Win98SE: catastrophic & complete computer failure today

Tell me if you have any thoughts or ideas about what might be wrong in this mysterious and troubling matter.

I recently installed Win98SE on an IBM xSeries 205 server which I've had for a few years now. I used to have MEPIS (a very nice, dandy Linux distro) on this computer but erased it not long ago and put Win98SE on it. [The latest MEPIS (v. 7.0) is working just fine on my other computer, an IBM Intellistation M Pro, 6230-41U.]

Things seemed to be <for a few weeks now> rather OK with the Win98SE computer, 'til today. I had gone today to Podcastready.com to download some software called "myPodder" or something like that. [Keep this in mind because I'll tell you soon what happened later when I used my Linux computer at this very same download site of Podcastready.com] When I clicked on the dowload link for "myPodder ", everything in the Win98SE computer suddenly froze-- the mouse pointer would not budge and pressing C-A-Delete over and over did nothing. I had to turn off the computer by pushing its power button.

[I recently acquired a Cowon PMP-- I bought the "D2" which was working very nicely with my Linux box and OK most of the time with the Win98SE box except for an odd thing that happened yesterday when it was plugged into the Win98SE box and I don't know if this odd event is in any way connected with today's catastrophic and complete failure of the Win98SE computer which is just now a large brick-- nothing works- it's just totally dead. I can't even enter the BIOS from a cold boot! The A drive also is dead now.]

After the freeze-up while in Win98SE, I had to turn off the computer as you know. I then waited 1 minute and turned it back on. I got the usual DOS start-up stuff which includes the Win98 start-up options menu in DOS. But then no Windows, just blackness. I had to push the power button again to turn it off. I waited and then started it up again. But this time, the Win98 start-up menu (in DOS) was absent. I thought this odd. Then, the blackness followed and I had to push the power button again.

Next time I turn it on, there's only blackness-- no menu, nothing. So I turn it off to see if I can get into the BIOS. I can't get into the BIOS at all after trying from 1 cold boot and then, after the computer is off for a while, a 2nd cold boot.

In the past I had set the BIOS to use this start-up sequence: first try the A drive, then the CD-ROM. So I figured that if I put in my Win98SE start-up diskette in the A drive and the Win98SE CD in the CD-ROM, I might get my Windows back. But nothing works now: the A drive is dead too.

Here's the odd thing about the Podcastready.com website. After I knew I had a dead Win98SE box, I turned on my Linux box, went to the same download site of Podcastready.com, clicked on the download and found that my Linux box was acting weird. At least I could move the mouse pointer which Podcastready.com had changed into a strange icon. [I managed to get free from whatever evilness is going on at the Podcastready.com website.] I strongly suspect that something is VERY wrong about that Podcastready.com website. I don't know what it is but something is highly dangerous about that website. [I wonder if that website destroyed my Win98SE computer.]

Do you have any ideas on what could be wrong with the Win98SE box? I can turn it on-- the fans spin and the two CD draws open by pushing on the button for each, but no DOS, no Windows, and no entry to the BIOS.

What unfolded today was progressively worse each time I turned the computer back on: less and less was there 'til nothing but blackness and the inability to do anything about it. [Both of my computers are connected to the same monitor via a KVM, so, because of the Linux box, I know that the monitor works fine.]

Do you know what I could check to rule out one thing or another? I've not opened up the box to look at anything since this complete failure occurred a few hours ago-- I'm still in some shock and am stunned by this. [Is this some nasty, computer-destroying virus from the Podcastready.com website???]


Thanks,

Stan

 

I'm currently in a public library. I posted this problem in the hardware forum of MEPISlovers.org. I'm told this:

"You didn't necessarily get a virus [if that's what it is] from that site. You could have had it for a while.

What it sounded like to me is a CIH virus variant: they target first the HDD, and then the BIOS. They usually --actually always, AFAIK-- activate on the 26th of the month. It is possible you got it some time ago, it activated on March 26, and if you didn't use that machine much until now, it hadn't time to do much damage between the 26th and now.

Here's a link to what may be a field repair manual for your server model. [I'm guessing]
https://www-304.ibm.com/systems/supp...andind=5000008

It doesn't specify the make/model of the mobo or BIOS, but there are instructions for clearing the CMOS and reflashing the BIOS. That may not work in this case, if it's too far gone. In that case, finding a compatible motherboard for your existing CPU and RAM, and rebuilding it would be your only realistic solution.

As far as the effects to your Mepis box, I apologise: I have no clues as to what is going on. I don't think CIH can affect Linux, as it propagates through exe files --I think. I'll let the other more, knowledgeable folks advise you on that angle.

Best of luck! "


Now I'll have to consult the IBM hardware manual for the shot Win98SE computer. It's at ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/systems/support/system_x_pdf/59p2108.pdf Maybe I'll be able to get the EEROM fixed by IBM or someone. Don't know really anything about this sort of matter of fixing a virus-damaged EEROM but will hope to research it.