Online PC Support

[Outmoded]

re: Windows 98FE USB Mass Storage Device Drivers
http://www.technical-assistance.co.uk/kb/win98fe-usb-mass-storage-drivers.php


Hello. People should be better informed about what they're getting with these so called 'drivers', and the disclaimer as worded is basically rubbish. To say "you use at your own risk" and then do far more than add a driver to a system, without any warning as to what system files will be replaced, and without the benefit of what could be a simple file backup procedure, is irresponsible at best.

The installation contains far more than drivers, it changes and updates the core Windows system files by overwriting them, basically turning Windows 98 into SE. And to be clear I speak of the USB drivers installer, not the service pack.

As for the changes to my stock Win98 first edition system, ignoring the many new files added (an expected thing), when first run the installer overwrote these existing files with newer versions:

c:\windows\SYSTEM\VMM32\IOS.VXD
c:\windows\SYSTEM\IOSUBSYS\DISKTSD.VXD
c:\windows\INF\1394.INF
c:\windows\INF\NODRIVER.INF
c:\windows\SYSTEM\POWERCFG.CPL

And during the subsequent reboot overwrote these files with newer versions:

c:\windows\EXPLORER.EXE
c:\windows\SYSTEM\USER.EXE
c:\windows\SYSTEM\USER32.DLL
c:\windows\SYSTEM\SYSTRAY.EXE
c:\windows\SYSTEM\BATMETER.DLL
c:\windows\SYSTEM\POWRPROF.DLL

Those changes do not constitute a driver installation, but rather an entire version update and overhaul of Windows itself. The whole user interface anyway.

I admit I was a fool to trust nusb320-Eng-98FE.exe without reservation, thinking it would simply install some drivers, but I had no clue it would overwrite files and change my Windows version in that way. It's no wonder that people have reported catastrophic results, and I'm just thankful my OS still seems to work.

I won't go into the specifics but suffice it to say I feel violated and betrayed and got far more than I bargained for. I've since learned that this driver project was a clever hack (I mean that in a good way), and kudos to the author for figuring it out, but distributing this as a run of the mill driver install is misleading. At the very least a link should be made to the author's posting here: http://www.msfn.org/board/Maximum-Decim-Native-USB-Drivers-t43605.html&st=349

I appreciate the spirit behind making this usb functionality available but the tech in me is outraged by the liberties taken under the guise of a driver installation. I urge you to post more information and caution users rather than offer a simple disclaimer.


best wishes