3Com (R) Corporation
EtherDisk (R) Diskette for the
3C90x EtherLink 10/100 PCI NIC Family
Windows 98 Installation and Upgrade Information
------------------------------------------------------------
This file describes how to install an EtherLink NIC in a PC
running Windows 98. It also describes how to:
Upgrade a PC from Windows 95 to Windows 98 that already
has an EtherLink NIC installed.
Perform a fresh installation of Windows 98 in a PC that
already has an EtherLink NIC installed.
Update EtherDisk software.
Remove the NIC driver and EtherDisk software.
First Time Installation
-----------------------
This section describes how to install an EtherLink NIC in a PC
running Windows 98.
The 3Com EtherDisk diskettes 1 and 2 and the Windows 98 installation
files are needed during the installation.
NOTE: Windows 98 has the built-in ability to support the
EtherLink family of network interface cards. Unfortunately,
even though Windows 98 is a new product, the EtherLink driver
that comes with Windows 98 is old and may not work properly
under some conditions. To avoid installing the default driver
that comes with Windows 98, follow the steps in this section.
To install an EtherLink NIC:
1. Do NOT install the NIC in the PC.
2. Make sure that Windows 98 is installed on the PC.
3. Run the preinstallation program on EtherDisk diskette 1 before you
install the NIC in the PC:
a. Start Windows 98.
b. Insert EtherDisk diskette 1 in drive A.
b. Open the Windows Start menu and select Run.
c. Run the preinstallation program. Enter:
a:\preinstl
d. After the preinstallation program finishes, turn off the power
to the PC and remove EtherDisk diskette 1.
4. Install the NIC in the PC and connect it to the network.
See the EtherLink NIC's user guide for instructions.
5. Turn on the power to the PC, and start Windows 98.
Windows 98 detects the NIC. The Add New Hardware Wizard starts.
6. Insert EtherDisk diskette 1 in drive A, and then click Next.
7. Select Search for the best driver for your device (Recommended),
and then click Next.
Windows finds the driver file for the device.
8. Click Next.
Files are copied.
NOTE: If the Insert Disk dialog box appears, prompting you to
insert EtherDisk diskette 1, click OK.
You are prompted for EtherDisk diskette 2.
9. Remove EtherDisk diskette 1 from drive A, insert EtherDisk
diskette 2, and then click OK.
Files are copied. You are prompted for the Windows 98 CD.
10. Insert the Windows 98 CD, and then click OK.
You are prompted for EtherDisk diskette 2.
11. Make sure that EtherDisk diskette 2 is in drive A, and then
click OK.
Files are copied.
12. Click Finish.
You are prompted to restart the PC.
13. Remove EtherDisk diskette 2 from drive A, and then click Yes
to restart the PC.
The installation is complete.
After Windows restarts, double-click the Network icon in
the Windows Control Panel and make sure that the configuration
settings are properly configured for your network environment.
Contact your system administrator for assistance.
Upgrading from Windows 95 to Windows 98 with an EtherLink NIC Installed
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This section describes how to upgrade a PC from Windows 95 to
Windows 98 that already has an EtherLink 3C90x or 3C90xB/3C90xC NIC installed.
Follow the instructions for the type of NIC (3C90x or 3C90xB/3C90xC) that
you have installed in the PC.
NOTE: If you have already upgraded to Windows 98 without following these
instructions and are experiencing problems with the NIC, see the
next section, "Performing a Fresh Installation of Windows 98 in a PC with
an EtherLink NIC Installed."
3C90x NIC
---------
1. Start Windows 95.
2. Open the Windows Start menu, select Settings, and then
Control Panel.
3. Double-click the Network icon.
4. On the Network configuration menu, select the 3Com EtherLink NIC.
5. Click Delete.
NOTE: Deleting the NIC may delete all network components
(such as the TCP/IP protocol stack settings, if present).
Record the configuration settings of the other network
components that may be needed when the NIC is reinstalled later.
6. Shut down the Windows, power off the PC, and then remove the NIC.
7. Power on the PC, start Windows 95, and then install Windows 98.
8. After Windows 98 is installed, go to step 1 of "First Time
Installation" to install the NIC.
3C90xB or 3C90xC NIC
--------------------
If you have an EtherLink 3C90xB or 3C90xC NIC installed,
no special installation or configuration is necessary.
The upgrade from Windows 95 to Windows 98 should not affect
your NIC's installation or performance.
However, if you upgraded from Windows 95 (OSR2) to Windows 98,
the NIC continues to use the NDIS 4 driver instead of the
NDIS 5 driver.
To update to the NDIS 5 driver:
1. Start Windows 98.
2. Right click on the Network Neighborhood icon.
3. Click Properties.
4. Click OK to close the Network window.
The NDIS driver is updated.
Performing a Fresh Installation of Windows 98 in a PC with an
EtherLink NIC Installed
-----------------------------------------------------------
Review the section for the type of EtherLink NIC (3C90x or
3C90xB/3C90xC) that you have installed in the PC.
3C90x NIC
---------
If you performed a fresh installation of Windows 98 in a PC
that already has an EtherLink 3C90x NIC installed, or if you
installed a 3C90x NIC in Windows 95 and then upgraded to
Windows 98 without following the instructions in "Upgrading From
Windows 95 to Windows 98," the installation is damaged. This is
because Windows 98 installs its own built-in driver to support
the 3C90X NIC. This driver is old and may not work properly
on some PCs. When you reboot the PC, both the EtherDisk and
Windows 98 drivers load and attempt to bind to the same NIC.
The symptoms of this problem vary. You may get a
general protection fault in module NDIS.VXD. If this happens,
you must reboot Windows in Safe Mode to recover. You will not
be able to connect to the network. If you run the
3Com NIC Diagnostic program for Windows, you will get errors
when you execute the NIC diagnostic tests.
To correct this problem, update the NIC driver and
EtherDisk software. Follow the instructions in "Updating
EtherDisk Software" later in this document.
3C90xB and 3C90xC NICs
----------------------
If you performed a fresh installation of Windows 98 in a PC
that already has an EtherLink 3C90xB or 3C90xC NIC installed,
or if you installed a 3C90xB or 3C90xC NIC in a Windows 95 PC
and then upgraded to Windows 98 and are experiencing problems
with the NIC, follow the steps below to properly update the NIC
driver and software.
1. Open the Windows Start menu, select Settings, and then
Control Panel.
2. Double-click the System icon, and then select the
Device Manager tab.
3. Double-click Other Devices.
4. Select PCI Ethernet Controller, and then click Properties.
5. Select the Driver tab, and then click Update Driver.
The Update Device Driver Wizard starts.
6. Click Next, and then click Next again.
7. Insert EtherDisk diskette 1 in drive A, and then click
Next.
8. Select Floppy disk drives, and then click Next.
9. Follow the prompts on the screen and insert the appropriate
diskette when prompted.
Updating EtherDisk Software
---------------------------
If you are currently using a version of EtherDisk software that is older
than the software on this EtherDisk, follow the instructions below
to properly update the driver and the Windows-based 3Com NIC diagnostic
software.
To update the driver and diagnostic software on a PC running Windows 98:
1. Open the Windows Start menu, select Settings, and then
Control Panel.
2. Double-click the System icon, and then select the
Device Manager tab.
3. Double-click Network adapters.
4. Select the 3Com EtherLink NIC, and then click Properties.
5. Select the Driver tab, and then click Update Driver.
The Update Driver Wizard starts.
6. Click Next.
7. Select "Display a list of all the drivers in a specific location,
so you can select the driver you want," and then click Next.
The Select Device screen appears.
8. Click Have Disk.
The Install From Disk screen appears.
9. Insert EtherDisk diskette 1 in drive A, and then click OK.
The Select Device screen appears.
10. Click OK.
Files are copied. You are prompted for EtherDisk diskette 1.
11. Make sure that EtherDisk diskette 1 is in drive A, and then
click OK.
The Update Device Driver Wizard appears.
12. Click Next.
You are prompted for EtherDisk diskette 1.
13. Make sure that EtherDisk diskette 1 is in drive A, and then
click OK.
Files are copied. You are prompted for EtherDisk diskette 2.
14. Remove EtherDisk diskette 1, insert EtherDisk diskette 2,
and then click OK.
Files are copied. You are prompted for the Windows 98 installation
media.
15. Enter the path to the media, and then click OK.
Files are copied. You are prompted for EtherDisk diskette 2.
16. Make sure that EtherDisk diskette 2 is in drive A, and then
click OK.
Files are copied. The Update Device Driver Wizard appears.
17. Click Finish.
You are prompted to restart the PC.
18. Remove EtherDisk diskette 2 from drive A, and then click Yes
to restart the PC.
Removing the NIC Driver and Software
------------------------------------
To remove the NIC driver and software:
1. Double-click the My Computer icon, then the Control Panel icon,
and then the System icon.
2. Click the Device Manager tab.
3. Double-click Network adapters.
4. Highlight the 3Com EtherLink NIC.
5. Click Remove.
6. Click OK to confirm the device removal.
You are prompted to restart the PC.
If you are physically removing the NIC from the PC, click No.
Do not restart the PC until you shut down the PC, turn the
power off, and remove the NIC from the PC.
If you are reinstalling the NIC software, click Yes to restart
the PC.
(%VER WIN98.TXT - Windows 98 Information v4.0.4)
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.