[win98: performed an illegal operation when starting up]

Howdy, my neighbor has 98 and everytime she turns it on she gets the box saying this has performed an illegal operation, then the scan disk box pops up,
and then it will not run scan disk, it just sits there. It will either let her close or get details. But she cannot get into the opening of the 98 logo screen or do anything. Hope this is enough info to help me figure her problem !!!
Shes to old and doesn't want to update her system, so no remarks please !!!! I have never had win98 so i am lost as how to get her back to the net ! Any ideas ???

Thanks

 

Can she get into SAFE mode?

 

See if you can boot into safe mode- F5 or F8 on startup and then run scan disk.
It may even restire an older saved registry.
Try reinstalling Windows 98 if she has the disk and registration number.
At the worst it will do a scan disk before install.
If you reinstall Windows 98 it will keep all old settings , drivers and data.
Nothing will be "wiped out ".
Once installed if hard drive space is available it is often usefull to copy the CD onto the hard drive in an easily accessible place . I put it under the c: root
in a folder "Win 98 Cd ".
You may need a Windows 98 boot disk.
You can create one from here
www.bootdisk.com
Please note : Windows 98 , which is the original release and is not too common , and Windows 98 SE ( Second Edition).
Windows 98 SE is a seperate product distinct from the original Windows 98.
I used to think (incorrectly) that if you did the updates on a high speed connection on Windows 98 original you ended up with the same product.
Not so Windows 98 SE was enhanced with many additional drivers among other things and is the basic requirement for much hardware and software.
Best no matter what to upgrade to the Windows 98 SE anyways no matter what.
As well Windows 98 only uses the Fat system of file format wheras XP/2000 allow the use of NTSF as well as Fat 32. Windows 98 can not read NTSF.
Remember if you are not familiar with Windows 98 in the end it is all pretty similar and based on the same lineage and history. Goes all the way back to dos and Windows 3.0 and 3.1 if you hunt under the hood of XP.

 

Thanks to all who did offer some help, which did not help solve the provlem !! So last night she had me take the
computer out to her garage, i wondered why, then she got a hammer & beat the hell out of it. My mouth fell open ! Then she said Goddam thing wont give me any more trouble ! And we both laughed till my side hurt ! Shes 85 yrs. old. Problem solved

 

Illegal Action

Reminds me of a mother of a neighbour of mine.
When her computer gave the error message "You have committed an illegal action" she ran and closed her doors and hid thinking that the police were on their way to her house !!

 

re win98 performed an illegal operation when starting up

thats a shame she had to bust up what might of been still a good computer. but at least that solved the problem. the story about the lady getting scared thinking the computer police were after her made me laugh, as it reminded me of something similar with the tags that are on furniture that say do not remove under penalty of law. my mom ripped one off and thought she would be arrested any minute by the furniture police. i hate to think of what she would of done if she had learned to use a computer!