Windows 98SE installation problem 1

[PalmStrike]

I have been trying to reinstall Windows 98SE from scratch, but have encountered a problem. The installation was going fine, untill it restarted itself, and came up with the following message:

You started your computer with a version of MS-DOS incompatible with this version of windows . Insert a startup diskette matching this version of windows and then restart.

//the system has been halted. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart your computer.

So I made a start up disk, from another windows 98SE machine. but nothing has changed, what do I do/

I should point out, that this machine had Windows 98SE on it previously, I wiped it to reinstall it.

 

[BuckeyeComputers]

sounds like you probally just ran into a glich, i would suggest since it is a new install that you fdisk the drive and then recreate the partitions and then do a format and run setup again, i always copy the cab files to the harddrive and run setup from there beside not haveing to find the cd everytime you make changes it usually seems to a more flawless install

 

[PalmStrike]

thanks for that, I am doing just that.

Now, I am following the advice of a tech article in order to go through this properly, but I have now got to a bit in the installation where I have to enter a Volume label, but I do not know what that is.

What would it be? is it something that I make up, or is it something I should have written down and didn't, and now have to throw the thing out of the window?

Any help is much appreciated.

Kind regards

Rob

 

[PalmStrike]

This is a nightmare, same message again.

Anyone know how to get past this problem?

I have a windows 98SE startup disc, but I don't know what to do with it?

Please Help

 

[carrr]

See if this offers any help for you:

http://www.aumha.org/kbewpe.php

 

[thatrenowned]

* Go to another 98 machine and format your start disk
* Go to Control Panel -> Add \ Remove Programs
* Select the boot disk tab (can't remember exactly what it is called) and create a new one
* Go back to the other computer which you want to put Windows on, insert the boot disk and select without CDROM support
* At the command prompt, type FDisk
* Enable large disk support if prompted
* Go to option 3 then option 1 (deletes the partition)
* When at the main menu, select option 1 then 1 again (creates a new partition)
* Create the partition as large as you want it
* Exit FDisk and reboot. Keep the boot disk in the drive
* Now select with CDROM support
* Put your Windows 98 cd in the drive
* When at the command prompt, type e: (or whatever letter your CDROM is)
* Type 'cd win98'
* Type 'format c:'
* Once its completed, type 'cd..'
* Remove the boot disk and type setup

 

[rockerfellerz]

If you do an fdisk on the drive in question and choose "show partition information " it should tell you what the volume label is. If it's blank, there is no volume name (you don't have to have one). When you format the drive(after partitioning) it will ask for an 11 digit volume label but you can just leave it blank and hit enter for "none"
As to the startup disk: insert disk in A: hit ctrl-alt-del to restart your computer. Choose start with cd rom support from the menu. it should boot up and put you to an a:\ prompt. Type fdisk and choose display partition information; ideally the drive will have one primary dos partition(if there are more then it's a bit more complicated) now hit escape and choose #3 to delete the primary dos partition;follow the directions it gives to delete. Once it's deleted, choose#1 to create a primary dos partition it will prompt you to choose if you want to use all the drive space for the partition and make it active, say yes. once it is created you must then exit from fdisk and then restart your computer(leave the startup disk in a: . when you restart type format c: from the a:\ prompt once it goes through the format it will ask you to enter a volume name, this is anything you want to call it or just leave blank.
You are now ready to start the install.
Switch to the c: drive (type c: and hit enter)
Verify c: is ready type "dir" it should give some info and probably say "file not found" that's goodcause there's no files yet.
now make a directory on c: for the setup files
type md win98cab to make a dir called "win98cab"
insert the win98 disk in your cdrom and when it's ready type
switch to the drive letter for the cd(probably E
now type copy win98 c:\win98cab
This should copy all the files that you need to install from the cd to your hard drive.
When they are copied,switch the prompt back to the c: drive , remove the cd from the drive and change to the directory that you copied the files to (cd\win98cab) and type setup and hit enter. the install should now begin.
A bit long winded but I hope this helps. If you're going through Hell...keep going... (Winston Churchill)
RocKeRFelLerZ

 

[PalmStrike]

Ok, this is getting out of hand, I did all of that, and the same message came up about incompatable dos, so i junked the hard disk, and got another one, 8.4Gb will be fine, windows ste up fine, but is missing vmm32.exe

I can start up in safe mode, and I have the file in question on a disk, but in safe mode it won't pick up the floppy drive.

How can I get this ******* PC to work.

How do i get this file onto the computer. I feel reinstalling the OS again is a waste of time, there must be a way of sorting this.

Any ideas?

 

[tortois]

two ideas are,at command prompt use the "copy" command
to transfer a file.In dos you
can type A:\,C:\, unless your BIOS needs tuning.
For safe mode,use MSCONFIG to help find why
you cant start normally.(start-run-type in "MSCONFIG&quot
scandisk.exe from command prompt can help too.

 

[greyted]

Hi PalmStrike,
Try the following link for M$ explantions regarding vmm32.exe problem solving.

http://support.microsoft.com/search...&Query=vmm32.exe&QuerySource=gsfxSearch_Query

Hope this helps you.

Ted

 

[wolluf]

Palmstrike,

Why were you reinstalling in the first place?

I'd lay odds you've got a hardware problem somewhere (bad memory, PSU, mobo, card, cpu etc).

 

[PalmStrike]

I was reinstalling the OS, because, although the computer worked, that is about all it would do, it crashed constantly, and there is a piece of software here that we use called goldmine, and this computer would not pick it up. So I came to the conclusion with the help of various tech support, that it was time to rebuild the computer.

You could say it is like trying to ride a motorbike with the big end bearings gone, in that the engine will run(noisily) but if you put it in gear and actually put some load onto it, it will go bang.

So it was that or throw it in the bin.

I am still considering the bin though.

This is the first time I have encountered this problem, but I have since found out that Dell modify the OS so it seems, and I think this is not helping my plight.

 

[bf0x]

format again in dos instead this time type format c: -u-a. this should take care of it.

 

[wolluf]

now pretty certain its hardware.

if you don't want to junk machine you'll need to troubleshoot the hardware. Common approach is elimination (Dell machine or not). If more than 1 stick memory, try each separately (if 1 stick, get one from elsewhere).

If still problem (ie can't install 98), remove all non-necessary hardware (eg, sound, modem, networks cards, zip drives & CD writers etc). If still problem, swap out graphics card if possible. If still problem, possibly PSU, cpu or mobo. Another avenue is to underclock the cpu (also memory).

If any of the above works (ie, 98 installs), add bits back one at a time - if/when you get probelm, that's a good candidate for source of problem.

 

[PalmStrike]

OK, I got windows 85 to go on there, Thought that an upgrade might do it, but a message says that there is already an operating system on here, and it won't upgrade.

Is there a way round this?

 

[PalmStrike]

Thanks all,

It was wulluf that got the problem solved in this case, I swapped the RAM over like you said, and stripped out all unnecessary hardware, in this case a defunct Modem.

It was not plain sailing, but if your interested, I got messages this time referring to the CMOS, so i removed the BIOS battery, and put it back in, checked all connections within the PC, and it booted up once more, but with a VKD error, One new keyboard later, and I had windows 89 sitting on my desktop. So three Cheers, and Happy St Patricks day.

The fact that I can't get it on the network is by the by, can't get the driver to install, but I should be able to figure that out.

Thanks all for your help, I did actually try everyones ideas, and learnt loads.