1 Topic by zc923

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Topic: Netgear WG311 and Windows 98 SE don't mix.

Well, I have a program that can only run in Windows 98 SE, and nothing else. Have tried XP, and tried bringing down the compatibility, but didn't work. So, I was thinking about moving the system over to another room. Went out and got the above mentioned wireless card. Installed the drivers, and then when I plug the card into the pci slot and start up the system again, windows comes up with "New Hardware Found" window, but it freezes at that spot. I have no idea what to do. I have switched around PCI slots. The only otehr cards I have in there is a Video Card, and a sound card,  I doubt that that is the problem, but none the less... If anyone has an idea on how to solve the issue, please help (and please: no posts saying that I should return the card, I already know that option.)

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2 Reply by MarcB

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Re: Netgear WG311 and Windows 98 SE don't mix.

Hmmm I'd say you need to restart the system and after it's started plug in the card.
Well, anyway, I'd start by uninstalling the existing drivers and DLing new drivers from the INet (here, start the install from scratch.

If you already did that... well, I really don't know what to say. W98 can be generally manually troubleshooted, but I wouldn't dare trying that thorugh a bbs... not even by phone sad

Good luck!
Marc

3 Reply by zc923

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Re: Netgear WG311 and Windows 98 SE don't mix.

Um, each time I do restart, it hangs after windows starts up. I payed close attention, and I noticed that the exact time the systems freezes, the power light to the card goes out. And I do have the latest drivers installed.

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4 Reply by MarcB

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Re: Netgear WG311 and Windows 98 SE don't mix.

Start without the card on.
BTW, have you tried the card on another system? Nothing prevents the card from being defective as well. Not my first option, but an option nevertheless.

Anyway, I'd to this: start without the card and AFTER the system is up & running, plug the card in. You can damage nothing doing that with a PCMCIA card, cause they were designed to work that way.

Marc

5 Reply by zc923

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Re: Netgear WG311 and Windows 98 SE don't mix.

Actually, the system freezes when a do that. And I actualy don't think PCI cards are "hot-swapable".

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6 Reply by MarcB

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Re: Netgear WG311 and Windows 98 SE don't mix.

Ooops, my fault:
PCMCIA cards *are* hotswappable. You can disconnect them through software and then take them out.

PCI cards otoh, are NOT swappable, and you should try to take them in/out with the system on.

Well, your only choice is to start up in safe mode and uninstall. Test the card in another system. With PCI cards, I always put them in BEFORE I install the drivers. Especially if the card didn't exist before the OS came out smile
This model should be fully W98 compatible, so if you test it in another system and it doesn't work, the card is defective and must be replaced.

7 Reply by CodeDuck (edited by CodeDuck 2004-02-17 20:15)

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Re: Netgear WG311 and Windows 98 SE don't mix.

MarcB wrote:

PCI cards otoh, are NOT swappable, and you should try to take them in/out with the system on.

I'd say that's bad advice, you should not try to take them in/out with the system on.
But that is probably what you meant :-)

8 Reply by MarcB

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Re: Netgear WG311 and Windows 98 SE don't mix.

OMG, yeah, that was the worst advice ever. You're right. And you're right also about cpp smile

9 Reply by zc923

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Re: Netgear WG311 and Windows 98 SE don't mix.

Well, I'm giving up hope for this card. *Stuffs card in to plasitc bag, then shoves it into cardboard box*. Any suggestions on a Card that DOES work on 98?

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10 Reply by Paul

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Re: Netgear WG311 and Windows 98 SE don't mix.

I did see a post somewhere regarding this card and a similar problem with XP. It seems the solution was to reinstall XP after which the card worked perfectly. Why that should work I have no idea.

11 Reply by zc923

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Re: Netgear WG311 and Windows 98 SE don't mix.

Well, the program that I have will only work in Windows 98 se.

Wait a minute!
*ding* the light bulb is on.

What if I install the win xp driver for the card off of the win xp cd?

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12 Reply by Paul

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Re: Netgear WG311 and Windows 98 SE don't mix.

zc923 wrote:

Well, the program that I have will only work in Windows 98 se.

Wait a minute!
*ding* the light bulb is on.

What if I install the win xp driver for the card off of the win xp cd?

Installing an XP driver on a Win98 system is not a good idea.

13 Reply by zc923

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Re: Netgear WG311 and Windows 98 SE don't mix.

Hmph. Technology Sucks. Why can't things just work?
Haven't tried the XP thing yet, but as far as I can tell, I have narrowed down the problem. It has to do with the way windows builds the driver database. The driver in there is conflicting with newer, better driver, or something like that.

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14 Reply by MarcB

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Re: Netgear WG311 and Windows 98 SE don't mix.

Yeah, simply uninstall the installed drivers, completely. Even those that are not in use. Then installing your drive should work correctly. The PCMCIA model of this card does work perfectly with Win98, so I don't see why the PCI model shouldn't...
C'mon man, get it OUT of that cardboard box.
PS: WinXP is based on NT technology, so its definitively NOT a good idea to install one such driver under '98 and viceversa.
PPS: note that this time I included the proper NOT in the phrase wink

15 Reply by zc923

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Re: Netgear WG311 and Windows 98 SE don't mix.

Well, its the weekend now, so I will re-start the process.

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16 Reply by zc923 (edited by zc923 2004-02-20 23:57)

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Re: Netgear WG311 and Windows 98 SE don't mix.

After Much deleberation, I have decided to whip out the card.

Now that I have, I tried something new. I got rid of the drivers, then let the card instalation continue and leave the device unkown. Then manually install the driver off the disk. When I did this, while installing the driver, the systems hangs, then reboots on its own. I check the device manager, and I see a new error message in the Driver Information Box:

Windows Device Manager wrote:

Windows Stopped reasponding while attempting to start this device, and therefore will never attempt to start the device again [Code 1.1]

Could this whole problem be created by an old PSU?

Other observations:
When the system hangs, the power LED in the back of the card goes out.

Hmn....
Symptoms seem to be changing to a faulty psu. What do you guys think?

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