Win 98 wont boot up?

[trueman]

I have just upgraded a friends comp from win 95 to win 98. It has a 200mhz pentium with 48meg ram.
However after the install it would not boot. I can get it to boot into safe mode but thats all. I have tried just about everything I can think of such as disabling various things and mucking around in msconfig start up options but still no luck. I have also followed through an extensive knowledge base troubleshooter but still no luck.

I have win98SE and was going to try and upgrade to that but it wont install from DOS and needs Windows to install. (Cd-rom isnt available in safe mode so that rules that out.)

Anyone have any idea what else I can try??

[PresterJohn]

if you are able to boot into safe mode, it sounds like a conflict with one of the system drivers. i would recommend you boot into safe mode and delete all the system devices, reboot and let win98 detect them again.

[noprob]

I have installed win98 first edition & 2nd. via a win98 startup disk,but on a clean hard drive.
no previous operating system(s).
I'm certain fdisk/format /u commands will do via the dos prompt.
once that is done boot back up to the win 98 startup disk allow cd rom support change over to the drive letter of your cd,then type in setup.
should take.
also you will need your OEM cd key code usually on the book that comes w/the win98se cd.
hope this helps.

[trueman]

I have already disabled everything within device manager but still no luck.

When I try to install SE and I type setup at the prompt

e.g D:\Win98\setup.exe I get the following error message.

This program requires Microsoft Windows.

Will doing the fdisk with the switches you mention make any difference?

[PresterJohn]

open the registry and delete the enum key under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE...then reboot.

[trueman]

PresterJohn,

You are an absolute legend. That worked and after stuffing around almost all weekend, I have finally managed to get the computer to boot properly.

Can you tell me what exactly deleting that key did so I know for future reference?

Thanks for the help.

[PresterJohn]

the enum key stores all the system specific driver info.

there are cases when the windows device manager gets corrupted and even though it looks like you cleared it, the invalid enum keys are still in the registry.

glad to help

[noprob]

my apology for confusing the issue.
I was not refering to fdisk to use a switch(s),
only format

[trueman]

Okay I am still having problems. I deleted the enum reg key and the computer continued with the first boot finally. When the computer had booted into Windows though there was nothing in the device manager. I clicked the add new hardware wizard and it went through trying to add hardware however as I did not have the cd-rom avialable it could not install drivers from the win98 disc. I also couldnt install WIn98SE whilst in windows because the cd-rom isnt there. It was able to install some of the hardware such as floppy controllers etc. One thing I noticed is that when it got to the "secondary ide device (Dual fifo) the computer lcoked up. Could this be my main problem perhaps?

Anyway I am no better off than when I was in safe mode as I still cannot install SE.

No matter what I do Win98SE will not install from DOS and requires Windows. I think because I brought it as an upgrade for about $13.00 from microsoft not a full version.

Any ideas???????

[John Prophet]

you cant just boot off the w98se cd? and then it'll ask for your "qualifying product" and you then put it the old w95 disk? ...or sometimes itll work if you just point it back to the D: drive with the w98se cd in it.

or just get a w98se bootdisk from www.bootdisk.com format the drive and reboot from the floppy..then go to the D: and go to the win98 folder and type setup

I was under the impression that you SHOULD be able to boot off of the upgrade cd though.