diamond Multimedia’s Web site (http://www.diamondmm.com) and download updated drivers for its Monster Fusion series of cards. Carefully follow the installation directions and then restart your PC.

An alternative solution is to extract a new copy of the Comctl32.dll file and place it at C:\WINDOWS\System. Next, restart your PC, press the F8 key on your keyboard during startup to view the Windows Startup Menu, and choose Safe Mode Command Only. Rename the Comctl32.dll file to Comctl32.old by typing ren c:\windows\system\comctl32.dll comctl32.old at the command prompt (C>) and pressing the ENTER key. Extract the Comctl32.dll file from the Setupw95.cab file located in the Windows Update Setup Files folder that was created when you downloaded the Internet Explorer 5 update.

Windows stores its installation files in compressed cabinet (.CAB) files. At the command prompt, type extract C:\window~1\setupw95 .cab comctl32.dll /l c:\windows\system and press ENTER. The /l in the command will place the extracted Comctl32.dll file into the appropriate Windows directory. Restart your PC and your Monster Fusion video drivers should work.

Error Message: “A Fatal Exception 0D has occurred. Press any key to continue.”

Translation: This message might display as a blue-screen error message after you have installed the ATI Technologies All-In-Wonder Pro video adapters (version 5.0 or later) provided by ATI. You may also be trying to use an application that relies on 16-bit video device drivers that are no longer supported in the 32-bit video drivers of Win98 and WinMe. The application may have also installed 16-bit drivers that are conflicting with the 32-bit Win98 and WinMe drivers.

Solution: Visit the ATI Technologies Web site (http://www.atitech.com) and get the updated device drivers for the All-In-Wonder card. Plus, visit the site of the application that initiated the error message and see if it has an update or patch for its application that can correct this conflict.

Meanwhile you can work around this error message by starting your PC in Safe mode. Press the F8 or F5 key (or whatever key is appropriate for your system) after you turn on the PC and select Safe Mode from the Windows Startup Menu). In Safe mode, click the Start button, select Run, type msconfig.exe, and click OK. In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, choose the System.ini tab, double-click the [boot] branch to expand it, and then right-click Display.drv=Pnpdrvr.drv. Click Clear, and then click OK. Click Yes to restart your PC. Then, in Safe mode, repeat the steps of selecting Run, typing msconfig.exe, clicking OK, and choosing the System.ini tab in the System Configuration Utility dialog box. The steps you’ll change this time around are clicking Select, clicking OK, and clicking No when asked to restart your PC.

Next, open the Start menu, select Settings, click Control Panel, double-click the Display icon, choose the Setting tab, and then click Advanced. Choose the Adapter tab and click Change. In the resulting Update Device Driver Wizard, click Next, and select the option next to Display A List Of All The Drivers In A Specific Location, So You Can Select The Driver You Want. Click Next, and then select the ATI All-In-Wonder Pro option dated 5/11/98. Click Next as many times as necessary until you click Finish. Be sure to click Apply and Close before restarting your PC.

Error Message: “A Fatal Exception 0E has occurred at 0028:C00082CD in VxD(01) +000072CD.”

Translation: If you have a Matrox video adapter and you try to shut down or restart your Win98 or WinMe PC, this blue-screen error message may cause your PC to “hang” or stop responding. This indicates that the video adapter device driver is incompatible with your version of Windows (or is corrupt).

Solution: Visit the Matrox site (http://www.matrox.com) and download the most appropriate updated drivers for your version of Windows. Note the download and installation instructions according to what’s available on the site.



  Moving On. To review more of these error messages, you can access the Web-only portion of this article at http://www.smartcomputing.com/learning/errors/98Mehardware. Also refer to the specific articles in the “Hardware” section of this issue to find solutions to other errors that Win98 and WinMe can produce in relation to hardware problems.

In addition, the Internet is a great resource for resolving hardware error messages by using manufacturers’ support Web pages or Microsoft’s vast Knowledge Base (http://search.support.microsoft.com). If you are looking for a particular Web site from which to download device driver updates or application patches, use the Knowledge Base to pinpoint the manufacturer or vendor you need. In the My Search Is About field, choose All Microsoft Products from the drop-down menu. Then, below I Want To Search By, select the Specific Article ID Number option. To access lists of hardware and software manufacturers, go to the My Question Is field and type Q65416 (for the A-K list), Q60781 (for the L-P list), or Q60782 (for the Q-Z list).

There are also sites that will ease your search for updated drivers. Driverzone.com (http://www.driverzone.com) and Totallydrivers.com (http://www.totallydrivers.com) have compiled links and helpful hints for just about any device. And don’t forget about the search tools at SmartComputing.com (http://www.smartcomputing.com). Use our Find Answers feature to search through our archived articles.  

by Steven Sweet

Web-Only Error Messages: Win98/Me Hardware Error Message: Error Message: “Windows Protection Error” (after you install a USB DSL [Digital Subscriber Line] modem) Translation: The PC “hangs” and stops responding when your try to restart after installing an Efficient Networks Speedstream 4060 USB ASDL (Asymmetric DSL) modem. This is a modem type that some DSL ISPs (Internet service providers) are supplying with their service sign-up packages. Solution: Check first with the site of your DSL ISP and look for an updated fix or device driver for this USB modem. Efficient Networks (http://support.efficient.com/drivers) has the Speedstream 3.2.0 updated driver for the 4060 ADSL modem, but you should confirm with your DSL ISP that it will be compatible with its service. We set up an alternative solution by finding a DSL ISP that enables a DSL connection through an Ethernet card (which you provide) connected to a Westell DMT ADSL external modem (provided by the DSL ISP, usually for free). This circumvented the USB problem.   Put Your Drives In Motion. The applications and data on your PC are stored on either hard drives or media for the other drives your PC uses, including floppy diskette drives, CD drives, and/or removable drives such as Zip drives. As devices, they are vulnerable to failure, causing error messages to appear on-screen when necessary. Careful handling, monitoring, and maintenance can help to avoid a potential data loss disaster from happening. Sometimes, however, a little patience can also resolve an error message. Error Message: “X:\ is not accessible. The device is not ready.” Translation: This can happen when you insert a CD or DVD into the disc drive and immediately try to click the drive to access the disc’s content. The CD or DVD hasn’t had enough time to get up to speed in order for it to be read by the drive. Solution: Wait a minute and click Retry. This will give the drive enough time to get up to reading speed. If this message should pop up for a floppy drive, try ejecting the floppy and reinserting it, making sure that it is firmly seated in the drive. WinMe is more helpful with this error because it will display a window asking you to “Please insert a disk into drive D:.” Error Message: “Error reading CD-ROM in drive X.” Translation: This error pops up as a blue-screen error message, which appears as white lettering on a totally blue screen background on your monitor. The cause of this error might be that you accidentally pushed the eject button on the disc drive while the PC was still reading the disc’s content. Or you might have a damaged or dirty disc in the drive. Solution: Reinsert the disc into the drive and press the ESC key. If this doesn’t rid you of the blue-screen error message, you will need to restart the PC (using the reset button or on/off power button). We suggest that you always use the Stop button in your disc player application before physically ejecting the media from the drive. Also, because it’s possible that a damaged or dirty disc might cause this error message, try cleaning it and/or inserting a different disc. Error Message: “Serious disk error writing to drive X” or “Data error reading drive X” or “Error reading drive X” or “Seek error” or “Sector not found” Translation: This type of error message could display when you try to access a hard drive or floppy diskette drive, which may either contain damaged and corrupted data or physical damage to the media the data is stored on. If you see this message when you start your PC, you should start picking out a new hard drive. Solution: Use ScanDisk to test the media, whether that involves diskettes or a hard drive. If ScanDisk reveals numerous errors on a diskette or hard drive, it’s time to replace it. From the Start menu, select Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and click ScanDisk. Click the drive you want to test, select Thorough, and then click Start. (Selecting the Thorough option enables ScanDisk to test the drive for physical damage.) If ScanDisk discovers damage, you’ll have the option to try to save it to a file or discard it. Running ScanDisk in the Thorough mode may take a considerable amount of time, depending on the size of the drive. If Windows is unable to boot, you can run ScanDisk from the Emergency Startup Diskette. Just insert the startup diskette into drive A and turn on your PC. At the A> prompt, type scandisk x: (where x is the drive letter you want to scan) to start the application. When ScanDisk finishes a quick checkup, click Yes to perform a surface scan of the drive. If errors are found, we suggest that you replace the hard drive as soon as possible. Error Message: “Error: Write Data. Illegal Start Block Address. (0x4000004b) You will not be able to read or write to disk through drive letter access.” Translation: You may see this error message when you try to format a blank disc with a CD-RW (CD-rewriteable) drive and the APM (Advanced Power Management) feature is active on your PC. The APM feature is designed for the efficient use of power for your monitor and hard drive and is activated by default in Win98 and WinMe. Solution: If you don’t want to use APM, open the Start menu, select Settings, click Control Panel, and double-click Power Management (in Win98) or Power Options (in WinMe). Under the Power Schemes tab, select Never from the Turn Off Monitor drop-down menu and from the Turn Off Hard Disks drop-down menu. Click Apply, OK, and then restart your PC. If you only want to temporarily disable APM, go back and reset the setting under the Power Schemes tab of the Power Management (or Power Options) tool after using the CD-RW drive. Click Apply, OK, and then restart your PC so the APM feature is back to its assigned job of regulating when your monitor and hard drive should power down when they are not in use. Error Message: You cannot capture a DVD image using the PRINT SCREEN key on your keyboard and pasting the image into an application. Translation: This assumed flaw is actually an intentional security design that makes it difficult for users to copy DVD movie images. The DVD data stream is decoded by a DVD decoder circuit that sits outside of the video adapter. The video adapter creates a playback space on the monitor for which the DVD decoder sends the movie image. Using the PRINT SCREEN key just captures the black or blue box displayed by the video adapter, not the DVD stream the decoder sends to the playback space. Solution: None. As we mentioned, this is an intentionally designed problem.

Device Manager The Windows 98 and Windows Me Device Manager is a versatile applet that you can use to prevent and resolve device problems. It offers such capabilities as indicating whether a device is working properly, updating a device driver, changing device setup values, turning devices on or off, defining which resources a device uses, and indicating whether one device is conflicting with another. Device Manager, a useful tool bundled with Windows 98 and Windows Me, can help identify hardware-related problems on your PC. To access the Device Manager, click the Start button, select Settings, click Control Panel, and double-click the System icon. In the System Properties dialog box, choose the Device Manager tab to list the installed device categories. To reveal all the devices in a specific category, click the plus sign (+) to the left of the device category in question. If there is an “X” or an exclamation mark (!) to the left of a listed device, this indicates that there are problems with the device. Select the device in the list to highlight it, and then click Properties to open another dialog box that displays whether the device is working properly in the Device status area of the General tab. For example, the “X” might indicate that you just need to enable the device by deselecting the Disable In This Hardware Profile checkbox on the General tab of the Properties window. The exclamation mark, on the other hand, might mean that the device isn’t physically connected to the PC. Or, perhaps the driver just needs to be updated. These situations will display in the Device status area on the General tab of the Properties dialog box. If a device is not working, select it in the Device Manager, and click the Remove button. When you click OK and restart your PC, this will force your system to reinstall the device you just removed, along with its driver. You can update a driver by selecting a listed device, clicking Properties, and choosing the Driver tab in the dialog box that appears on-screen. Click the Update Driver button to launch a wizard that can either search for and install a better driver or let you find one by manually browsing to it (which is the option you’ll need to choose if you plan to download an updated driver from a manufacturer’s Web site). In addition, devices should not be trying to share resources. This can cause device failure or, at best, intermittent functioning. To resolve device conflicts or change a device’s setup values, go to the Device Manager tab, highlight a listed device, click Properties, and choose the Resources tab. Here, depending on which device you selected, you’ll see the IRQ (interrupt request lines) setting, I/O (input/output) range, and the DMA (direct memory access) settings for the device. The Conflicting Device List will either indicate “no conflicts” or specify the conflicts in question. In most cases, if the Use Automatic Settings checkbox is selected, Windows will assign device settings appropriately. However, if a device is listed as conflicting with another, you may need to deselect the Use Automatic Settings checkbox, and choose Basic Configuration from the drop-down menu to access other available settings. Click the Change Setting button and select a new setting for the device (if possible). Next, look at the Conflicting Device List for possible conflicts with other devices. Finally, click OK to close the dialog boxes and restart your system to install the new settings.