can't boot, cant install o/s(win98 or dos)

[MangMang]

I have a Pentium 866, with 256 SDRAM PC-133, Samsung 8x4x32, 30 GB Maxtor, ATI 32MB vidcard, a integrated sound card and a 3COM Network Card.

The problem started when i decided to burn some data from an old HD using this new PC. I disconnected the Maxtor HD and reconnected the PC to the old HD. I then began burning from the old HD. Upon reconnecting the PC to the Maxtor HD, I found I was getting odd errors and I could not boot on normal mode. I then decided to format the system drive and start over. Now I can't even boot with the startup disk. It keeps hanging on the "verifying DMI pool data..." I then tried changing the BIOS settings to boot from the CD, but still not luck. I receive different errors upon this attempt. A Computer attempted using a TrueType Font error with caused a problem, a application error which caused a problem, A error in the WIN98SETUP.bin with caused a conflict. I've tried booting without any CDs or Diskettes but all I get is a "invalid system disk, please remove and press any key" but when i do nothing happens.

Can somebody please help me? http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif



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Mark Burnett is the Devil...thank goodness.

[Wannabee A+]

Check the BIOS settings for your HD. Run a HD auto detect an select LBA.

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Life is like Windows, sometimes it's great. Most of the times it's a pain

[MangMang]

Originally posted by Wannabee A+:
Check the BIOS settings for your HD. Run a HD auto detect an select LBA.



How do you do that? I held delete at the boot and i went into the bios but I couldn't find the option for a HD auto detect or LBA. I think the HD is being detected though, the first time I forgot to connect it on winsetup so it read, "No Hard Disk found" I then connected it and it almost installed. I just got those errors reported above.

thanx for the help by the way.




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Mark Burnett is the Devil...thank goodness.

[MangMang]

OK, sorry - I found that option, I auto-detected the HD and switched to LBA mode; unfortunately, nothing new happened. I even tried booting from the CD again and I got these errors.

After Scandisk, and when the Setup began these came up:

"Invalid TrueType Font Detected
An application used a TrueType Font that caused an error in Windows.
Quit all applications, and then restart Windows."
----------
Huh? I closed this window then,

"W98 SETUP
An error occurred in your application.
If you choose to ignore..."
----------
I then chose to ignore,

"Application error
W98 SETUP caused a General Protection Fault in
Module W98SETUP.BIN at 0001:07D8"
----------
"Application error
W98 SETUP caused a General Protection Fault in
Module USER.EXE at 0001:40B6
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then after windows setup closed this came on the screen:

"Standard Mode: Bad fault in MS-DOS extender
fault: 000D stack dump: 0000 0000 0070
raw fault frame: EC=0000 IP=5EF7 CS=03AF FL=3087 SP=FFEE SS=030F

Wow, this has been a real pain. I just bought this computer too from one of those small retailers and he keeps on screwing with me. I really appreciate forums like these which attempt to help us "not so tech-savy" users.

thanx guys.


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Mark Burnett is the Devil...thank goodness.

[Randy_tx]

TAKE IT BACK!....Sounds like the kind of errors you can get with bad memory modules though to me.

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"As hard as a rock & dumb as a brick"...Windows CEMeNT

[MangMang]

bad memory modules?
you mean the ram is defective?

yeah i've been trying to get a exchange but the guy is a real ass. He's insisting on "proof". This is actually the second problem i have with this computer. The first one is that it kept on randomly shutting down.

thanx

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Mark Burnett is the Devil...thank goodness.

[Randy_tx]

What I mean is.......THAT IS ONE POSSIBILITY ! If you want to get the computer up and working again you should take it to a QUALIFIED technician and get a second opinion on why you are having problems with it....I can tell from your previous posts that you are trying a lot of things......BE CAREFUL!! You can do more harm than good if you aren't familiar with things like BIOS settings, trying to move (or as I guess you called it "burning") data from one hard drive to another and so on. I believe it's time to take it to somebody who really knows what they are doing.

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"As hard as a rock & dumb as a brick"...Windows CEMeNT

[Reid]

Originally posted by MangMang:
The problem started when i decided to burn some data from an old HD using this new PC. I disconnected the Maxtor HD and reconnected the PC to the old HD.


I can see why that might void a warranty. Also agree with Randy that it could be a memory problem. Sometimes reducing the memory speed from 133 to 100 can clear up a problem with borderline memory. Finding a qualified tech to check it out is also good advice.



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reido@my-deja.com

Friends don't let friends install Windows ME

[MangMang]

ok, thanx everyone. I think I'll take it to the store technician on monday.

Just one more thing. How do I restore the BIOS/CMOS settings to the default configuration? is it optimal default or failsafe default?

thanx again, great forum.

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Mark Burnett is the Devil...thank goodness.