Desperately seeking help :(

[WinT]

Hi everyone, new here, first post, and hope someone here can help me out.

I've used 98 since it's release, both editions, love it to death, always have, always will, which is actually the problem I guess.

I for the last several years, have always had "older" computers, most of which I would put together myself, and they ran great, especially with 98. I'm huge into speed tweaking, stripping 98 down to it's bones, and the main reason for that, is I until just recently, had never owned a computer running faster than 1 Ghz.

I just got tired of it... my RAM was maxed out, and it was the classic SDRam, nothing nice like DDR, and the processor just wasn't cutting it.

So, I bought a new computer... it's running at 3.2Ghz with 512 megs of DDR2 RAM, ATI Radeon video card, 80 gig Ultra ATA hd, just the works.

Thing is, it came with XP, of course, which I thought I would like, but actually just sorta don't. It's a bit bulky, too much going on in the background, etc...

So, being aware of the NTFS partitioned hardrive in this new machine, I decided that I would take my old hardrive, (which is a SeaGate, just like this new one, only difference is that it's 40gig instead of 80, that's it, everything else is the same) and put it in this new machine, then re-format it, and re-install 98.

Well, I did just that. 98's install was flawless and quick as always, it gave me no trouble during installation whatsoever, and no indication that there would be such a problem.

Well, after the installation was complete, it was time to boot to the desktop for the first time, so off it goes, and it made it to the first default 98 boot screen, and it just hangs up, literally, won't move, but, the thing is, it somehow manages to black out my screen, and my monitor goes into stand-by mode

I have no clue what's doing this at all.

The things I've tried are as followed:

I've booted using Safe Mode, and 98 WILL boot to the desktop in SafeMode. Thing about it, is when doing some checking around using the control panel, I find that my drive is somehow using "MS-DOS Compatibility Mode" . I have no idea why it is doing this. I've got the drive capped off to 32 gigs using a jumper, just as I always used to, per order of the install manual, claiming that 98 couldn't handle more than that, so it can't be that.

I've also attempted to boot up using the Step by Step configuration mode, and it almost makes it, but I get the same blacked out screen.

Again, the installation of 98 was flawless, and no problems were encountered at all, so I can't imagine what it would be.

Anyone have any ideas at all? Is this machine TOO NEW for 98? Is there something this machine has that 98 is having trouble with? Could it be the type of RAM I have?

I really want 98 on this machine, simply due to how utterly fast it would be in comparison to XP. I'm not having a bad experience with XP, it works well, and at 3.2 Ghz, things are just gonna be fast, regardless, but, I just miss my 98.

By the way, in case it would help to know, this new machine is not a custom built as my previous one, it is a Compaq Presario, which, I was against the idea of a retail computer, but the price was just TOO good to pass up, way to good It seems to be a good machine, no problems from it at all, just want to get 98 running on it.

Thanks in advance to anyone who offers any help at all, as it will be greatly appreciated.

[The Dude]

I was thinking of doing the same thing.....

I was gonna take my HD and just put it in a 3200Mhz box...... (Should work right??) Just bootup and see what the computer can deal with (Ya might have to install drivers for the SW unless you can find 3rd party drivers for the stuff on the new computer)

Im with you though,i hate XP with a passion,its too bulky,its too controlling,etc........ 98 is a supa fine OS

Welcome to CTH & Good luck

[WinT]

Thanks for your input, and also the welcome

Are you still planning on trying this out for yourself? I hope so, cause I'de like to see what, if any problems you run into, and how you handle them. I'm just desperate to get 98 back up and running.

I will give XP one thing though, the driver availability is unreal. It recognizes most everything, and has a driver ready to roll, which would be the only hassle of 98, as some of my hardware would require some downloaded drivers, but not much though, as I have installation cd's for most things.

Anyway, hope you can figure out something if you try this, good luck, and thanks again

[The Dude]

Well i would assume the easiest way to do this would be to replace all the hardware with your 98 hardware that you can ('A' drive,sound card,modem,etc......) Then when you bootup you'll hopefully have minimal things to deal with........

Is there a way for you to put 98 back on your disk and just plop it in your new box (Like i was gonna try)...I'd be curious to find out how things go..... (I know repair people bootup a 98HD as a slave when repairing people's computers and IT DOES WORK,i dunno to what extent though)

Ah well........I think it would be a dream having a fully working 98se computer with 3200Mhz and 512Megs ram (Ah man!!!!!!!)

[WinT]

Well, that's exactly what I did do... I put my OLD hardrive in the new computer, re-formatted it, and then re-installed 98, and it worked flawlessly until it was time to boot to the desktop for the first time.

The hardware isn't really the issue I don't think, at least not for sound card, modem, dvd/cd drives, etc... which by the way, when I bought this computer, it had onboard sound, and a horrible modem, both of which I replaced with my original Soundblaster card, and my USR 56K, which of course, installed flawlessly with XP, and in fact, didn't even have to use the installation cd's for either product, as you would have to do for 98, but I'de rather be doing that cause that would mean I'de have 98 running

Again though, just to make sure my point is delivered...

I did take the old hardrive and put it in this new computer, then installed a fresh copy of 98, which worked all the way through install, it just won't boot to the desktop, keeps hanging on something In fact, I try at least once a day to get 98 working, and all I have to do is take out the drive I'm on now, and put the 98 one in, and start trying to figure things out. I've got my new computer out in the open, no case on it, so I just take one drive out, put the other one in. Once I give up, I just put the XP drive back in, and whalla, back to computing It's getting so irritating though, cause I know it's something so simple. The fact that 98 WILL BOOT IN SAFEMODE tells you all you need to know I think. By going into safemode, you're bypassing something that's not cooperating, and that something must be found, but not sure how to go about it.

This is certainly a project my friend, and yes sir, 3200mhz, 512megs ddr2, and 98se... what a machine it would be

[Murf]

MS DOS Compat mode means the IDE controller was not loaded. You probably have BUS mastering, and "98" did not load it. Find 98 motherboard drivers and install them in SAFE MODE should solve the problem. Should be on the Compaq/HP site.

[WinT]

Thanks Murf, that's something I would have never thought about it for sure, thank you very much. I'm off to search for these drivers, thanks again!

[WinT]

There isn't a single 98 driver on the site for my system, everything requires XP Google will only pull up 11 results for my motherboard model, none of which are dealing with drivers.

I'm beginning to wonder if I'm just stuck? lol

[Murf]

Get into DEVICE MANAGER, under IDE Controllers you should have three entries, may not be exact wording:

Primary
Secondary
Bus Mastering

Do you? Are there any yellow marks next to then???

Do you know the model of the motherboard? If name brand PC Name Model number?

[WinT]

Ok Murf... that image up there is my control panel while using XP. Notice I've got 3 of each item under IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers.

Now, when I used to use 98 on my old machine, I had only ONE of each, I've never seen the three of each thing before, not sure why it's like that.

Now, what I did was this...

I put in my OLD hardrive again, and tried booting into 98, just for kicks, well, didn't work of course, same symptoms occured.

I then booted 98 in safemode, and it loaded as always, went to the System applet in the control panel, and it shows NO hardrives, though it does show the Primary/Secondary/Standard Dual Channel IDE controllers, just as they appear above.

So, 98 is showing 3 of each as well, just like XP is doing Is this normal for any OS or configuration? Again, I always had just one of each in 98, never 3.

I tried disabling each one, one by one, took some time, but nothing helped. A normal 98 boot still resulted in the blank screen, hang up thing, as always.

When using 98's safe mode however, I can load up the explorer file manager, and it shows my hardrive, accurately, but NOT my cd drive, nor my dvd drive.

Hope that gives you some clues there, you sound like you know what you're talking about here, thanks for helping me, and can't wait for your response to this post.

[Murf]

NO that is NOT NORMAL and that is your problem.

Reboot and get into SETUP (BIOS), prolly DEL key first screen.

Each is different, under the STANDARD menu should list your drives, Use AUTO and disable the ones you do not have.

Now find (prolly Advance Menu) where it lists your controllers and make sure both Primary and Secondary are Enabled.

SAVE & EXIT

If it doesn't remove the extra entries, then go into Device Manager and Highlight the Standard Dual PCI Controller and go to Properties. Under properties make sure BOTH CHANNELS Are enabled. Hit Apply reboot.

You do not have Bus Mastering loaded which is surprising what is the make and model of the motherboard??

Depending on the chipset you can go to the chipset manufactures page to get the drivers: Example

VIA

[WinT]

Well Murf, I didn't think it was too terribly normal, but XP has thrown me for such a loop since I started using it, that I just thought, oh well, it must be. lol

Anyway, here's a URL for you:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...name=c00587163

That is my computer model page. The motherboard layout and specs will be there for you to examine if you wish. There's two names for the board as you'll read on that page, but supposedly, ASUS is responsible for this board, which, I'm not at all ashamed of, but it is probably one of their cheaper ones I'm sure

I'm off to try what you've suggested though, so I'll be back with a full report. I had already gone into my bios earlier tonight, even thought about something similiar to what you described, but didn't do it, and you sound certain on it, so I'm off to try it out now.

Thanks again Murf, you've been nothing but a great help here my friend, and that's appreciated greatly.

[WinT]

Murf...


I tried every trick in the book that I could think of, using my BIOS settings, and using Win98 in safe mode, and still nothing. I've disabled everything there is to disable, using several different configurations, and 98 still hangs up and blacks out my monitor during an attempted normal boot

I'm almost beginning to wonder if it's the onboard ATI video? Seeing as how it blacks out the monitor and puts it in stand-by mode. There are 98 drivers for this device, not sure if I should download them or not, fairly large, still on dial-up here

I'm still thinking you're on the right path though, has got to have something to do with the drive configs.

Oh well, I feel that I've tried everything, though could be wrong. Do you have any further advice? Did you look at that Compaq web page?

Let me know what you think my friend.

[The Dude]

This thread is getting interesting!!!!!!

I wouldnt have re-installed,i would have just put my HD and all the hardware i could on the NEW box and booted up... Maybe you messed something up by re-installing (It lost the sync,etc.........)

[WinT]

Well, the reason I re-installed was for cleansliness, and also, when 98 is installing, it, like all other MS OS's goes through it's whole "detecting hardware/plug and play devices, etc... " so I felt that a fresh install would represent the most accurate.

Had I left 98 as it was, from my old system, 98 would have been looking for particular things that just aren't here on this new machine, even though it would have found the sound card, modem, dvd drive, etc... it still would have ran into some unknown things, but who knows, your way might have been the right way. I might could have found solutions for the broken things that way.

I still just can't explain the whole "locking up during boot" problem, it's just ridiculous. Things shouldn't be this way ya know? MS has such a monopoly on the people, and also itself really. I'm dealing with a situation where I can't even use a previous version of an MS OS... I'm damn near stuck with one of it's most recent creations. I could understand if I were trying to install Linux, or something like that, but this is still MS here, 98 against XP, should be my choice, and it should work, but just no luck yet.

I shall continue to try though, regardless, and I won't give up without one hell of a fight first