Help - Winxp 98 broken computer

[Aislin]

When I turn on my computer, it boots, it shows the IBM screen, and then it will go to the Windows XP loading screen. then it will click, and go to the IBM screen, and then go to the Windows XP loading screen, and then click -- over and over and over.

Sometimes it will do that "Choose mode - safe, safe w/ net, normal" etc.

I formatted the drive, hoping that would do it.

When trying to reinstall windows XP, towards the end, it - yep, you guessed it - clicked and started over.

Is my computer broken forever? has anyone else experienced this? can you point me towards a good resource?

Thanks.
~Ais







--------------I am able to install windows. this thread was first about that, but now about my real problem, why I formatted in the first place.------------
UNTIL you see the above message posted again on the second page of the thread, the following is all old information.

I'm begging for help in case Sen doesn't answer/know

Here's the deal -

computer decided to do some loopy thing, so I thought I'd be the hero and go ahead and format it. (when I did the recovery thingy for XP it did the loopy thing anyways and never got done).

anyways -
poof. format.

I HAVE -
A win xp pro and home disk
a windows 98 boot disc
what I think is a windows 98 cd (I entered my key and then it said it couldn't find other microsoft things on the hardrive, and I'm like, no **** son, I kind of formatted it, now install!)

anyways-

i couldn't do anything, so out of desperation I went back to 98 boot disk to try and load the xp cd. hell no.
searched for 98 cd. bing bang, ENTER A KEY - you don't have other microsoft stuff. I don't get it.

My plan is, install 98, and then install xp over it. but 98 won't let me install!!!!

[Aislin]

also - this would be the first time I formatted the computer. I thought it'd be pretty easy, and until now it was.

[thoriphes]

oh, your 98 CD must be an upgrade meaning you'd need a previous version of windows. have you tried installing XP straight?

[Aislin]

I don't know HOW. I'm freaking out.

I don't have an XP floppy, if that's what I need.
--

Thankyu thor, you're the only one that's even looked at this.

[thoriphes]

boot from the XP cd, go to your bios and set your cdrom as first in the boot order. then restart.

[Aislin]

my computer used to go like, big IBM symbolwhen it booted. since I formatted it, it doesn't do that. does that mean the bios is gone?

[thoriphes]

lol, no your bios isn't gone, it's always there as long as your computer has some knack of life, even if it doesn't load the OS. if the bios got deleted or something, you shouldn't even be able to get anything on screen: your computer would be on, but that's it. now, when you turn on your computer, repeatedly hit the Delete key and see if that gets you anywhere, keep going even when it starts beeping. if that didn't work, try Insert. if that didn't work, then F2. good luck!

[Aislin]

thankyou thr guy. you're my hero. HERO.

I will change my footer, avatar, and title accordingly, should this work.

[thoriphes]

:P glad it worked.

[Aislin]

thor please help-

when I boot there's no bios-y thing. I tried F2 AND delete. I dunno what's going on.

and when I boot, and it does the

c:> thing, it says windows 98 a line above it. eeeeeep!!!!

[Aislin]

it didn't work quite yet - I said IF heheh.

(Status pending)

:P

thanks so far, please help more! panic setting in!

[thoriphes]

how about Insert? d'you try that? also, you have to do that as soon as you hit the power button. (well, you gotta wait like a sec or two).

[thoriphes]

are you in the BIOS?

[Aislin]

okay. I'm in a blue screen thing and I think it's bios. there's menus. this is where I am.


omg! I just noticed the IBM screen is back!

[Maxtr0sity]

I did this a couple of times through the whole 98->XP deal, i'm using XP Pro now, since your 98 doesn't work, I'd suggest getting another clean copy somewhere of 98. Once you get that, then you can upgrade to xp. What kind of computer do you have? I know Dells has certian Bios features etc, and different makers are different.

O, nvm, IBM...is there a way to tell us what it says on the Bios screen?

[prstudio]

look for boot order in the bios menus, put win xp cd in drive, lthen select "save and exit" or "exit saving changes"..reboot see if it works

[thoriphes]

yeah, like they said. look for something like "Boot order" or "Boot Devices" or something and look for your CDROM, do anything in your power to make it boot first.

[Aislin]

oh my GOD! it's working [installing]!

I LOVE YOU THOR! and thankyou max and PR!

Edit:

The install failed. see below.

[thoriphes]

another satisfied customer...
*rides off into the sunset*

[Aislin]

****. I'll post again soon about my problem. gotta go to bed for now.

[Aislin]

When I turn on my computer, it boots, it shows the IBM screen, and then it will go to the Windows XP loading screen. then it will click, and go to the IBM screen, and then go to the Windows XP loading screen, and then click -- over and over and over.

Sometimes it will do that "Choose mode - safe, safe w/ net, normal" etc.

I formatted the drive, hoping that would do it.

When trying to reinstall windows XP, towards the end, it - yep, you guessed it - clicked and started over.

Is my computer broken forever? has anyone else experienced this? can you point me towards a good resource?

Thanks.
~Ais

[Niann]

Aislin,

I hate to tell you this, but I think you need a new system board. IBM got a bunch of bad parts, and those parts made it onto a bunch of system boards. No matter what OS you install, when it gets to the point of loading and trying to init the hardware it will reboot. The best thing to do is take the PC to where you purchased it if it is still in warrenty. If it isn't in warrenty give IBM a call to see if your model was affected, and if it is if they will give you an RMA for a new board. I know for a fact that the Netvista 6578s suffer from this problem. We have replaced upwards of 50 system boards here at work because of this problem.

I wish I had better news...

Cheers!
-Niann

[prstudio]

yeah, about to say sounds like something is overheating, maybe the clock battery is dead, something hardware related...

[s-fx]

Try booting up without any extra hardwares like network cards, sound cards, firewire cards, video capture cards. Everything except the graphics card....

Sometimes hardware can get in conflict with each other and choose not to boot up (or even refuse to install an OS on a HDD).
This happened to me once and i just removed all the hardware, when you do it make sure that you are grounded or touched a grounded object, you don't want things to be destroy b/c static electricity :)

[Aislin]

Oh. My. God.

This is awful...

It's been running fine for a year, how can that be Niann?

I got it almost exactly a year ago... running perfect... no new hardware whatsoever.

This could cost me... who knows how much. the warranty is ... over...
oh my god...

got it for my birthday. 2 days from now, may 30th, last year.. what a fantastic present for this year.

[reverendflash]

welcome to the world of computers...

Murphy's law has nothing on the law of Windows...

;)

I agree, contact the manufacturer, although you may have voided all warranties when you formatted the drive...

Revhttp://www.aulman.com/rev.gif

[Maxtr0sity]

hmmm...i'm thinking of retrying out windows 98, whats the problem with 98?

[reverendflash]

besides the eternal crashing and "Blue Screen of Death"?

Revhttp://www.aulman.com/rev.gif

[Maxtr0sity]

yea...what else...?...:)

[Niann]

There may or may not be a recall on this part... Let me do a little digging on IBMs site. It is a problem they are aware of, and the PCs here are about two years old as well... Are you sure it only had a 2 year warrenty? Some PCs have 3 years... It would be worth the call to IBM to find out. (I don't think formatting the drive voids the warrenty. I know it doesn't on the business PCs, but I am not sure about the home use ones.)

Cheers!
-Niann

[Maxtr0sity]

formatting only changes the software part...warrenties only void if hardware is changed meaning something is modified

[Aislin]

here's the deal Niann (and thanks for your input so far. :D):

I bought it just over a year ago (well my dad did, for my B-day)
I got it two days from now
For almost a year, it's been working fine
I called - and Yes, my warranty is done. costs me 35$ for a service call thing, just for them to tell me somethings wrong, no doubt. *sigh* I'm gonna call around, see if any of my friends have run into this. No more hero formatting for me. Lmao.

[Maxtr0sity]

good luck, although i'd find some people around like in local stores that can offer you some advice first.

[Aislin]

That's what I'm in the process of doing. First my friend's older brother, then a couple repair places.
:D

[Niann]

PM me the serial number and the model number, I will call IBM channel support, and ask them if they know if this was a model that could have been part of the faulty system board problem.

Cheers!
-Niann

[Maxtr0sity]

awww....how nice of niann...:)

[Aislin]

thanks a bunch niann. I'll get them after school. lunch hour for moi.

:P

Even at school I'm a kirupaholic. geez.