Action Plan Page
JohnKalpus.com


Here is an action plan designed to help in the event of a HD crash.

Step What to do... How to do it...
1 Check operating system version & upgrade if needed On the desktop in Win95/98">

Action Plan Page
JohnKalpus.com


Here is an action plan designed to help in the event of a HD crash.

Step What to do... How to do it...
1 Check operating system version & upgrade if needed On the desktop in Win95/98, move your mouse-pointer over the My Computer icon and right-click. Select Properties and click.  Look in the System Properties box. (ex: 4.00.950B) Note: Win95 users should upgrade to at least Win95B. Upgrading is relatively easy; download Service Pack 1 from the Microsoft website.
2 Run ConfigBack (before the installation of any hardware and software)

Run ERU (Emergency Recovery Utility) every six months to keep your backup files fresh
You'll find CfgBack.exe (Configuration Backup) and ERU.exe on your Win95 installation CD. Explore the CD in this folder: other\misc\cfgback or other\misc\eru. Double-click on the respective .exe file and follow the instructions.
3 Create emergency startup disk Click on Start | Settings | Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs, and click on the third tab called Startup Disk. Have your Windows CD available. Create two copies for every computer.
4 Print out your System Properties In Win95/98, move your mouse-pointer over the My Computer icon and right-click. Select Properties and click and select the Device Manager tab. Making sure the highlight is on "Computer" at the top of the list (the default setting) click on the Print button below.
5 Update drivers ***
(OilChange & Win98 Update )
Purchase a program like OilChange. It'll greatly simplify the process. Alternatively, you can surf to each peripheral's website and look for the appropriate new driver.
6 It goes without saying so I'll mention it once: BACKUP YOUR DATA OFTEN. In the unlike event of a HD crash and the above methods don't work you can treat youself to a new 85gigabyte HD!  
    * BIOS = Basic Input Output System, the small software program permanently stored in your computer's BIOS chip, also called a CMOS chip.
    ** CMOS = Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor
    *** As of June, 2001, OilChange has been discontinued.

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