98se crash help

Hi My win98se will only start in safe mode. When I start pc I get Pri Slave Error. What I come up with is I have missing regit files and missing parameter. I tried scanreg/restore and it fails. My cdroms dont work
When I go to setup and auto detect my HDD at bottom it says Detecting drive parametters:\ but nothing happens.
Any questions feel free to ask and thanks for your help


Dave

 

When I start pc I get Pri Slave Error
My cdroms dont work
I have no doubt that your CDROM is hooked up to the Primary Slave [default connection for most systems], and your CDROM has gone bad.
Detecting hard drives will not help, but installing a new CDROM will, unless you were into the case for some reason. If that has happened, recheck all connections.

 

Have you changed cables, kumpers or the CDROM itself.

If you have changed the CDROM then it could well be a bad CDROM or a jumper set wrong. Or the cable could be backwards.

Does the like on the CDROM come on and stay ON,

BillyBob

 

Thanks for your reply.My error is ATAPI incompatible. I have 2 cd drives D & E When I go to command prompt and open D or E it says not ready ready drive

 

the light does not stay on only when booting but thats all it will do. I think if I can replace the missing parameterand repair the reg or format and reload windows I'll be ok

 

If you mean a dos window, the CD drives will not work. You would need dos drivers loaded for it. Not really necessary when you are in windows.
If you want to access the drives in PURE DOS, make a boot floppy, or download a file that will create one for you.
Bootdisk's
Do not just copy this file to a floppy and expect it to work, double click on it with a floppy in the drive. When booting with it, select with CD-Rom support. When it is all done booting, the very last message on the screen will give you the drive letters for your CDROM's. Note that it will not be the letters you are accustomed to.

Just installing windows will not make the "Primary Slave Error" go away. That message is not coming from windows, but from your BIOS. It has detected a hardware failure. Disconnect the CD drive that is connected to the same ribbon as your C: drive [Primary Master], then boot and see if the message goes away [it should].

 

Thanks markp82 I unploged the cdrom and still got the error message had to go to setup and auto detect to remove the drive.
When I start windows I get a windows protection error and when I start in safe mode it locks up when I do get safe mode to start I keep getting illegal operations and/ or a fatal exception (the blue screen)

What I found out so far is I have a registery problem. I was just going to format and reload windows but when I use the boot disk and try to format I get a message that says required perameter missing. Any ideas ????

 

When you try to format what commands do you type?

It should be format /u/s c:

 

Thanks KevinSaul It started to format now it says Insufficient memory. How do I fix that?

 

This can be caused by a corrupt partition and/or Master Boot Record. Since you are formatting the drive, run Fdisk first, use the command fdisk to start it. Do press Y for large disk support. Delete the existing Primary partition, then create a Primary Partition and make it active. When you exit Fdisk, YOU MUST REBOOT.
When system has rebooted, do this command.
fdisk /mbr
This command will appear to do nothing. This well rewrite the MBR, it is not done during the partition creation.
Then format the drive.

 

Thanks guys sorry it tolk so long to reply been working long hours. Format went good but I still get windows protection error; windows will start in safe mode but I keep getting alot of illegal operations errors.
I see VXD errors like VXD VTDI, VXD VFAT, VXD VMM etc
Any ideas ?????

 

A question and some ideas.

Is there something missing here or is it just me ?

If you did indeed format the drive, how can Windows still be there to start in any way ? Did you re-install it

Did you use the FDISK /MBR.

Try just plain FORMAT C: without the suggested switches.

I am not sure but the /C I believe copys the system files to the HD which you do not want. If they are not the same version as the version of Windows you are installing it can cause problems.

Then you wil forced to boot from a floppy. Which is the better way.

The last time that I had that error it was due to an improper install of Windows. I had started the install right from the CD without going to the Win9x folder to run setup.

And SOMETIMES when installing Windows booting from the HD first and not going to a floppy boot may cause problems.

BillyBob

 

If you did do FDISK /MBR did you restart the machine before going further ?

BB

 

I rebooted after fdisk but not after fdisk/ mbr and then reloaded windows, after formating but it didnt finish setup becouse of VXD errors What I dont understand is I can start safe mode

 

OK now I have to ask.

When you installed Windows. Did you boot to the Hard Drive or to the Startup disk ?

In either case did you change to the Win98 folder on the CD to run setup ?

It setup did not complete but it will start in the safe mode not knowing any better it reads like a hardware problem of some sort.

I have to go to a Grandaughters Birthday Party so I amy or may not be back in here this evening.

Also if you did not reboot after FDISK /MBR it may not have held properly.

BB

 

When I installed windows I did it from boot disk.I typed setupE:\. I'll Try fdisk again this tine rebooting after mbr Thanks BillyBob

Dave

 

I typed setupE:\

I take that as a typing error.

It should be E:\win98\setup.

Or at least E:\setup.

First one prefered.

BillyBob

 

Ok I started over again. I ran fdisk and rebooted then fdisk/ mbr and reboot. I typed setupE:\ window checks disks and starts then error message, An invaild command option was specified. Check the command line and try again, or type Setup/? for help on the setup command options

 

Check the command line and try again

The error message is correct for the way you typed setup.

Try the first one I wrote.

BB

 

I reloaded windows and safe mode will not start Still have errors. I'll try again tonight I have two win98 disks I'll try the other one.
Something else I cant believe I forget , when I turn pc on it takes 5 to 10 mins to start up. No display


BillyBob hope the party went will

Dave