Re-installing Windows9x: A Registry Problem

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A Registry Problem

Background to the Problem
As elsewhere, the following assumes a Hard Drive partitioned into C: D: and E: It assumes the ZIP Drive is next at F: and the CD drive at G: Amend as appropriate to your setup.
It may be necessary to alter a Registry Key (entry) after installing Win95 conventionally if the computer setup includes a ZIP Drive. The same problem can occur if Win98 is re-installed from its Startup Disk (where the CD drive is "masked" by the RAM drive - see RAM & ZIP Drives below). In both cases the CD-ROM drive letter is initially logged incorrectly. It may take a while for Windows to realise that a ZIP Drive comes (alphabetically) before a CD-ROM drive, so the initial order may remain correct for some purposes until it twigs it has got it wrong and swaps them round. That's when the Registry needs amending. Note: References to ZIP Drives include JAZ, Superdrives etc
In Windows a ZIP Drive is disabled in Safe Mode, the installation mode. So it is not detected immediately and the CD-drive is given the next available drive letter - F: Later, the ZIP Drive is installed and given the drive letter after the drives on the Hard Disk - F: again. This is the same letter initially logged in Registry as the CD-drive, and although Windows will re-allocate the CD-drive to G: in Device Manager, this will make no difference to the original Registry entry! Even if Windows is re-installed using a Boot Disk, the fact that the CD-drive is given the correct letter ( G: ) in the Mscdex line in the floppy's Autoexec.bat makes no difference to Registry. Until this fault is corrected, Windows Setup maddeningly refuses to find its own CD in a perfectly operating CD drive, so no additional components can be installed etc. (Sometimes you may be lucky and the correct filepath you Browse to will be accepted). This madness may take other forms. Eg, I have found Windows Setup insisting its CD was called "G:\English\Apps". I found another M$ installation had overwritten the Windows `InstallLocations_MRU` Registry entry!

Curing the Problem
Follow This Procedure With Care - Backup Your Registry First If you do not know how to backup Registry do not attempt this For help with backing up and restoring Registry, see Compacting the Registry - Step 2. You don't have to go through the full procedure. You can also use Reg.bat (the Batch file designed for that article) or Regbak.bat, but check the main article first.
Open the Registry Editor. [ Start - Run `regedit` or double-click C:\Windows\Regedit.exe ] Browse your way to the Branch (folder): `My Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\InstallLocations_MRU` as you would in Windows Explorer. It is quite easily found. Find the Key in the right-hand pane whose Value is "F:\WIN95" (or "F:\WIN98"). Select the Key (probably 'a' ) and click on 'Edit' then 'Modify' from the Menu bar, or right-click on the Key (not the Value) and choose 'Modify'. In the box correct the drive letter to G:\WIN95 or G:\WIN98 as appropriate. Don't add " " marks. Close the Registry Editor. Changes made are automatically retained, so don't mess around with anything you're unsure of! It has no 'File / Save' or 'Do You Wish to Save Changes?' The path name will be correct if you now insert the CD and go to Windows Setup, but to be safe, reboot first.
You can stop swearing at it now!

RAM and ZIP Drives
You will notice that a temporary RAM drive is created by the Win98 Startup disk, into which the DOS utilities are loaded. This RAM drive will take the drive letter usually used by the CD-ROM Drive. So where the Hard Disk is partitioned into C: D: & E: and the CD drive is at F:, the RAM drive grabs the F: label. This pushes the CD drive down to letter G: . This can be confusing. If you change drive to F: ( `F: [Enter]` ) and look around, what you think should be the Win98 CD will in fact be the Setup Disk's RAM drive (It looks like a smallish ordinary drive). This changed drive path will be wrongly logged into Registry as the Windows Installation Disk path. Consequently Windows Setup will look for and be unable to find "G:\Win98\" and invite you to browse for the installation files. It may even refuse to accept the different path you give it - "F:\Win98\". The same effect is produced under Win95 (with no RAMDrive) or compounded under Win98 if there is a ZIP Drive at F: and the CD-Drive is normally G: Until Windows has installed the ZIP Drive it takes no notice of it. Even then Registry will still insist on attempting to find the Installation CD on the wrong drive. The only way to cure these problems is by changing the Registry entry - see above. Note: References to ZIP Drives include JAZ, Superdrives etc

RAM and ZIP Drives

You will notice that a temporary RAM drive is created by the Win98 Startup disk, into which the DOS utilities are loaded. This RAM drive will take the drive letter usually used by the CD-ROM Drive. So where the Hard Disk is partitioned into C: D: & E: and the CD drive is at F:, the RAM drive grabs the F: label. This pushes the CD drive down to letter G: .

This can be confusing. If you change drive to F: ( F: [Enter] ) and look around, what you think should be the Win98 CD will in fact be the Setup Disk's RAM drive (It looks like a smallish ordinary drive). This changed drive path will be wrongly logged into Registry as the Windows Installation Disk path. Consequently Windows Setup will look for and be unable to find "G:\Win98\" and invite you to browse for the installation files. It may even refuse to accept the different path you give it - "F:\Win98\".

The same effect is produced under Win95 (with no RAMDrive) or compounded under Win98 if there is a ZIP Drive at F: and the CD-Drive is normally G: Until Windows has installed the ZIP Drive it takes no notice of it. Even then Registry will still insist on attempting to find the Installation CD on the wrong drive.

The only way to cure these problems is by changing the Registry entry - see above.
Note: References to ZIP Drives include JAZ, Superdrives etc

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