Windows98 Starts then Blacks Out

[argeey]

Got a PC with Windows 98 SE OS. It starts up, loads a couple of progs into the Sys Tray The mouse pointer goes to egg timer and then the screen blacks out and everything locks up. Only solution is to switch off. PC runs ok in safe mode. I've tried clearing MSconfig files and disabling Win.ini and system.ini but no change. I've removed modem, disconnected CD player and swapped graphics card but nothing changes. How can I establish what the system is loading when the egg timer shows immediately before the system packs in?

 

[wolluf]

Has this problem just started? If so, have you considered reverting to registry from before it started (if one exists) - just choose command/dos prompt from safe mode menu and run scanreg /restore.

Other than that - usual questions - any changes made shortly before it started? (hardware/software)

If it loads in safe mode sounds likely a driver problem. Could try removing what you can in device manager in safe mode, then see if it will boot in normal & rediscover removed items - hopefully reinstalling working drivers (and if not you might find the problem as it installs its driver & then freezes).

Back up and new clean install?

You could try an over the top install (just need to rename win.com if i remember rightly before starting the install) - but if you've installed all the updates since 98 came out this approach can cause problems too.

 

[edfair]

Over the top just requires you to put the existing location of windows files to the same location rather than the one it would normally use.

You could also try going into safe mode and regedit to remove the HKLM ENUM key and let it rebuild the driver set and possibly replace one that has corrupted.

Or the better way, since you can inadvertently get something else corrupted, is to just do a video change to VGA until you can sort out the proper video drivers.

If you want to be able to tell what has upchucked set up your bootmenu (msconfig.sys) to do a bootlog every time, set the delay short enough to not annoy you, then you get a log every time you boot up.



Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[argeey]

Thanks for that it was useful but unfortunately hasn't worked. Like you, I reckon it's drivers but it's not my PC so I don't have its recent history to hand. Tried oldest restore but it failed. Disabled everything that could be disabled in Device Manager but it still froze. Swapped the memory chips just in case. Looks like I'll need to piggyback it into mine and copy the contents across and then do a fresh install. Can't think what else I could try.

 

[edfair]

And what happened with the over-the-top overlay?

The only time I've ever had an unresolvable problem with it was one with memory problems.

But you also need to know that at times it has taken me 4 over the tops in a row to totally resolve buried problems.

And it works a lot better if you do your reinstall from the hard drive itself. So much better that I will not install from the CD directly.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[GrimR]

try holding shift or Ctrl key down when loading.
Here's some strange useless info, I remember a PC I had to repair once, that the modem stopped working. Replaced modem and still did not work, defraged the hdd and everything started working again.
So defrag, scandisk and antivirus.

 

[argeey]

Fdisked the hard drive and reformatted. Carried out a clean install. Removed modem card so nothing in PCI slots.Put in an AGP graphics card.Changed the memory simm card and carried out a fresh install from a different Win98se disk. Problem persists but still ok in safe mode. Now I'm completely cofused. Now formatting another hard drive and starting again. Any help with this would be much appreciated. I'm confused!

 

[argeey]

Found it!!! was looking at the motherboard to see if there were any jumpers to switch off the on board graphics and came across a black capacitor. It's burnt out. I assume it's in the graphics area and that's why it fails in normal mode and is disabled in safe mode. No jumpers available and no difference if I use a graphics card. I guess that's one pc for the bucket. All that work for nothing! Still it was interesting and I'm glad I know why it doesn't work. Thanks for your help guys.