June’s Special Report on Linux examined the quality of product support received after buying a “commercial” version of the operating system from Red Hat. The results were mixed. We suggested that Linux wouldn’t be able to compete with Windows 98 until its support policies improved. This week, we are running the same exercise with Microsoft and its Web-based Windows 98 product support. The problem (taken from our last contest question) is that after upgrading to Windows 98, the Windows 95 splash screen still pops up. The following is a transcript of our attempt to have Microsoft solve the problem. Opening response: “Thank you for using Microsoft products and choosing Web Response as your support option. I will be glad to help you with this issue. The file responsible for the splash screen is called logo.sys. Click on Start, Find, and Files or Folders and type in logo.sys. If there are several of them, compare the dates on the files and use the newest one. If you only have one, we will need to extract the logo.sys file from your Win98 CD. To extract this file click on Start, Run, and type in msinfo32. Click on tools and scroll down to System File Checker. Choose extract one file from installation disk and type in extract /aD:win98win9802.cab logo.sys. This assumes that D: is your CD drive.” Source: Microsoft originated. Date:Jul 4, 21:43:12 GMT Subject: Win98 installed fine, but the Win95 splash screen remains. I have not heard from you in a couple of days, I was wondering if our previous response resolved your case or if you need further assistance from us? If so, please drop us a note so that we can get this resolved for you. Please let us know how this turned out so we can update our records. Supplement Date: Jul 6, 14:22:59 GMT Subject: Win98 installed fine, but the Win95 splash screen remains. Thanks for checking how I’m doing. I did as you suggested (using msinfo32), but I discovered no logo.sys either on my hard disk or on my Windows 98 distribution CD-ROM, even after opening all the CAB files, one by one. There are logos.sys and logow.sysfiles as well as a strlogo.oem file, all of which I opened in MSPaint, but none of which included the proper splash screen file I know this is a cosmetic issue more than a functional one, but I’m puzzled. Maybe the fastest way to solve this would before you to send me a proper logo.sys as an attached e-mail file? Microsoft reply Date: Jul 6, 14:57:26 GMT Subject: Win98 installed fine, but the Win95 splash screen remains. I am archiving this issue as resolved as I have not heard back from you in 3 or more days. If you need further assistance, simply create a supplement to reopen this case. Microsoft reply Date: Jul 6, 15:03:58 GMT Subject: Win98 installed fine, but the Win95 splash screen remains. Closed by Microsoft Support Engineer. Supplement Date: Jul 6, 15:35:05 GMT Subject: Win98 installed fine, but the Win95 splash screen remains. Please don’t mark this as closed yet. As you can see from my note earlier today, this is not resolved. I need a working logo.sys file. Microsoft reply Date: Jul 6, 18:09:20 GMT Subject: Win98 installed fine, but the Win95 splash screen remains. Unfortunately, the tool we use to respond doesn’t include the ability to attach files or even view attached files. I’m sorry about closing your case earlier. I didn’t notice your response. The logo.sys file in your windows directory is either the one left over by Win95 or is a modified logo.sys from a theme. To get the new Win98 splash screen you must rename or delete this file and reinstall Win98. Let me know how this goes. Supplement Date: Jul 6, 18:46:38 GMT Subject: Win98 installed fine, but the Win95 splash screen remains. So you’re telling me that to get one small (127k) file and solve a cosmetic problem, I need to reinstall the entire Win98 program? The Windows 98 version I have simply does not have a logo.sys file on it anywhere on the CD-ROM, as I reported earlier. Unless I’m blind to a file staring at me, either (a) the CD-ROM is defective or (b) reinstalling Win98 won’t solve the problem because there’s no logo.sys file on the CD-ROM.Microsoft reply Date: Jul 6, 23:12:45 GMT Subject: Win98 installed fine, but the Win95 splash screen remains. http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q167/0/98.asp This link will take you to an explanation of why you would need to reinstall to get the correct logo.sys file. In addition this link, it will take you to an explanation of how to create your own logo.sys file. http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q166/3/83.asp In addition, there are many sites on the Internet that have complete desktop themes. This response contains a reference to a third-party World Wide Web site. You should know that third party sites are not under the control of Microsoft. Accordingly, Microsoft can make no representation concerning the content of these sites. Microsoft is providing this information only as a convenience to you: this is to inform you that Microsoft has not tested any software or information found on these sites and therefore cannot make any representations regarding the quality, safety, or suitability of any software or information found there. There are inherent dangers in the use of any software found on the Internet, and Microsoft cautions you to make sure that you completely understand the risk before retrieving any software on the Internet. One of the more popular ones is www.themez.com. Microsoft reply Date:Jul 9, 18:41:24 GMT Subject: Win98 installed fine, but the Win95 splash screen remains. I have not heard from you in a couple of days, I was wondering if our previous response resolved your case or if you need further assistance from us? If so, please drop us a note so that we can get this resolved for you. Please let us know how this turned out so we can update our records. Supplement Date: Jul 9, 18:48:34 GMT Subject: Win98 installed fine, but the Win95 splash screen remains. I don’t feel like this is resolved. I went to the theme site you pointed to. None of them captured my fancy. More important, none of them overwrote logo.sys. The problem here is clear: my CD-ROM of Windows 98 does not have a logo.sys file on it. That’s what needs to be resolved. And the Microsoft Web page you pointed to for help has been down for three days. Microsoft reply Date: Jul 9, 20:35:51 GMT Subject: Win98 installed fine, but the Win95 splash screen remains. There is no logo.sys on any Win98 CDs. It is created during installation if I understood this article correctly. This article describes how to replace missing or damaged Windows 98 Startup and Shutdown screens. There are three logo screens displayed during the startup and shutdown of Windows 98. If Microsoft Plus! is installed, logo.sys is the initial startup screen. The logo.sys file can be extracted from the Microsoft Plus! CD-ROM or disks and copied to the root folder. For additional information, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: ARTICLE-ID:Q154281 TITLE :Microsoft Plus! Logo Screen Does Not Appear at Startup NOTE: If Microsoft Plus! is not installed, the initial startup screen cannot be copied from the Windows 98 CD-ROM or disks. This startup screen, which is identical to Logo.sys with the exception of the words “Microsoft Plus!,” is created when Windows 98 is installed. To recover this file, Windows 98 must be reinstalled. Logow.sys is the screen that is displayed while the computer is shutting down. The Logow.sys file can be extracted from the Windows 98 CD-ROM or disks and copied to the Windows folder. Logos.sys is displayed when it is safe to turn off the computer. The Logos.sys file can be extracted from the Windows 98 CD-ROM and copied to the Windows folder. Supplement Date: Jul 10, 15:10:18 GMT Subject: Win98 installed fine, but the Win95 splash screen remains. Ah, but I don’t have Plus! only the basic Windows 98. (This is a lot of work for a cosmetic problem, but I do want to see it through. All I need is one tiny file!) Microsoft reply Date: Jul 14, 15:25:02 GMT Subject: Win98 installed fine, but the Win95 splash screen remains. I have not heard from you in a couple of days, I was wondering if our previous response resolved your case or if you need further assistance from us? If so, please drop us a note so that we can get this resolved for you. Please let us know how this turned out so we can update our records. Supplement Date: Jul 14, 15:40:20 GMT Subject: Win98 installed fine, but the Win95 splash screen remains. I’m sure the message I got from you today is generated automatically. As you can tell from my most recent message, the problem is not solved. I don’t want to add themes or customized pointers to my desktop, as you recommended in an earlier message. All I want is the right splash screen. That can be solved by your sending me the correct logo.sys file. I’m a legitimate, registered user. All you have to do to solve my problem is send me the correct file, which has no commercial value. Microsoft reply Date: Jul 14, 17:57:22 GMT Subject: Win98 installed fine, but the Win95 splash screen remains. NOTE: If Microsoft Plus! is not installed, the initial startup screen cannot be copied from the Windows 98 CD-ROM or disks. This startup screen, which is identical to logo.sys with the exception of the words “Microsoft Plus!,” is created when Windows 98 is installed. To recover this file, Windows 98 must be reinstalled. I have no power over this. If I could send you the logo.sys file I would. Supplement Date: Jul 14, 21:51:27 GMT Subject: Win98 installed fine, but the Win95 splash screen remains. Thanks for doing all you could under the rules. I know I’m arguing about MS policy, I’m not complaining about you personally. Anyway, I’m don’t think it’s worth it to spend the two hours or so to reinstall Windows 98 on my laptop (including the FAT32 update) just to solve a cosmetic matter. I guess you can consider this matter closed, but I’m not sure I’d call it “resolved.” Microsoft reply Date: Jul 14, 22:07:08 GMT Subject: Win98 installed fine, but the Win95 splash screen remains. Thanks for responding. As per your instructions I will mark this case as closed. If you need to reopen this case, you may do so by simply creating a supplement. The verdict? A split decision. The response from the technician was friendly and considerate, but the tools he or she was given to do the job were insufficient. Does this reflect the technical support you’ve received from Microsoft? We want to know.———-
Watch for a new contest next Thursday.
