HELP! Win98 Wont start up

[Nitro]

Hey guys. I am having some serious problems with Windows 98 right now. When I try to turn my computer on everything seems normal at first, but then it runs AVG anti-virus and then a Scan Disk. After that it displays the desktop walpaper but then it freezes! What sould I do? I am also using this monitor for the first time on it... could that be the problem? Thanks ahead of time.

[squirrel]

Possible.  Does it work with another monitor? (borrow one and find out) Does the monitor work with another computer? (borrow one and find out) Are your Virus definitions up to date?

[yourfateissealed]

Do you know how much RAM you have?

[Nito]

Possible.  Does it work with another monitor? (borrow one and find out) Does the monitor work with another computer? (borrow one and find out) Are your Virus definitions up to date?

Im swapping monitors now... waiting for startup

[Nitro]

Do you know how much RAM you have?

Sadly no... this is actually a buddies computer. It is a Dell Dimension V350 Pentium II. I know that there isnt very much RAM

[Nitro]

Well I swapped monitors and the instalation wizard worked fine, but nothing is still showing up on the screen other than the cursor (I think the owner uninstalled the mouse) and the wallpaper. Nothing seems to be working

[squirrel]

On which monitor? the new one or the one you removed? have you plugged your monitor into another computer?

[Nitro]

I dont have the monitor that was originally hooked up to this computer. I have 2 spares at my house. The first, a NEC MultiSync M500. And the second, (the one that is hooked up at this moment and that the instal wizard seemed to work fine on) a Gateway EV500.

[Raptor]

There is no way your monitor could cause such problems.

And there is no way to remove the mouse without Windows redetecting it. It may be disabeled, but this is doubtful.

Can you boot into safemode and scan for viruses, trojan horses and spyware?

[Nitro]

Well, I just got a little more info from the owners. They thought they had a virus so one of them (doesnt know a thing about computer workings, but thinks he has a Masters in Computer Science) started messing around with it. Eventually the mouse was uninstalled somehow and he couldnt figure out what was wrong, as he was making it alot worse.
 So basically I am working with a computer with no mouse and isnt wanting to boot. However, I do have a boot disk. I have started the computer with it in the drive and I am currently at the screen with the A:\> and a blinking cursor... what now?

[Nitro]

Do you know how much RAM you have?

Ok ya... I have 512KB of RAM and it is a 350MHz

[Nitro]

There is no way your monitor could cause such problems.

And there is no way to remove the mouse without Windows redetecting it. It may be disabeled, but this is doubtful.

Can you boot into safemode and scan for viruses, trojan horses and spyware?

I cant seem to get into safe mode

[Nitro]

Ok... im in safe mode, but the mouse still doesnt work. (Ive tried 2)

[squirrel]

does it detect the mouse? do you get a dialog box that says windows didn't find a mouse attached?

[Nitro]

does it detect the mouse? do you get a dialog box that says windows didn't find a mouse attached?

It doesnt say anything, so I guess it must detect it