Windows 98 glitch - any advice welcome?

Question

Installed some software on my PC. A colleague also copied some files to a memory stick. Now every time I reboot, I have to OK a window headed;

"USB Mass Storage Safe Eject Tool"

"Incorrect Windows version. This application is for Windows 98 SE only. Click OK."

before I can do anything else.
My PC is slow enough without this! What's causing it, how can I track the process and get rid of this prompt? Is there a Control Panel setting I could change? If you can advise me, please feel free to spell it out step by step - I'm used to a different operating system, & I don't want to break the registry!

P.S. Yes, I know Win 98 is old! - I can't afford to upgrade right now.

If this had happened in my favourite OS, I could trace it to the sending program, and uninstall the version. (One of us obviously downloaded the wrong version!) But as it stands - totally agree with you about Microserf BTW - I can't tell what to uninstall. So many folders, so little time : )

Answer 1

I'm sorry not to have answered sooner but I'd assumed one of the resident techie geeks would have helped you with this by now. Although by no means an expert, I am experienced and familiar enough with your problem to be able to confirm for you that the new software you installed on your PC is the cause of the problem you're now having (as you'd already correctly ascertained).

As you've already stipulated that you're unable to afford an upgrade of your Windows 98 operating system just now, the only thing you can do is to uninstall that new software. Every time you boot your computer, your Windows operating system is detecting that incompatible software and thus alerting you as soon as your desktop screen appears. It's actually a safety default and is thus a good thing (at least in the context of Microsoft). The trouble is you already know this, of course, so seeing the message window pop up every time is doubtless annoying as hell.

Again, by completely uninstalling the incompatible software, this message prompt will cease and desist. Short of the upgrade you cannot afford right now, I can think of no other way around this issue. It is quite possible there could be a work-around method but, yes, that would very definitely involve messing about with your registry keys and -- based on very hard-earned experience -- I would advise against doing so.

I'm sorry I can't be of more help. Please take my advice: either upgrade your OS soon or stop installing new software. Windows is notorious for this sort of thing, which is why upgrading to the latest possible version is the best solution, short of switching to Linux. Good luck!