PCA Forums

Just got moms PC setup with road runner and it's working ok now.
Yuck, it's Win 98 SE and has old IE 5.5 and it's an old Dell with I think maybe 96 megs ram maybe less. Only thing I saw so far was in system spec thing and it said 64MB but I figure it's more and sharing ram for video. No Idea yet what CPU but it seems slow.

She doesn't use a computer for anything much herself other than e-mail. My kid will be here awhile and doing allot though.
Any suggestions what to install on this one for free for a browser and security like virus and spyware scanners. I figure Tiny firewall? Right now the system is behind a Netgear rangeplus wireless G router because I am here with the laptop and wanted the wireless for mine. Later hers will probably just be a direct connect to the cable modem.

Just got the stuff setup and running this morning.

The cable guy came out Monday and installed everything (WRONG). They won't setup the PC though, just to the modem, so it took me awhile of messing around and a call to tech support to find out I had no service!
Then the other guy came out yesterday and ran new cable, the modem had the wrong setup codes or something so was not even on our account so not turned on either he said.
Got all that fixed and wow, laptop was on with no problem and fast with eithernet, then had to go out and buy a card for Moms PC last night. Just installed it this morning and the router we bought, so both are working now.

We ordered on Thursday and a week later and 2 contractors and 2 modems and we got service now LOL

If it's behind a router you don't need any firewall.

If you have no choice and it has to run Win98 then install the latest version of Firefox 2.x from here: oldversion.org (I doubt you have enough RAM for version 3)

I wouldn't bother with any AV - nothing will run on Win98 anymore and even if it does it'll probably make the system unusable. You're actually a low target for a lot of malware because a lot of it won't even run on Win98.

Just teach her how to be safe and cross your fingers.

Your kid will be a problem though.

If you can get 128 Mb on that thing I'd install Win2K or a stripped down XP install with no AV and have your Mom logged in as a limited user and secure the admin user with a password she and your kid don't know. Run the most recent Firefox 2.x

You might also install an old Ubuntu distro (I doubt a recent one would run worth a damn).

If you are not sure about the CPU, you can run CPU-Z, available at http://www.cpuid.com

If will provide the information on the CPU, motherboard info if available, and information about the RAM and how many slots taken/open.

Windows 2K will be heaven if you can get it installed on there. Windows 98 shouldn't be slow at all. I've run it fine on a Cyrix MII and a Pentium MMX. Is it a fresh install? Might already be infested with stuff as it is. Personally, I wouldn't want any PC with Windows 98 on the net at all.

Like FP siad, install a bit more ram and Win2K. You could also install puppy linux. It's a very lightweight distro with everything she would possibly need.

Thanks guys.

I live about 800 miles from Moms so whatever I do I need to make sure she doesn't have any problems with it. She won't have any tech support other than me by phone if I am even available.

Right now we have a router but only because I am here now and need it for the wireless to my laptop, otherwise she could just connect to the modem and not need a router herself. $70, not sure if I want to keep it yet and take it home or return it to Best Buy before I leave. It seems to work good, but the couple times I seem to not be able to find the web I don't know it that's Road Runner or the Router yet?

I won't be able to upgrade ram, I bet that's old sims not DDR !
I'll try to get the older Firefox 2.? and get that installed now.

Being on Vacation is too much work, I want to go home now and work so I can relax LOL

If it is Simms and not Dimms, LMK. I should still have some of that around, sad I know... You did make sure to reset the modem before hooking up the router right? Otherwise it will still be looking for the computer.

If it's on cable then you REALLY WANT a router. That router will act as a firewall. You really don't want to run a software firewall on that thing unless you have to. It'll kill performance, and any modern firewall won't work on Win98 anyway.

If it's a DSL modem then it'll have a router built in but you rarely get a router with a cable modem.

If you must use a software firewall, you'll want to find a copy of Kerio Personal Firewall 2.x. LMK. I have a copy I carry around just for old Win98/Win2K systems.

Hello back again.

Found the reciept for Moms Dell. It's a PIII 500 MHZ with 64MB ram, 10Gig drive, from back in early 2000.

Looking for Firefox 2 on oldversion.org but all I found so far is advertisements!
I didn't remember that much stuff or so hard to find things before, maybe I got high jacked on the way LOL
I'll use my laptop in a few mintutes, have to fix a tractor.

what kind of memory does it take, I got a whole bag of that crap here.

Sorry, it's oldversion.com:

http://www.oldversion.com/Mozilla-Firefox.html

That PC is hardly worth using though. Anything that old I don't even salvage for charity. It goes to the recycling dump.

FlyingPenguin wrote:Sorry, it's oldversion.com:

http://www.oldversion.com/Mozilla-Firefox.html

That PC is hardly worth using though. Anything that old I don't even salvage for charity. It goes to the recycling dump.

Thanks, I'll go there now again.

I agree pretty much. If she actually did much more than play solitaire with it I'd try to get her to buy a new one. Been so long since she actually used it online, she got roadrunner cable and was telling me tonight she didn't think it was any faster than her dialup was before LOL
That's how long it's been since she even had dialup.
I don't think she even turned it on this year till I got here a few weeks ago.
My kid is staying till about August so she got the net mostly for her I think, and mom wanted e-mail again too but didn't want her phone line tied up with dialup.

Well I am staying busy off the PC and not online much, and I have cable access now!!! cratch

If mom would stop finding things for me to do then maybe I could get something done LOL
We bought a Lan Card ($27) and NetGear Range Max wireless router ($60 on sale) plus tax at Best Buy locally.
I found a clearance Lan card at Wal-mart for $10, and NewEgg has the same router re certified for $17 free shipping right now! Drop from $90+ to $27 if I can get stuff and return the Best Buy parts.

Newegg is not taking my order due to the confirmed shipping address junk!
Not on my Cards, and I just now added this address to Paypal so it's not verified either.

I know they have to fight scams and fraud but what a crock you can't buy stuff when on vacation to be shipped to where you need it!!!

Thanks guys, I'll look to see what ram it has when I can get it opened up again.
I have another Lan card to install in it when I can get to it.

Well, it might not actually seem faster than her dial-up if the computer is too slow to process the information

If having issues with the confirmed shipping, you might have luck calling in to Newegg, their customer service is still pretty good. Might be able to get the issues all ironed out.