$20 for you if you fix my problem! Please Help!

[thefish8]

I will send a check for $20 to the person that gives me the cure for my problem. Either you tell me how to fix my computer or you tell me the part that is bad. I will send you the money, I have positive feedback on ebay that you could look up if that counts as any proof.

Here is the problem:

I have been posting messages over the past 2 weeks explaining why my computer doesn't work. I can't install any OS and I have been trying to install 98 and XP. When I try to install 98 the computer initializes, runs the scandisk, says initializing installation and copying files and then returns me to the c:\ prompt. When I try XP it says setupdd.sys could not be loaded, error code 7. I have no idea whats wrong or what to do.

I had a new hard drive sent to me from WD and I get the same results so it isn't a hard drive issue. Although, at the c:\ when I type "dir" I get a message saying No Files Found. This is after I have run fdisk and formatted the drive. I thought this was very strange.

Here is things I have tried:

1. I have tried using a different IDE cable.
2. I have tried both ROM drives.
3. I have tried the barebones of my hardware.
4. I was advised to copy the 98 cd but that was no good.

I know the cd's I'm using work. The computer was originally working but it crashed and I decided to reformat it. I really will send you $20 if you can nail the problem. I will also glady appreciate any advice you can give me.

Here is my system:
AMD Athlon XP 1800
MSI K7T pro-RU mobo
20 gig WD Hard Drive
MSI geforce2 mx vid card
256mb DDRAM
Toshiba DVD
80 pin IDE cables
TDK 16x Burner

 

[GiGoLo]

<< at the c:\ when I type "dir" I get a message saying No Files Found >>



there's nothing weird about that message. if you just formatted the c drive, then there would be no files at all (unless you did format /s which would copy system files).

anyway, i had a similar problem on an older machine. i ended up checking 2 things, but i dont remember which one it was. it was either one of my ram sticks was bad, or it was because my system was overclocked. i can't remember which i tried, but it fixed the problem. if you have an extra mem stick, swap it out to test with, and if your system is overclocked, set it back to default

hope this helps

 

[KingCheeba]

Try flashing your BIOS. Then try and load Windows XP

Good luck!

 

[musixian]

I agree, it's probably a ram problem. Try getting down to one stick, if you have more than that in. If you already have one in, go pick up a stick of at least 128mb (Kingston if possible) from your local shop and test it then. Haven't checked recently, but prices should still be real low. No matter what happens, you'll be happier with the extra headroom in the long run.

 

[BarnyardMonkey]

You may also want to check that your Bios has the "Virus Setting" disabled.

have had alot of problems similiar to this when the Bios "Virus Setting" was enabled.then after Disable it would install fine.

if not that,check Ram,CPU Temp,IDE Cable.

and lasty it could be your Bios.
try updating to the latest version.


Good Luck.



Shawn.

 

[AnthraX101]

Yeah, I would say most likely a RAM problem, then possibly a HDC problem. Finaly, it might be a power problem.

Armani

 

[clumsum]

Reset the mb cmos (short the pins w/a jumper) first disconnect the power cable (20-pin) from the mainboard and you can also replace the cmos mb battery with a new one (they are cheap).
Return the cmos jumper to the default setting and reconnect the power cable, boot and enter setup, reset correct date & time, restore normal settings to bios, boot normally and load os.

It's worth a try, worked for me more than once...........
Good luck.

 

[Mingon]

Check the memory voltage is set correctly had a little problem like that a while ago

 

[chaswood]

<< at the c:\ when I type "dir" I get a message saying No Files Found. This is after I have run fdisk and formatted the drive >>



Couple of stabs in the dark. I assume that you booted from floppy to get the c: prompt, since there are no system files on the drive. Can you write to the drive at this point? From the c: prompt try typing:

dir >tempdir
type tempdir

If this created a file and then let you view it, then at least you know you can write to the drive. If not, then you probably have a controller or other hardware problem.

How big is your primary DOS partition? In other words, after you type "dir" how many bytes are shown free? Same question when 98 installation bombs after it starts copying files.

 

[Superwormy]

This is what I would reccomend:

Get the latest BIOS stuff, flash the BIOS to the latest, reset all settings to default settings

Pull the hard drive out, put it in another working computer that is running WINDOWS 98 SE OR FIRST EDITION, reboot to a DOS prompt

Format the HD, when you format type:
format /?

Theres an option to include system files on the disk, use that one, that will allow you to boot from that HD with no real operating system files installed.

Restart after the format with the system files option, copy all of the files in the win98 directory from the Windows 98 CD-ROM to the freshly formatted HD

Pull the HD, put it back in the non-working computer, boot it up. You SHOULD get a message that says somethign to the sort of 'Windows 98 bla bla bla' and then get a DOS C:\ prompt, from there type:

cd win98

then type:

setup (think not sure on that, whatever the Win98 install.exe file is called)

and install Win98, later upgrade to XP if ya want.




Oh also, if you get a message saying somethign about the HD has been locked... just type 'lock' at the C:\ prompt that'll fix it, also if ya get a message saying ' No Operating System Installed ' or ' Inaccessable Boot Device ' or ' I / O Error ' or something like that when boot up, try using Fdisk (ie put HD back in WORKIGN computer and type fdisk at dos prompt, and set the HD as bootable and active... I think

That shoudl allow you to install Windows 98 from a clean HD without having to boot off the CD-ROM drive, I'm willing to bet that your CD-ROM is the problem, I've had similar problems myself.