Complete Windows 98 crash.

Sorry, Sparrow.

Guess we were writing over each other.
To update you, when I tried to fdisk, the partitions were still there and intact, so I rebooted to see what would happen. Thus, my previous post. Don't know if I did the right thing, but just glad to get back into windows and see if I lost all my files.

Would appreciate your input as to where I should go from here.

 

Just a note, if it helps someone else........
Windows is back up. Did thorough scan to fix problems on disk. Didn't find any. Also, defragged.

Have my entire hd wiped!

One question..........only have 16 colors and I forgot how to get 256 back. If you guys have a quick answer before I figure it out! Thanks for all your help!

Sorry, let me clarify "only have 16 colors... ". I know how to change it, but, the only options are 16 and 2 under display properties and cannot change the screen area either.

Never mind, got it by reinstalling GeForce.

 

You're doing well. Check out the floppy drive to see if it can read files in windows explorer. If it does, no problem with drive. If you make a CD from the fresh boot floppy, you won't need a floppy drive except to move files between computers.

 

I do have to question that. And something does not seem right.

The deafult path when booting directly to the floppy from power off is c:\Windows. Regardless. And it has no care what is on the HD already.

When booting from POWER OFF directly to the Floppy I have NEVER seen any indication of an existing install of Windows. And I have been reinstalling over itself ever since the day of 95.

I have upgraded 95 to 98FE. 98FE to 98SE. 98SE to XP Pro. and when booting from a power off state directly to the Floppy or CD I have not seen any mention of an existing version.

By it seeing an already installed version says clearly ( to me anyway ) that it went to the HD first. WHICH WILL CAUSE problems unless you watch carefully for the install path.

That is more than like why you saw the C:\Windows000. Windows was installed more than once.

Anyway how can it see it even if there is one ? The boot should have gone nowhere near the Hard Drive.

Did you watch during the install process to make sure the install went into C:\Windows ?

Because if it did see an already installed version it will put it into another folder. ie. C:\Windows000. or even C:\windows001.

BillyBob

 

BillyBob

Booted from the win98SE install CD?

 

Then something is still wrong ( different ). And I am trying to find out WHY it saw an existing version.

It makes no difference. By it seing an already existing version CLEARLY says ( again to me anyway ) it was not booted from a COLD machine ( power off ) state and RAM was not CLEAN. And still will not produce a good clean repair reinstall. And more than likely will wind up with Windows being in more than one folder.

In order for it to see and existing version it has to have gone to the HD first. Other wise it would have no way of knowing there was an existing version.

Even if the system was rebooted from within Windows, RAM may not clear fully leaving signs of an existing version.

Just so I did not put full trust in my personal memory. All of my replys here came from TESTING on an older machine where it did not really do much harm if I messed up.

H:\win98 is where my setup .cab files are located.

I did reboot to the 98SUD from within Windows and ran H:\Win98\Setup and IT DID SHOW and existing Version. Of course I obviously quit right there.

I SHUT DOWN the machine completely, waited a minute or two then COLD BOOTED to the 98 SUD and ran H:\Win98\setup and NO problems of existing version. But of course I still quit.

T&S mentioned a loss of Video settings. I have as yet to have that happen. Even with an over top reinstall. I have not had that happen even when upgrading. When I upgraded from 98SE to XP Pro I did however have to upgrade some drivers. Especially the Video.

But. Something that may or may not come into play here. I have a Home built machine. Not an OEM. An OEM machine might make a difference. I do not know that for sure as I never had an OEM machine.

Just got a call from My Wife. Got tp go do an errrand. Be back later.

BillyBob

 

OK........Let's see if I can answer some of your questions.

The floppy is reading, as I have reinstalled MS Office and read files that I had saved to a floppy. Makes a horrible noise though, like its scaping against something (usually a good indication that something's not right!).

Takes way too long to read though............and cannot write to floppies. Just finding out. At one point, I got a message that there was no floppy in the drive or the drive door was open.

Something else that doesn't make sense. Have been reinstalling only the needed programs and going well, until I tried to reload my dsl program from CD. It pulls up in the wrong color and parts of pages are missing.

As far as having two different sets of windows installed, according to MS, when you reinstall windows (for whatever reason), if there are corrupted files or something badly wrong with the existing OES, it will automatically install as Windows.000. If it does, you can see it under C:/ right next to the Windows file, which is how I found it. Since the hd has been wiped and rebooted with WIN98 loaded, I have only one windows file under C:/.

And yes, I used the Windows 98SE install CD to reboot by changing the BIOS to load the CDROM first.

Oh, this is a generic pc built by local computer shop.

If I can't get the dsl to work right, I plan to keep this pc as long as it works for the kids to do their homework projects and games on. Look for something else later for myself.

 

OK.

If during the install it mentioned an existing version IT HAS TO BE there somewhere. And if it had not been to the HD first it would not know it was there. And would use the default folders etc.

And again I have reinstalled both 98FE & 98SE several times and never gotten that message when booting from power off to the 98SE Startup disk. And then running the install from the folder on the HD that the .cab files were in.

I did however forget one time and just reboot the machine to the floppy without a power down, and got the message of existing version. I quit right there and powered down and started over.

That is true. But only comes into the picture IF the system goes to the HD first. Going from power off directly to the Floppy it has NO IDEA that a previous install even exists. That is why I recommend ( and do myself ) do a cold boot directly to the floppy.

Speaking of the floppy. Is it possible that yours is causing some problems ?

BillyBob

 

Beginning to think the floppy drive may BE the problem. I've been cursing my floppies for losing data for a long time and praising my zip disks for being so stable. And neither are stored near a magnetic source.

 

BillyBob,

Any time I've installed Windows over itsself it has found the existing version. At an early stage of the install the new install checks all hard drives for versions of windows.

 

New Question?

Need more help debugging this critter!

When I try to reinstall my dsl program, the logo window is the wrong color and several of the pages are missing parts. For example, there is a page with a choice of 4 modems used, and you are to pick one, only they are not visible. The whole program loadup looks weird.

Have loaded it on my laptop, so I know the CD itself is OK.

Any clues?

All of the other reinstalls I have done thus far look and act fine.

 

OK Something has to be either different or being done differently. And that is what I am trying to find out.

I have Win98SE setup running a machine that DOES HAVE Win98SE already on it.

I am at the screen right now where it says

And I know for a fact that if I hit continue that is where it will go.

Now does that look like it found the existing Windows ? I say it does not. If it had it would more than likely say Window001 or something like it. Which I have seen when I accidently booted form the Hard Drive.

The only thing it checked on the way up was the condition of the drives C: thru H: Alias: Scandisk etc.

I did nothing about checking for other versions of Windows.

But could there be a difference in where the setup is run from.

As I have said before I booted from POWER OFF directly to the floppy. And then ran setup from the CD. But the CD only contains the SETUP FILES and nothing else.

But also what might make a difference. That is the way I have installed Windows from 95 on up. I never did just put the CD in and run setup.

BillyBob

 

Past that. Need help with previous question please. I know something's not quite right.

 

You need help.

I have ideas as I go back over the past replys.

That may have been a bad move on your part.

Unless you FORMATED the HD I would venture a wild guess that you still may have more than one setup of Windows on that machine.

Also. I cannot be 100% sure of this but I believe you could have changed the install path to C:\Windows. I am not sure because it has been a LLOONNGG time since I saw the message about a previous version.

 

I missed this. But would it have any part in the problem(s)

BillyBob

 

I tend to agree with your theory, but how to fix it? Did a system check and found that the file "setupx.dll" was corrupted by it keeps trying to restore it from a file in C:\windows\temp.

 

I do not like what I am thinking. Wait for others to join in,

Adding these two quotes together and then add the problem you are having with the DSL software I have only one idea left. One which I do not like and I know that others may well be VERY surprised to see me write it.

I think it is format and start over time.

BillyBob.

 

Been several years since I have done a complete format on anything. Not sure if I remember all the settings. Partitions and such. But, what do I have to loose. All my files have been wiped out anyway. Suggestions?

 

Well you and I do agee on that point for sure.

I have not formated a HD since the days of my original machine and going from Win3.1 up to Win95. And the HD in this machine ( or a copy of the original anyway ) is on it 3rd machine.

Lets think about something first. From what I recall from earlier post I believe the A: drive was giving you problems. I tmay well be not be being read properly. It might just pay to replace it with a new on first.

But I believe it is just a case of booting to the 98SUD and typing Format C: and hitting enter.

Then do the same with any other partition you may have. But I will admit right here and now that I WILL not even attempt to try that because IF I S****up I have WAY too much to lose.

And if you do not have more than one partition, I suggest that you use FDISK and set up more than one. Then when you do get Windows reinstall, install any software after that to a drive other than C:

And once you do get reformated DO NOT boot to the HD to reinstall Windows. Boot to the floppy and run setup from the Win98 Folder on the CD.

Better yet. Create a new folder named " WIN98 " on lets say D: drive. Copy the CONTENTS OF THE Win98 Folder of the CD to it. Then restart the machine. Check the BIOS to make sure it is set to Boot from the A: drive first. Then the CDROM. Then the HD. Then power down. Restart to the floppy and at the A:\ prompt type D:\Win98\Setup.

I have got some errands to do so I need to get outta here for now but will be back later.

BillyBob

 

Before I do something drastic...................

Changed to 32bit color and got the dsl program working. Seems like its the little things I'm missing.

Only problem with the dsl program is that it can't find the drivers for the dsl modem. Still searching on that.

As a precaution, before I did all this, I did a cold boot, scan disk, defragged, and did a system checker. Everything SEEMS to be working.

Just the hangup with the dsl modem.