WIN98 crash

[pdqcarrera]

Whilst defragging my c:\drive my PC locked up and apparently has disemboweled some of my drivers, config files, etc. It won't boot into safe mode nor will it allow me to reinstal Windows via my WIN98 upgrade disk cuz it apparently isn't overwriting the corrupted files and is still looking for device drivers for devices that are no longer present. I have loaded one by one all the vxd drivers it says it needs but yet it still won't boot. It is trying to initialize device(s) but can't and is giving me windows protection fault shutdown. I've even unplugged every device but the video card from the mobo.

What else is left for me to try? (no suicide ain't an option)

 

[MaxImuMAdVaNtAgE]

i would recommend you boot from a floppy disk, then make any backups you will need of essential data...

you probably read that and thought, "wow, that doesn't sound good..."...you're right, because the only thing left is to reformat your harddrive and start all over again with a clean installation of windows...

MaxImuM

 

[ukDave]

yup. the easiest way is just to wipe the hard disk and start over. Just one of those things i guess. Well, at least you will have a faster system with a fresh install of Windows!

dave

 

[Jeffwo]

Guys, I don't think he will be able to do a fresh install with an upgrade disk, will he?

Just my 2 cents worth.

Jeff

 

[ukDave]

do you have win 95 or something that is full install rather than upgrade?

 

[pdqcarrera]

Yep thanx Dave, that's what it was going to take... whip out the old WIN95 floppies and go from there. But I've decided to screw it all and jump to WIN2K rather than reload WIN98. NOW I've got a whole new set of headaches as WIN2K won't accept a bunch of my hardware.
Gawd this is an awful way to spend hours and hours and hours...

"...they shoot horses don't they?"