Win98 post, splash, then whirring and lockup

[kopfjaeger]

Greetings Tekkies,

Your mission for today: analysis and resolution of what seems to be a software issue.

HARDWARE:

Win98 /PC CHips M810, Socket A, 1.2GB Duron, 256MB RAM, lotsa room on HardDrive

SYMPTOMS:

Win98 goes through normal POST, then Windows splash screen, at the point where the icons load and you get the Microsoft (!!!!#$%@) sound, the machine locks up in mid-tone. The splash screen tone locks into a loopy whirring sound and nothing budges from there, not even the old CTRL-ALT-DEL.

Occasionally this error can be cleared by a warm boot. Other times a cold boot is suffiicient.

I have tried booting up, holding down the CTRL key to get into SAFE mode, but the keyboard is not responding properly. For example, the five choices normally given include number 3. for SAFE mode, or pressing F5 to accomplish the same thing. Pressing F5 results in erratic characters being printed to screen, often preceded by an up-carat.

Analysis?

[HeadBand]

f8 is the safe mode screen

first thing i would think is adware have you ran updated adaware or spybot

also you could run msconfig from the run command to use selective startup

[kopfjaeger]

FYI,

I think that I might have found the problem. The errors in attempting to start in SAFE mode led me to believe the errors mght have arisen in the keyboard connection.

So I powered down, checked all connections. Apparently in the course of installing a new printer the keyboard connector had come loose. I locked it down and fired the machine back up without a hitch.

So when troubleshooting, now you know what would cause this condition.

Thanks for looking in and offering suggestions

[Neř]

something like this happened when i accidently plugged in the mouse in the keyboard port and keyboard in the mouse port.......

-Neř