Explorer Malfunction In Win 98se

[Welt]

Hello

My first post here. My problem is with the Explorer window in Windows 98SE on an new, custom 1800 Celeron system with dual hard drives and 512 RAM. It's a problem I've not seen before on three of my own systems and two of my wife all running the same Win 98 SE OS save perhaps for upgrades.

Here's what it is: Explorer will not `hold/retain' the display settings I chose using VIEW-FOLDER OPTIONS-GENERAL-CUSTOM-VIEW-ADVANCED-ALL LIKE CURRENT.

In order, my settings are: Web Page and Details enabled; Custom based on settings I choose and said settings; and finally, Show All files, Remember each folder's view settings, Show window contents when dragging. No matter how often I have an explorer window as I want it to display and how often I clidk on the `All Like Current' button, later windows most of which have been previously opened and set in like manner, will open `half size' and must be enlarged.

I even tried leaving an Explorer window fully open with no left hand pane and shut down my computer, waited 10 seconds and restarted i - a technique recommended by Microsoft. Invariably the first explorer window opens fine but the next one does not. I've even tried enabling the Web button [rather than Custom] and selecting `Restore All Folders' both on its own and following use of the `All Like Current'.

I've also tried running System File Checker and about every piece of Spy and Ad ware and Norton AV locally and from the Norton web site. I've checked through the Registry but can find nothing nore do mysterious keys appear at least to my semi-educated eye. I can't remember what else I might have checked.

Oh yes, there is one thing different: this time around I have Internet Explorer 6.x but then so does my wife and she's not having the problem. I, however, do have some IE windows opening 1/2 size as with Explorer. This maddening event repeats itself across all 7 of my hard drive partitions.

I'd be ever so appreciative if somebody here can offer a solution or an idea. I'm sure I'm overlooking some simple matter in my senior's moments.

Many thanks for your time.

ps I started this message once before. It disappeared so I do hope its gone to the cyber space happy hunging ground and will bother nobody.

pps While I'm at it, a less obnoxious but no less annoying problem is having to `close' the left pane when Explore pages first open [It's the pane that looks like the `History' pane in IE when History is clicked. Can it be disabled? I do like the clear white space on the left for files preview before file is opened.

[floris]

If you have set to show the last x threads, then maybe that explains why your previous thread suddenly disappeared. It might have been older then those y days.

Anyway,
Win98 isn't perfect (by far) and I have many users with this issue. Maybe running a few windowsupdate.mscom patches on IE or explorer might do the trick in fixing these?

[TallCool1]

My problem is with the Explorer window in Windows 98SE on a new, custom 1800 Celeron system with dual hard drives and 512 RAM. It's a problem I've not seen before on three of my own systems and two of my wife all running the same Win 98 SE OS save perhaps for upgrades.

Here's what it is: Explorer will not "hold/retain" the display settings I chose using VIEW | FOLDER OPTIONS | GENERAL | CUSTOM | VIEW | ADVANCED | ALL LIKE CURRENT.

I have had similar problems more than once with the Windows 98 series. Another symptom of the same problem is an inability to change the "shortcut arrow" icon overlay using TweakUI -- in fact, I use this behavior as a test. My solution, used several times and always successfully, is to do an in-place reinstall of Win 98.

Note the Internet settings and the computer and user names. These are about the only things that I have seen get clobbered by the following process.

Run the Setup program from DOS; don't boot into Windows. If you have the "full" version of 98, you will have to change the filename C:\Windows\WIN.COM to something like C:\Windows\WINCOM.BAK. Let the Setup process proceed. When it prompts you as to the name of the Windows directory, just change WINDOWS.000 to WINDOWS and proceed on. The rest of the install should require no further interaction, for the most part.

The new install will retain nearly all the settings and programs of the original install. You may have to reinstall some patches, but it comes out pretty clean -- and it sure beats having to reinstall all your other software!

By the way, an excellent Explorer replacement, AB Commander LITE is listed at the top of my Best of Free Software page -- and not just because it's alphabetical...

[Welt]

If you have set to show the last x threads, then maybe that explains why your previous thread suddenly disappeared. It might have been older then those y days.

I think it was a blip. I was part way through writing this first post when it went `poof'. There was no thread and it was 15 minutes aged I'd guess. I just wanted to warn others since I was new here.

Anyway,
Win98 isn't perfect (by far) and I have many users with this issue. Maybe running a few windowsupdate.mscom patches on IE or explorer might do the trick in fixing these?

I have ALL the available patches/updates from Microsoft save for upgrade of Windows Media Player 9 which I don't want. I use Nero Express and InCD and they are said to be incompatible to Media Players 8.x and 9.x

Thanks for your response.

[Welt]

I have had similar problems more than once with the Windows 98 series. Another symptom of the same problem is an inability to change the "shortcut arrow" icon overlay using TweakUI -- in fact, I use this behavior as a test. My solution, used several times and always successfully, is to do an in-place reinstall of Win 98.

Thanks also for your swift and detailed reply. I hadn't thought of checking if I can change an icon using Tweak UI and will do so first off.

I've never insatalled or re-installed Windows so I'll need to ponder this one. Sounds plausible though not that I doubt you, just myself. I just checked my Windows folder and I find both a `win.com' file and a `win.bak' file therein. Looks like a tech at my dealer's may have already used this technique. I got the new computer on Christmas Eve afternoon and it went back on the following Monday...with problems. It came back with this Explorer one. I hate the thought of it going back again but perhaps it's necessary.

It's a huge chore for my wife and I to remove the box and to then hook it all back again. we're not spring chickens anymore.

I'll also find and read more about this AB Commander Lite.

Much appreciated.

[Welt]

Thanks again TallCool1.

I, too, see TweakUI's inability to alter the icons. I've not yet done an `in place' reinstall as I notice that one's already been done by the computer techs I guess. There're both `Win.com' and `Wincom.bak' files in the Windows folder. I should have a response on Tuesday.

I've installed AB Commander Lite and am trying to learn it. Hard to break the Explorer habit with the icon right there on the Task Bar!

Oh yes, I forgot. There's almost a pattern to the Explorer window size problem: first window opens full size but the next one is half size...and usually the 3rd one also.

Take care.

[caperjack]

stretch the window with your moust to as big as you can make it ,then while holding down the Alt key ,X out of the browser ,using the big red X up in the far right corner

[Welt]

Hi Caperjack

That's a WOW! I tried it, and so far each Explorer window, be it first 2nd or fifth, is opening as it should on all drives. Wonder how long it will last.

I confess, however, I'm getting to like the AB Commander replacement. Jury is out.

Thanks so much.

[caperjack]

Your Welcome,I have to redo it every now and then ,almst always after i hook computer to my TV ,and something else causes it to revert back ,can't remember whatid though !

[Welt]

Well Caperjack. It's 4 hours later. I just tested Windows Explorer and it's back to Square One. Every 3rd, 4th, 5th ad nauseum window is opening half size again...almost worse than when I started.

Sorry but it just `ain't workin' no how'. And I thought this is it. All I've done is check email and run SpyBot, immunise some files and run AdAware. Installed nothing, removed only some spy cookies.

We tried.

[caperjack]

Yeah ,have had that problem to some times you have to redo it a few times ,try doing it and then restsrt computer

[Welt]

Thanks I will do so again but I've already tried setting it and restarting. I was just doing some work on my wife's system. She has the identical Win 98SE with all the upgrades from MS as do I [yes its her own registered CD] and she's having NO problems with erratic sizing of Windows Explorer...nil, nada, zilch...as also didn't have.

Difference in set up: she has one hard drive, three partitions; I have two hard drives, 7 partitions. She has a Pentium III 800 with 312 RAM and I have a Celeron 1800 with 512 RAM. We both have 52X CD RW with Nero and InCD installed, both running IE 6.0. Her IE windows also are stable while my IE 6.0 windows jump about re window sizing.

Go figure.

[caperjack]

don't know what else to tell you it works for me until the next time i hook up to my tv!the reason it does it then,is the video display changes to 256 colors for display on the tv.

[Welt]

To Caperjack et al,

To all who offered assistance, thank you. The problem remains and is, perhaps, worsening. For the most part, I've switched to ABCMDR which offers many options although it seems to lack a few things I like with Explorer, to wit: no graphic previews and no single clicking... at least not that I've found. I still haven't fully mastered the art of adding a new folder `where I want it'. Explorer seemed so easy. :-)

By the way, I've not tried the `over-install' of Windows from DOS. It has been done once. and since Explorer was working when I first took possession of this upgraded system, I have to suspect the `over-install' caused Explorer to act up. Internet Explorer does the same thing: every new window opens half size.

Any bright solution to cure this annoyance?

Again, thanks all.

[TallCool1]

By the way, I've not tried the `over-install' of Windows from DOS. It has been done once. and since Explorer was working when I first took possession of this upgraded system, I have to suspect the `over-install' caused Explorer to act up.

This is demonstrably not true. I have done this multiple times, and it has always cured the problem. The fact that you can't change the shortcut icon overlay using TweakUI indicates that this is the same problem that I have run into in the past, and an in-place reinstall will fix it. The fact that it didn't "take" the first time is immaterial. Windows 9x is like that.

Internet Explorer does the same thing: every new window opens half size. Any bright solution to cure this annoyance?

This is an entirely separate and easy-to-fix problem. For the fix, see IE How To Maximize. Though this procedure refers to Windows XP, it works on all versions.

[Welt]

Sorry TallCool 1

I stumbled upon your reply and hadn't realised I was not in tracking mode. Thanks for the feed back. I since talked with the technicians who built my system and worked on it and they said they'd tried the `overinstall' which I'd already spotted in Windows.

I'll check out the IE 6 `how to file'.

Thanks again.