Windows 98 SE - Frozen Startup Window

Hello C-O:

I still have a set of WIN95 floppies and it is a pile! Windows is just so much fun when it messes up! I used DOS quite a bit too but XP is definitely NOT friendly to DOS anymore and most of the printers around today can't even print from DOS programs, what a pain! So much for progress. I still have a working 5 1/4" floppy drive, someday, in the not too far future, somebody doing archiving is going to wonder how they are going to read floppies, we've already screwed ourselves on some of the older formats where equipment is no longer available to read them and the data is really needed (NASA included!).

A GA for you. It wasn't me, Steve, that gave the off topic vote, however, I must say that upgrading is not always the best answer or use of resources, not everyone needs the latest whiz bang computer on the market. Market forces are trying to force consumers to upgrade all the time but don't get me started on that one. Your solution may be a reasonably good one in a pinch.

Regards.

Windows 90x installers always copied a folder named "Cab..." a complete setup &

Floppies & drives seldom work to some 20th floppy these days.

Your floppies set may be some 10+ years old & wonder if these work today.

As I remember 98SE was on a CD-ROM & CD drivers were also needed to run it.

Have a fine day !

Regards

I remember I copied all the floppies contents to a single folder & used to re-install as 90x were not that stable.

Except Flopp #1 which had installation files all the rest had disk.1 , disk.2 ...

Did he tell you why?

Its because you not only destroyed your data, you also wiped all the so called "Di bits", which are used to guide the heads while writing or reading. These bits can only be written by the manufacturer using a special program and controller......

Make sure that a magnet never comes near a hard disk.......

You can do this to normal floppies as the format also codes the "Di bits" onto what is a really blank disk......(working) Hard disks are never blank!!!!

It is also possible that, if the WIN98SE version being installed is not the original shipped with the HP computer, the package does not include all of the appropriate hardware drivers. You may have to go to HP to find the appropriate drivers. Be sure you are looking at the drivers for WIN98SE, not the latest versions- there are compatibility problems (and no one wants to support legacy equipment...)

If you are going to reformat, use a DOS mode partition app to create a small partion at the back end of your hard drive (1GB?), to fit your W98SE install CD.

Then when you reformat C with a boot floppy, install is so much easier.....

Clever!!

W98-SE. Isn't it about time for a hardware / software upgrade?

I am running the same. I get a black screen. When this happens, I boot up safe and go to screen display and then have to reselect the format of the display. For some reason, the display format is erased. Therefore, no display is shown.

This has always worked for me.

If you want to use an old computer and you cant get the 98 SE (sucky edition) to reinstall, try Ubuntu. Its free, and way better than most windows OS's, you just have to download the .iso and burn a disc image with Infrarecorder (free as well). Ubuntu usually can support ancient hardware without you having to download and install anything.

Good luck.

Steve

Un-install the device, reboot then reinstall from disc.

To all of you who have responded, thank you, there are some very good suggestions here. The computer was given to my son and the original HP disc has not been located as yet, he used my copy of WIN98SE to do the OS re-installation. Therefor, for the moment, I am reluctant to do a reformat of the hard drive as yet. 98SE is the original OS on the machine, I may do an upgrade to XP after some of the hardware is upgraded, this machine is limited to some degree for XP needs.

Thank you for confirming some of my suspicions of what was going on. I will try and get rid of the drivers first, if that is not successful, I will probably have to reformat but that is a last resort at the moment.

The video processor is built-in, an S3 graphics and, as far as I can tell, cannot be disabled in the BIOS unless another plug-in graphics card is used, detection is automatic. Unfortunately, my son is not displaying any patience with this machine and his jumping to wrong updates has bit him good. Teenagers!

Thank you for taking the time to list all those links.

believe by memory that you can use your copy of W98 CD and install using the serial number that came with the original OS on the teenager's machine. I may be wrong.

You are correct...

Most problems with computers can be fixed by restarting the computer over and over.

Sometimes electrical devices in computer just fail to start and need to be hit over and over like an old chevy starter to knock off the carbon build up from the contacts.

Good point.

This also applies to many objects that have microcontrollers in them like:-

Cell phones, telephones of all types, washing machines, calculators, washing up machines, HiFi equipment, Audio equipment and even cars, and and and......

I just remove the batteries, put a resistive short (100 ohms is a good place to start) across the battery terminals in the device (if batteries are used) and leave it for 48 hours.

HP calculators that have been left a long time with low batteries "hang" even if new batteries are installed. Just do what I wrote and most of them will be recovered to normal service...

Regards.

Automobiles cannot be compared with PCs especially with OS Win90x

Here the files are corrupted & mostly SW & HW failures are on shut-downs.

In Autos the contacts of Starters get corroded if not properly cleaned with furbisshing file or in view of most drivers start at least once a day.

Of cource this trick functions well but after some time have to furbish the contacts.

Have a good day !

I agree. Maybe the hard-disk on which it is written needs a deep Scandisk (including bad-sector exclusion) before re-installing the OS.

Also, Win98SE had a set of compatible display drivers which was relevant for 1998, but not for a more advanced display-card, especially with drivers written in NTFS (for instance).

I would try to preview the driver's medium (CD or floppy) to see if there are different setup versions relevant for Win9x OS on that medium, and only then try to install.

Regards.

At times I had been on NT-4 & don't remember now of drivers. But all the devices like Modems & display cards had separate drivers for win9x & NT.