Microsoft critical update broke Win 98

[KEVINWASH1]

Ok, so i finally decided to download some critical updates on my laptop windows kept trying to have me get every time i connected to the net. So, i download them, install them, reboot...and now explorer is broken. I have a Toshiba Portege 7020 and i'm trying to figure out how i can get Windows reinstalled...I can't seem to get my PCMCIA CD-ROM to work as a bootable device. Can anyone give me any suggestions as to how i can fix Windows?

 

[Oni]

What kind of problems are you having exactly? Did it do anything other than install critical updates, like install drivers as well?

Can you boot into Safe Mode?

 

[specific]

try the Esc button when you boot.

Maybe that will give you a boot device list.

 

[KEVINWASH1]

Well, when it boots up explore.exe immediately crashes, and all i can do is ctrl-alt-del. I didn't install or change anything else other than the critical updates from Microsoft. If i boot into safe mode, explorer.exe still crashes. I was told reinstalling Windows would be the quickest and most efficient way of dealing with this. Also, pressing esc during boot up is used to enter my BIOS...i tried fiddling with settings in there, but couldn't get it to use the PCMCIA CD-ROM as a boot device.

 

[Oni]

What I would do is just boot from a Win98 floppy, and install 98 on top of your old installation. I think that'd work.

You'd at least be able to get your data off of your drive and format properly by doing that.

 

[Tecumseh]

This is MicroSoft's way of getting you to switch to LINUX.

Sorry! I couldn't help it.

 

[KEVINWASH1]

Oh, you have NO idea how tempted i've been to do that on this laptop, Tecumseh.
And you think a Win 98 startup disk would let me use my PCMCIA CD-ROM? Ok, i'll have to see if i can try that then. Thanks for all the help.

EDIT: Ok, i just tried a Win98 Startup Disk to see if it'd let me use my PCMCIA CD-ROM, but it doesn't. It must not have any PCMCIA CD-ROM drivers (or not one for mine at least) on it.

EDIT 2: Ok, i was finally able to find some drivers for my PCMCIA CD-ROM drive and got them on a startup disk. I'm able to use my CD-ROM now finally. Thanks for all the help everyone.