Please Help!!!

[livesfreely]

I installed Direct X 9a on my PC and then it became unstable. So, I decided to reformat the hard disk. Then, I restored the PC back to the state it was in when I bought it 3 yrs ago.
I have win98 SE. When I start it after formatting and all, it freezes at the desktop. I've done the formatting 3 times by now from the Restore CD that came with my PC. Every time i get the same problem. I also get several kinds of error messages. Sometimes explorer or msgsrv32 is not responding. I also get the fatal errors OE and OD with the blue screen. Error 59: A networking error as it starts loading the desktop. This last error I was able to fix. I also get: iexplore had an invalid page default in 1. mshtml.dll, 2. kernel32 or 3. unknown.
P.S. Just now when i started the computer it froze again at the desktop and i hit ctrl+alt+del and it showed <unknown> I selected it and clicked on End Task. After that the computer shut itself down. Before this I didn't see<unknown> in the Task Manager and it is mostly the explorer that doesn't respond.
A lot of times it freezes up at the desktop. Even the ctrl+alt+del doesn't work. I ran the software to check the hard drive and RAM. According, to that software HD & RAM are working fine.
All the devices seem to be loading properly from what I see in Bootlog.txt as well as device manager.
Before I formatted, I had been getting a screeching noise when I started the computer or when I tried to use the CD. It would stop after a few times. But I don't get that noise anymore.
I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out what the problem is so far, but i didn't get anywhere. Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[GeekBros]

Greetings livesfreely,

You didn't say whether or not you had added/upgraded any of the hardware since you bought it 3 years ago. If so, this physical difference in the hardware makeup of the system is almost surely the cause of the errors you're getting. Please reply with the changes you've made in hardware (if any) and the make and model of the computer. This one should be quite easy to assist you with once I've got all the gizmo info

Regards,
Steve

 

[Grenage]

I would swap the RAM out with another stick regardless just to be sure, I would also take a look inside the computer for any fans that might have stopped spinning.

Failing that if you have a spare power supply available it might be worth swapping them out too.

 

[livesfreely]

I have HP pavillion 9680C. No I haven'nt changed or upgraded any hardware.

 

[GeekBros]

Since the hardware makeup of thye system hasn't changed, the problem lies with one of two things: a failing component (most likely the CPU fan) or corrupted software. But since the software is on a CD the latter most likely isn't the case. This sounds like a cooling problem given the varying errors combined with the screeching noise you described, which was probably the CPU fan dying. Remove the cover and look to see if the fan(s) mounted to the CPU are turning. If not, BINGO! If they are, check the fan on the power supply to see if it is blowing air out the back of it. Please reply and let us know what you find.

Good luck!

Steve McLean
Co-owner &
Director of Tech. Svcs.
Geek Bros. Computers
Chandler & Yuma, AZ USA

 

[livesfreely]

I had to restore the sound and video driver files. I don't know why I still had to do that even though I formatted the hard drive and started over. Shouldn't that have changed the corrupted files?

 

[GeekBros]

One would think so...

Glad it's back up and running.

Regards!

Steve McLean
Co-owner &
Director of Tech. Svcs.
Geek Bros. Computers
Chandler & Yuma, AZ USA

 

[TekTippy4U]

It might have to do with the &quot;Integrated Video&quot; we see so often on lower end, albeit major manufacturers, newer and older systems......the proper &quot;system specific&quot; motherboard chipset drivers need to be loaded at the correct time...during a reformat/new installation....

I believe that time is first thing....right after format /c:.....and before the OS and video display drivers..


Also the BIOS may need updating....


If all systems would just use a separate AGP card....I think alot of these kind of problems wouldn't occur