Windows 98 Internet Connection Help?

[Phaedrus]

Ok, I know this is a bike site but there are a lot of fellow IT people here. I rarely have a problem that really stumps me, but this one has. I've only spent an hour on it but I am just about out of ideas.

The story: A friend has an old laptop running Windows 98. She aquired it for free and the previous owner is gone. She wants to use it to connect to a dial up Internet account to check email only. Sounds easy enough. She has a dialup Internet account on her home desktop computer and it works fine.

The problem: When the laptop dials out to the ISP, it functions as you would expect after the username/password combo is entered. The modem dials just fine. However, as it "Verifies Username and Password" but before you are fully connected, ANOTHER login prompt comes up wanting a username and password. The same exact information is added - but it will not verify the username/passwd and if you click cancel, it drops the connection.

What I've done:
-I tried dialing up to ANOTHER dialup account (mine, not hers) that I know has no issues. Same problem

-I uninstalled and reinstalled the TCP/IP protocol and Dialup adapter software in "Networking" in Control Panel. Didn't make any difference.

-I changed the primary network login protocols; Windows Logon, Client For Microsoft Networks, etc. No difference.

-Modem diagnostics show that modem is fine; Device Manager indicates no hardware issues.

Any suggestions? Ideas?

[annguyen1981]

Tell them to get a new computer.   

Seriously, TCP/IP is IMO the mos irritating thing to get fixed if somethings wrong.  Try the Windows phone dialer to call a regular phone...  See if that works. 

[yamahonkawazuki]

or pehaps set up another connection, using same ports etc, but done through software?

[Phaedrus]

Yeah, I did that. I deleted her "My connections" and re-created them - same thing.

Then I deleted them again and created a "My connection" using my ISP's dialup information..and still got the same thing.

Hmm. 

[sys49152]

I vaguely remember that win 98 requires the user to log into the machine to properly initalize the TCP/IP stack, even if the machine doesn't reside on a network.  So, you know that USERNAME/PASSWORD box you see when you first fire up the machine.  You need to make sure you hit <enter> and not "CANCEL".  I wonder if the second USERNAME/PASSWORD is an attempt to reload the stack after detecting that you're trying to setup the PPP connection.

[Phaedrus]

I think you might be onto something. The former user was the only one with an account, the username was "daniel". I deleted the .pwl file for it and tried to create a new account using my friend's information. But it didn't work. So is there anything I might be forgetting? Probably something SOOOO STUPID too. 

[sys49152]

That shoud do it.  But if I remember correctly, it doesn't delete the user, just the password.  The next time you fire up the machine, hit <enter> for user daniel and blank for password.  It should accept that and load the necessary tcp/ip components.

[Phaedrus]

Yeah, the reason I deleted "daniel" was because we don't know who daniel is. Hehe. He is the previous user, I guess. And blank for a password did not work, so apparently he had one set. So I canceled out and then deleted the pwl file from a DOS prompt. It's been so long since I've worked with 98!!

Thanks for your help, I'll give it a shot again and post my results 

[zukiGS500]

Just do what we do at work when anyone has an issues with 98. Backup whatever you need, wipe the drive clean and install XP. But i guess you dont want to do that if its that old of a machine.

[Phaedrus]

Yeah this is a cheap old laptop, she just doesn't want it to go to waste. It has a penium and 48mb of memory  XP would kill it. But there is no reason it can't be used to check email via dialup.

I tried what you said sys, and I even tried the Windows 98 troubleshooter tool in help (for DUN). It even had my reload winsock.dll from the Windows 98 CD via SFC. That didn't even work.

I've spent enough time on it, I don't like to spend more time on things than they are even worth. I might suggest to her that if she is hell bent on it, to format the drive and do a clean install of Win98 because something is definitely not right. I've been a professional and certified computer tech for 3 years, and working on computers as a hobby for 8 years. I'm no noob, and I can't seem to figure it out.   

The only thing I could speculate is that the previous owner had some hidden, third party security software installed or something. Doesn't know up in win.ini or any of the other system files (via msconfig) or in Control Panel, though. 

[Badger]

I might suggest to her that if she is hell bent on it, to format the drive and do a clean install of Win98 because something is definitely not right.

In all liklihood, this will yield the fastest resolution. 

[that_guy]

stack dump...  If i could remimber how to tell you to do it I would.  It's been quite a while since I worked in IT.  Your tcp/ip stack needs to basically be "tossed" and rebuilt most likely.  Not anything you cold do in the GUI.  you would need to go to a un line and do it that way..  Call tech support.

[RVertigo]

Remove all aspects of anything network and/or dialup...  Log into the OS, log in using the same user name you want to use...  Then reenable the devices and recreate the connections...  Maybe it will work...

If it's Win98Gold, you're screwed...  If it's Win98SE, you can probably pull it off...  (I think 98se is build 2222)



The real solution is to format the drive and install Win2K.   

[sys49152]

Phaedrus, I'd agree that if there aren't applications you can't install again (missing install disks, whatever), you're better off re-installing win 98 (second edition if you have it).  However, one good point mentioned in the previous post..

Your tcp/ip stack needs to basically be "tossed"..

You could try this as a last attempt effort.  There are two ways to make this happen :

1. modify the routing tables by hand using "route".  You can do a ROUTE PRINT, but I'm not even sure if win 98 fully supports this, and

2. uninstall and re-install TCP/IP.  That will remove the existing stack and install a clean version of routing tables, etc.

Again, a reinstall is probably best if you can back up user data and reinstall the most important apps.

Good luck.


EDIT : Looks like RVertigo beat me to it.  Although win2k is probably not an option with 48MB of ram...

[RVertigo]

Although win2k is probably not an option with 48MB of ram...

You'd be surprised...  2K is nowhere near as bad as XP.  Plus, 2K gives you the option to shut unused parts of the OS off, unlike 98.

[mike_mike]

a few thoughts becuase windows 98 is just a pain in the ass and its usually only worth troubleshooting for an hour or so before most people just format and re-install  

- i would double check the password and username, it sounds like there could be a problem there.
- delete all of the connections, delete tcp/ip and add it again and then build your connection
- uninstall any firewall, or any other "utility" that would try to filter things like a modem connection.

[yamahonkawazuki]

did you try typing "ADMIN" in as pass, i know ive used this on my old 98 laptop before and others as well. but wth do i know lol im a hardware guy not a software guy lol

[Phaedrus]

I didn't try admin, but I considered throwing it out the window and running over it with my car. Think that will help?  (atleast then I'll be able to identify the problem)

[TheGoodGuy]

she just wants to use for email right!

install linux.. will work wonders!

edit: sounds like win98 has to be reinstalled.. but ithink there is also asome other software in there that's causing it.. but reinstall of win98 or linux will work it good!

[Phaedrus]

I haven't actively used Linux in a couple of years, so I am probably out of touch with it  but I remember Linux would not work with Winmodems. Is this still the case? Or has someone hacked a patch for it? The laptop in question has a Lucent Winmodem.