Modem not connecting in Windows98.

You said it's working on XP and not on Windows 98SE? I assume that you plug-in the modem in an XP machine and it works fine but not in Windows 98SE machine. Is this right?

Were you able to connect dial-up in XP and not in Windows 98SE? If that's the case, check your dial-up properties/setting in Windows 98SE.

Which computer was damage? XP or Win 98? If Win 98 then there maybe more damages aside cards and modem.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for reply.

Power was off as it was black-out due to heavy rains.

So no to which side was damaged.

A new card was installed with latst drivers from site.

Worked alright in XP. Still working Downloaded a lot.

Not connecting to Line while pop-up come "Dialing .. " . Continues but if I pick up phone , line tone is there & call any number but Dialup remains "Dialing .. ".

It means Modem has not connected to telephone line & giving just fictious pop-up.

When this happened to me on an old machine, it wiped out some parts of the motherboard. It wasn't obvious that it had happened - everything seemed OK except when trying to get a dial-up modem working (with a new card).

I'm not saying that this has happened, but I ended up replacing the motherboard.

Sorry - not good news.

Even electronics that are not switched on can be damaged, by other electronics, lightning strike or just old age.....

Assuming that the modem is Win98 (or 98SE?) compatible, then probably the motherboard is defective as someone else mentioned.

What you need to tell us is HOW is the modem connected, because with Win98 SE and a viable Motherboard, you can connect via a com port or USB....

If it is USB connected, does the USB work for other devices?

With COM ports, you need loop back test software and a com port loop back plug. Do not trust the so called internal loop back test completely as it does not test the actual connection, only the functionality of the rest of the com port chip....

If you buy a new Motherboard, jump directly to WinXP Pro, nothing more, nothing less, but some of your daughters equipment might also need to be replaced if very old...as not being XP compatible.....

Win98 has some possible problems with regards to viruses and you may have problems "protecting" it nowadays with suitable firewalls and anti virus software anyway.....

Andy's right.

Windows98 is Fred Flintstone technology. It's not really supported by microsoft anymore. The system running it has become frail from age and it doesn't take much to knock the system out of whack after a lightning storm. Shutting the computer off during a lightning storm isn't enough. You have to unplug it from the power source and the modem to protect it and a surge protector isn't enough to protect it from a nearby lightning strike.

New computer systems don't cost that much anymore. You can even purchase a good refurbished system from Ubid.com auction site. Know how much you are will to spend by adding that to the shipping and handling that is available on the page giving the information about the item. It's also kind of fun when bidding against someone. You have to remember to pay attention to the shipping and handling so you know where you need to stop bidding. There is always several different systems and sometimes several of one type of system and don't bid on more then one at once or you'll end up purchasing more then one system.

They have many different categories. They will even have systems with minimal components needed if all you're using the computer for is surfing the internet, email and researching. You can still get top of the line systems for much less then what they cost from a retailer.

Windows98 is Fred Flintstone technology.

I was sad to learn that one of my computers is considered to be Flintstone Technology, although I concur that my Windows 98SE machine does have a higher level of experience with the "blue screen of death". In spite of that, I would personally prefer to use 98SE because the Windows XP and especially Vista (I also have machines utilizing these) are so bloated. That said, I would never consider using Internet Explorer again. I switched to Firefox a few years ago and instantly eliminated about 95% of my computer foul ups.

I think my next machine will be Linux based.

If you're just using the computer for internet connection and email then 98 is plenty.

Most people use the computer for newer programs and those usually require the latest and greatest in windows OS's so we have to upgrade from time to time.

About the only reason to have to upgrade OS's is when you are running newer programs.

Like Office 2003 and 2007 require XP I believe.

I have to say that I disagree with your line:-

If you're just using the computer for internet connection and email then 98 is plenty.

Because generally speaking with such an old OS, all the bad boys know all the areas they can get you in it. MS has no further interest in plugging loopholes in anything before XP...even that is waning fast!

So make sure that you keep an complete installed image handy on DVD to allow quick repairs......

I know what you are going to say, something like " I have never had a problem in that area!", well lucky you!!! Millions have!!

But I think he stated that he's using Firefox browser.

Furthermore, it's hard to get into a system on dial-up.

98 is not a server OS. XP is and XP identifies itself as a server over the internet by default. The bad boys are targeting XP and 2000 OS's and they are using IE as their vehicle of choice to get it in there.

Maybe I did not specify my particular worries with Win98 specifically enough, my apologies if that is so. Read on:-

1) Win98SE is much better in many respects that Win98, not wonderful, but better.

2) Email is the biggest worry, Trojans & viruses etc.. Once on the PC (there is a particularly nasty one going around right now, sent on from people you know, they know nothing about it by the way, that according to some, clears your boot partition!!) some spy out any important infos and send it out the next time you are logged on. Dial up is no real protection, only an imagined one.....

3) Also with a dial up connection, expensive online links might be made, instead of your cheap provider and you don`t know its even happened, illegal here for some years now, but in other places around the world? Is it illegal where he is? Does it still happen?

Of course this is not just a problem of Win98, its a problem of the link type itself not the OS....but I do have software that warns me if my dial up connection (for Fax) is changed for some reason....DSL cannot be (as far as I am aware) re-routed so as to cost me a lot of money!!

All in all they add up to some pretty nasty exposure to being got at......but still I:-

I keep my PC up to date on the OS and MS office and other software side, I have 3 anti Mal-ware softwares that are run one after the other, I have anti root kit software that I run at least once a month, I have a hardware and a software firewall, I do not open anything suspect in email, I have Antivirus software that is updated almost daily and I am still not going to say in a complacent manner that I have done enough or that in the future nothing can happen to me!!! I am just surprised that so little has actually happened!!!

My last virus was about 4 years ago, I had just installed WinXP and went online before the Antivirus software was installed to get the new updates for XP, a virus landed IMMEDIATELY ON MY PC. Result, I had to re load XP again.....annoying but no biggie...

I also download free software from "good/well known" sites and before I use it I scan it, some times there is a Trojan in one piece or another.....my antivirus software erases it for me at my wish immediately.....

I am sure there is more that I could do, but if it means reducing to less than 1 virus in 4 years, it may just not be worth the effort.....but I would be very interested to hear about it from anyone....

Regrds:

As I posted in #3:

"A new card was installed with latst drivers from site.

Worked alright in XP. Still working Downloaded a lot.

Not connecting to Line while pop-up come "Dialing .. " . Continues but if I pick up phone , line tone is there & call any number but Dialup remains "Dialing .. ".

It means Modem has not connected to telephone line & giving just fictious pop-up."

It is an Internal Modem [PCI Card] & functioning OK in all respects in XP on the same Mother-Bd.

In Win98 I installed the latest Drivers & all the functions [off-line] OK.

It seems to be dialing as "Dialing ..." pop-up is there & no progress as actually it do not go-online [do not connect phone-line] as if I pick-up handset "line-tone" is coming.

There is no Firewall, Scan Antivirus regularly, other mall-ware by Lavasoft's Adaware

and update all the scanner's updates regularly.

On thing I forgot to mention, I uninstalled Dial-up & re-installed, but NO CHANGE.

I do not have any other system with Dual-boot at hand to test the modem.

Do you got my point or need some more info.

thanks & regards

Contact customer support for your dial-up service.

When I used to use dial-up, I used to switch to the cheapest one offered all the time. Some companies were easy to get started and others required going through a menu of settings to get them to work properly.

When you reinstalled those settings were most likely reset to defaults.

Most modern M.boards that run XP have a disclaimer that nothing earlier than 2000 is supported, I do not know why, but you may have found the reason....

By the way this is not new, my main board that I bought about 4 years ago did not support anything before Win2K either.....

Just a thought!

You no doubt realise the utter complexity of the computer sytem- when lightning strikes, near by or directly, many semiconducters etc may be damaged- so no longer does what should- the private owner can merely inspect, swap cards, check conn,(in fact, that is all most service shops do!). I have found, using Win 98SE, that a lot of connection faults are directly related to the ISP!. In other words you are on your own in this matter, as your fault may be individual to your situation.