Can I reinstall Win 98SE ...

without losing all of my other programs/software?

i have a damaged win.ini file (on boot up Windows tells me to reinstall
Win98SE) and my Canon BJC-2100 printer will not work-error-cannot
communicate with lpt1 port.

I really do not want to have to lose everything and do a "system
restore" as I have tax returns to finish before April 15th! All my data
is on this computer and I have no way to save or transfer it to other
media.

All problems started when I installed a USB Epson Stylus RX600 and the
Canon BJC 2100 is a parallel port printer. Is there anyway to connect
the Canon via the serial port or ??? I do not have the USB cable that
came with the Canon.

Also-how do I remove all of the ports/etc.-from device manager or ???
There are lsitings in the printer properties dropdown that shows 6
different ports and I do not know what they are for.

Thank you in advance!

Yes...just dont format the disk during the reinstall.
Dave

Then I only have to put in the Win 98SE CD and reinstall?

This will not remove any of my other prgrams or software?

Thanks in advance!

Just to be on the safe side, google for a program called keyfinder from Magic
Jelly Bean Software (I'm not making this up!). Download keyfinder and run it.
Keyfinder displays and can print the original Windows Product ID used to install
the software. Keep this info for possible re-use when you reinstall.

.... Ben Myers

On 2 Apr 2005 20:31:23 -0800, wrote:

Then I only have to put in the Win 98SE CD and reinstall?

This will not remove any of my other prgrams or software?

Thanks in advance!

Be VERY careful. If your CD is a restore CD (which is likely for a Compaq
Win98SE machine), it WILL wipe out the hard drive. It will not ask.

So, your best solution is to move the hard drive to another machine as the
second drive and backup your data FIRST.

Then, put it back in the machine and go to the

C:\Windows\Options\Cabs directory -- even from just the DOS prompt.

Run the Setup.EXE program in that directory. It will reinstall Windows
without wiping everything out.

If you can't get there, i.e. it won't boot, download a Win 98SE boot disk
from www.bootdisk.com and boot the floppy then run setup.

Tom
wrote in message
oups.com...
without losing all of my other programs/software?

i have a damaged win.ini file (on boot up Windows tells me to reinstall
Win98SE) and my Canon BJC-2100 printer will not work-error-cannot
communicate with lpt1 port.

I really do not want to have to lose everything and do a "system
restore" as I have tax returns to finish before April 15th! All my data
is on this computer and I have no way to save or transfer it to other
media.

All problems started when I installed a USB Epson Stylus RX600 and the
Canon BJC 2100 is a parallel port printer. Is there anyway to connect
the Canon via the serial port or ??? I do not have the USB cable that
came with the Canon.

Also-how do I remove all of the ports/etc.-from device manager or ???
There are lsitings in the printer properties dropdown that shows 6
different ports and I do not know what they are for.

Thank you in advance!