God damn computers

  • Thread starter Thread starter Angermeyer
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Angermeyer

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Does anyone know of a really good computer help forum.? I need some serious advise that doesn't really fall under the recording catagory.
Merci beaucoup
-angermeyer
 
Why not post it here? There are a few of us who almost know what we're doing....
 
All right...
I really need some help with this one: I am assembling a new computer based on the p4 and the 845 chipset.

p4 1.7
intel d845bg mainboard
256mb ddr266
nvida geforce2 gts
win 98se
425 watt ps

My problem is that after loading win 98 with no problems I am unable to open any program including explorer with out the computer restarting. I suspect that the power supply is the issue but it has plenty of rated power, i don't know. Everything else seems fine hardware wise. An ideas?
Thanks
Angermeyer
 
Do you have any other PCI cards in, besides the video card? If so, try removing all of them (except video) and see if it's happening again. It could be the power supply though, when PS go bad crazy things happen.
 
While it could be the power supply, I doubt it. Most failures from power supplies result in the PC locking up. There could be a defect on the motherboard power supply soft-switch, if so nothing other than a different motherboard will fix it.

On the other hand, P4s do require an additional 12v line from the power supply. It's a seperate connector in addition to the long ATX power connector. If you are putting this board in a case with an older ATX power supply that lacks this connector, well that is your problem.

Elevate is 100% right, to start troubleshooting remove everything not absolutely necessary to boot the PC. If your 256 RAM is composed of two 128 chips, remove one of those, and if the problem persists swap them.

Also check that your video driver is up-to-date, and make sure your are using W98 second edition and have downloaded any Windows Updates (hard to do if your machine keeps rebooting).

Also try this - go to the boot menu (by hitting F8) and then select Command Prompt Only. Then run the DOS version of Scandisk (located in C:\Windows\Command). Do a detailed surface scan of your drive. If the PC makes it all through that without rebooting, then RAM or a Win98 software driver problem become the most likely suspects.

Let me know how it turns out....
 
Thanks for the support, but i got it!!!!!

The 256 module was crappy, i put in a 128 from my computer staore and everything works great except for one thing.

It used to boot up in 5 seconds now it takes about 2 minutes.. WTF!
I hate intel.

Oh well its for someone else :D

-Angermeyer
 
It used to boot up in 5 seconds now it takes about 2 minutes.. WTF!
I hate intel.
Click to expand...
I think this has little to nothing to do with Intel. I would run Scandisk (and any other error checking app you have), and then defrag your hard drive. If you have, or can get hold of, a third party defrag app (ie, Norton Speed Disk), that would preferred over the lame one included with Win98.
 
There's nothing wrong with the one included with Win 98. And if this is a new PC you just set up, the issue has nothing to do with the drive being fragmented either.

Most Windows 98 machines I've seen take about 30 seconds to boot, that's typical. It is also typical for it to take longer to boot the first time after you install new hardware or software, as it makes a lot of registry updates on that initial reboot. It sounds to me like it's trying to register or detect something that it "thinks" is new. Do you have any yellow flaged devices in Control Panel/System/Device Manager? If so, that could be causing your slow boot.
 
Did you install or re-enable a network card during your troubleshooting? If you don't use it, disable it in device manager and this should speed your boot time up a bit.
 
There's nothing wrong with the one included with Win 98.
Click to expand...
I disagree. It's the slowest defragger I've ever seen (and by a large margin), plus if the system, or you, touch any file it restarts. That's lame in my book.....but you're right, it does work.

You're right about it probably not being a disk problem too, I forgot this was a new computer. But then again, you never know if crap got spewed all over the drive.
 
I got rid of all the flags, thats a non-issue. I'm pretty sure some bios setting is makeing the computer look really hard for somthing before finding it, that or my ide jumpers are all messed up. Its going to be a long night...

-Angermeyer
 
I can never get windows defrag to work, i disable every program, turn off all power saving features and unplug the mouse and keyboard. It always restarts 10 times and say, "Windows sucks, this will not work ever" It does i swear :D
 
Reboot in safe mode before defragging. It usually works better that way.
 
The most common reason I know for that happening is virus software, which checks each file as it defrags, throwing the whole proces in a loop. But I have on occasion see it do just what you describe with no virus software resident, for no apparent reason. You might want to try booting F8 to "command prompt only" and run the DOS version of scandisk from c:\windows\command\scandisk.exe. Then do what Tex suggested, go into Safe Mode and try defragging. It still sounds to me like some device is not set up properly, if need be pull every unnecessary (non-video) card out of the system and see if it works better. Then add them back in one-by-one and see when it starts hosing.....
 
As it is my computer works flawlessly, defraged or not. I can run 98se for over a week without lockups, blue screens or what have you. So i'm not to concerned for now.

As for the comp with the boot up issue, my floppy drive power wasn't pluged in. hehehe

-Angermeyer
 
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