Okay just upgraded my CPU (to AMD XP 1700) and video card (GeForce 4 MX440), and everything worked fine. I then tried to upgrade the OS from Win98SE to XP and then things went downhill. Halfway through the install, XP blue screened, and advised me to remove any recently added hardware, drivers etc. etc. Everything was working fine before I tried to upgrade the OS so I assumed that this wasn't the case. I then noticed that one of the suggestion was to disable caching or shadowing in the BIOS. I though what the heck and diabled CPU Internal Caching. I knew it would slow things down a little, but I didn't expect it to take over a day to install! When I restarted it blue screened again, so I was back to square one. I then pulled out the current hard drive (20GB) and put in a brand new one (40GB). I tried to installed XP again (after re-enabling caching), but exactly the same result - a blue screen halfway through install. So I thought fug this, I'll just go back to Win98SE. But now I can partition the drive up (a 7GB and a 33GB partition), format the partitions and install Win98, but after the first stage of installing Win98, it comes up with an error message - "Invalid System Disk, Insert system disk and press any key". If I reboot using a boot disk and run fdisk, the partition where I installed Windows 98, now is listed as UNKNOWN file system. I can see he drive in the BIOS, and everything appear fine (cause I can then delete the unknown parition, create a new one and format it). Anybody have any suggestions to get either 98SE or XP to install properly? I tend to think something maybe wrong with the hard drive, but don't want to format my old 20GB drive to try and re-install Win98 as I have some stuff on their I don't want to lose (I suppose worst case I could get the data off and then format it, but I would rather get the 40GB drive working) Just so you know, specs of my machine: Motherboard - K7VZA (not sure of the brand - might be ECS?) RAM - more than 500MB Video - GeForce 4 MX440 CPU - AMD XP 1700+ RICOH CD Burner (32x16x8, I think) Compaq CD-ROM HDD - 20GB, 40GB take your pick Anything else?
Chuck04 - I very much wish I could help but all I can do is sympathize. I recently went to add on a MIDI device to my HP 500mz P3 using 98SE. Even tech support from the manufacturer couldn't get 98SE to recognize the drivers for the MIDI device. I thought an easy solution would be to just upgrade the OS to XP. I ran into some major problems which I won't detail here but the whole process got way over my head and I had to breakdown and take my PC to a computer repair place. My install was complicated by XP not liking my modem/driver and when I uninstalled XP, it lost some of the 98SE files. Then during the re-install, XP wouldn't recognize my modem so that I could get the needed "lost" files from Microsoft. Since I did not have the install SW for 98SE, I was screwed. (I got the same blue screen and messages). One last thing. I do not know if it was BS or not but the technician who got my PC working said that none of my Office 98 programs would work with XP and I had to buy Office XP to have Excel, Word, etc. He put all of the files in an "old data" folder, but there were no MS Office programs after the OS upgrade. On the plus side, everything seems to work real well...now. My XP upgrade was a nightmare. I sincerely wish you luck!!!
Windows XP . . . isn't it wonderful. Ugh, I have learned NEVER to try a Windows upgrade. Just format and re-install. Windows 95 to 98 was just as bad/worse. So you can delete both partitions, then make a new one, format it in FAT, then it still comes up with a problem? This is what I'd try first -- dump all partitions. Reboot and start the Windows XP install. Use the utility in Windows XP to partition your disk and format it. Then see what happens. I actually had a VERY SIMILAR problem on one of my Windows XP installs to the SV24. For me, it turned out to be a bad CDROM. I also had a bad floppy drive that was making things even more difficult. Out of curiosity, is this Windows XP Professional?
First of all, I think XP Professional is the best operating system ever created. Its multimedia capable. Its rock stable and its very efficient in use of resources. I would say that I am about 95 percent sure that your problems are caused by your memory chips, hardware or the drivers. Its not your HD. If you upgraded with a new mobo and added new memory, you memory might not be compatible with the mobo or the sticks are bad. You just can't buy any type of memory because its cheap. You need reliable memory if you want your machine to be running correctly. Those no name brands of memory might have voltage irregularities that cause your machine to crash. Now, you say that you upgraded your machine and I am assuming that you put the same HD from the old one. If that is the case and you have a new motherboard, I ALWAYS format when I install any new parts ESPECIALLY a major part like mother board or AGP cards. The reason why is because the .dll files can clash with the older files from older drivers. If you don't understand, let me say it this way. When you go get an oil change, you change the filter also, right? What for? You can just change the oil and your car is fine right? Wrong. The dirt specs accumulated in your filter hurts the engine. You need to replace it with each new oil change. Same with HD's. Formatting would give it a new start like if it was new. I would format and try reinstalling XP CLEAN not an upgrade from SE. Its alot better to have a bootable XPCD to do this. But if you have an old Win 98 CD its just as good. Once you are at the dos promptgo to type SMARTDRV and then go to the CD directory and go to the c:\i386 directory and type WINNT32. That should start the installation. One last thing that you can try if this fails is formatting the HD again and just installing your OS with the video card. If you can get through the installation with no crash screens, then shut down your machine and install ONE pc card and boot up. If ok, install the drivers for that card. If ok, then shut down and try the next pci card. Keep doing this until you crash. The reason is that if you are installing and you crashed during the install, its most likely a hardware problem like memory or pc cards or sometimes drivers. But if you do this and it crashes during one of the pc card installations, then you know that either a: your pc card has a problem or b:the drivers you installed are not XP compatible. I hope I didnt' confuse you. I have built a ton of machines and I have had practically every problem known to man. Especially when the Windows OS's were young (95, 98). I was crashing every 10 minutes. If you need further help, email me and I will try to help you further.
I agree with Almu....I like XP. I hate to call it the "best," but I haven't used anything I like better. Still.....I never, EVER upgrade an OS. Hell, I'll rebuild machines with the same OS if I've spent more than a few hours trying to track down a phantom issue. Nothing like a good enema. Your machine will love it, and you'll be happy. And I can't imagine throwing in a new mobo without a format. Format that hard drive, and do it now. As my old boss used to say when asked about FAT32 or NTFS: NTFS....every day of the week, and twice on Sunday.
Great post Almu. All except for the XP comment I HATE XP. I don't like Windows much anyhow, but Give me 2000 over XP any day. I get 3% increase in 3dMark with XP, but 300% headache increase. I'm waiting for SP1 to come out . . . then I'll try it again.
2000 is damn good, Pole. But the multimedia capabilities are limited. But for server stuff and network stuff, it was the best... EXCEPT XP PRO IS BETTER. Vengance, I think ME, 98 and 95 have tainted your view of Windows. I think it is. The features are great and also, I love the customization of it that 2000 but has more ability to handle games better. Windows 98 and 95 turned many people against Windows and who could blame them. Win95 was good after the bugs were fixed but 98/SE and ESPECIALLY WINME SUCKED! God, I couldn't wait for 2000. Its just so stable but many of what I wanted to do multimedia wise demanded alot from it, I think. I just think XP is 2000 with added features that ME tried to put in to enhance cameras, video and games but failed so miserably to do so. But let me take back what I said. According to alot of people in the classes I am attending, XP is good, but Linux is GOD. Better than OS10 or any previous Apple OS. I wouldn't know since I don't know how to use it yet. But from what I hear, Linux is rock stable, uses less resources and more and more software is being written for it. You can basically run Linux off a 486 machine. Try that with 2000!
Almu, By the sounds of it I may have not made myself clear. Everything was working fine with Win98, I then upgraded the CPU to a 1700XP and the video card to GeForce 4 only. The motherboard is the same. Even after I upgraded the CPU and the VCard, Win98 was still working fine. In hindsight I should have backed up the data I needed before trying to upgrade to XP, but hindsight is a wonderful thing after the fact. Anyway, I then tried installing XP to a new 40GB drive, but that blue screened halfway through the install. Then I tried Win98 and that came up with the system disk thing after the first reboot. So then I remembered someone saying to go into the BIOS and change the AGP setting from 4X to 1X and that works. So I thought what the hell, tried that and went to install XP again. Well, now when I try to use the partitioning tool in the XP install, it partitions it, but when it tries to format the drive, it comes back and says that it can't find the drive anymore, make sure its plugged in and all that BS. Right now I am trying to retrieve the data I need from the old 20GB drive, and I will format it and start again on that one.
Linux <i>is</i> the GOD of OSes Actually, I loved Windows ME. I have great luck with it. Now 95/98 -- I've seen enough problems with those to know they suck. But for XP, it worked okay, but it crashed on occasion (never happens in 2000). I also hate the interface "enhacements" and all the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes on with it. When I can't use Linux, I'd rather be on 2000 than XP any day. But after there's a service pack for XP, I'll give it another try.
XP the best ever...come on now. XP is the buggiest OS that MS has released to date. If it works flawlessly for you, then you should count yourself lucky. So far, XP is not up to snuff on most drivers, but the biggest issue is that XP does not automatically install motherboard drivers, and those can cause the blue screen crash. I never upgrade to the latest Windows until it has been out for at least a year. We still develop all of our software using Win 2k. DaDakota
For some reason I am thinking its a XP/Mainboard issue as well. First off that mainboard is for sure a ECS. I have used it before. I also dont think the hard drive is the problem. Its something with the Bios on the mainboard or a XP -hardware incompatibility/failure issue. I would clear out the CMOS, reformat and give a fresh install a try. While I have had great luck with XP professional and use it on my home pc's its just got a few issues (like this) that make it a bear sometimes. Most of my friends love Win98SE and Win 2000.
THIS is why I'll never buy a brand new OS, brand new car model, or brand new game platform. (I don't consider my ps2 brand new because if nothing else, I could play my psx games on it)
What a bunch of whiners. XP has been the most stable Microsoft OS I've used to date. I haven't had any BSoD's on it. Win 2k was also pretty stable. Win 95/98, etc are junk in comparison. As for Linux... blah. I have no use for it. I still think OS X is better than any of these OS's.
