had a pc for a few months, with a few problems.
THe machine was given to me after it developed faults - sorted most of them - due to a faulty DIMM.
has been running slow lately, and as I hadn't really given the disc/bios the once over, I decided to reformat, to clear all the clutter and start a fresh install.
fdisk and format worked fine.
booted from a boot disk (win 98) and problems started.
first off, it would hang at the 'verifying dmi pool' and wouldn't go any further.
another time, the windows setup started, got to the 'windows needs xxxxxxxxxx bytes of disc space' and hung - except on a couple of times it only got to 'w' or 'windows needs xxxxx' or other similar faults.

The bios (as you'd expect with a cyrix machine) is a bit odd - it uses a 'superb' bios, with an award extension - I've tried a couple of things to get the damn thing working again, but it keeps dying on it's backside - anyone got any ideas (apart from the one currently in my head .........new motherboard, new processor, BIG HAMMER:D )

1. Try a different startup disk.
2. Reset the BIOS to the defaults. Ensure that A: is first in the boot sequence.
3. Try a different memory module.
4. If none of the above works, try a big hammer.:( :D

A Windows "Startup Disk" [is this what you should have said when you said "Boot Disk"?] TRIES to make a RAMDRIVE in your RAM, but if your RAM is not functioning ["faulty DIMM"] it wouldn't be able to do that and therefore couldn't operate.

First fix the faulty DIMM.

Originally posted by Sylvander
A Windows "Startup Disk" [is this what you should have said when you said "Boot Disk"?] TRIES to make a RAMDRIVE in your RAM, but if your RAM is not functioning ["faulty DIMM"] it wouldn't be able to do that and therefore couldn't operate.

First fix the faulty DIMM.

Yes - used a windows startup disk. Memory is OK as far as I know (I run the full POST memory test) but am beginning to suspect that somehwere along the line, the memory control is up the creek; and this is what may have damaged the first DIMM that I replaced. I was hoping it wasn't this, but I did think of it, as the RAMDRIVE would certainly be affected by the problems I encountered.

Ah well - I didn't want any money anyway............I love spending it on replacing faulty equipment; what else would I do with it? :D :(

If you know the RAM to work, you could try using it in another DIMM slot. I know older mobo's don't work unless you have the RAM in the right order, but it's worth a shot.

How was the Windows 98 startup disk made?

Where did it come from?

Was the Operating system [on the PC before the re-format] Windows 98 and was the disk made using this operating system on this PC?

This
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;287553
may give a clue.
or this http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;221829
or http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;185645
or http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;190303

Study the BIOS's hardware configuration settings, particularly regarding the use of memory.
If your memory was ok but it's use was effectively disabled then your startup disk couldn't create a big enough ramdrive for Windows Setup.exe to do it's work of installation.

My available memory is listed in "Standard CMOS Setup".
My L1 & L2 cache's are both enabled.
Video BIOS shadow is the only shadowing enabled.

You did opt to use CD-ROM support when asked didn't you?

maybe a shot in the dark (if all else fails) but I had a cyrix machine a while ago. cpu was a 233 and it ran fine, then it started with problems (that's how I came to find PC guide)

anyway (eventually, after trying lots of other things) I reset it to 200 sold it 2 years ago and it still works fine. I put it down to the cpu being 'tired'

Thanks for the suggestions folks.
I'll check on a different startup disk.
Cache has been both enabled and disabled during different tries.
CD-Rom support was on.

I'm running MICRO-SCOPE UNIVERSAL DIAGNOSTICS over the machine right now - (for those who don't know, this is a SERIOUS diagnostics utility, which runs from it's own OS, so it doesn't get hamstrung by Windows or DOS) it was given away on PC PLUS Issue 197 (christmas 2002)
Anyone in the UK should be able to pick this up.
One interesting fact is that the diagnostics state the memory modules must be a maximum of 32MB - When I first got it it had a 63Mb DIMM, and now it's got 128!:D :D :D


pcplus.co.uk (http://www.pcplus.co.uk/)