win98 setup won't start

[promsan]

Is that the same as the normal W98 boot floppy - I've got that one... I was going to run FDisk and Format it again with that, rather than the XPPro disc.

[promsan]

why's that message with download been deleted?

[Raptor]

Let me guess: Merlin posted a message and removed it.

Don't worry, you'll get used to it.

[Mac]

Maybe your BIOS doesn't support booting from the CD. Some older BIOS's won't allow for this.

If there isn't an update for your BIOS you can use this BIOS BOOTDISK

See also: RE-INSTALLING WINDOWS 98

[promsan]

Well it must do... as I mentioned, I installed Win98 normally the day before all this happened...

(actually from pressing F3 on those blue setup screens; going to "D:/WIN98>" and typing setup; no problem)

...but this time... nowt.

I'm going to follow previous advice in this thread to do Fdisk and Format with the boot floppy and see how that goes (..just need to wait for the nipper to get tucked in to bed!)

- - -

It's a bit disconcerting to be offered a download, then for that post to suddenly vanish after you've downloaded it... makes you panic!

[Raptor]

It's a bit disconcerting to be offered a download, then for that post to suddenly vanish after you've downloaded it... makes you panic!

You've probably got Merlin to thank for that.

[promsan]

Right,

I've just tried booting up the pc in question after setting "Floppy" as the only boot thing in the BIOS, and this is what I got:

Verifing DMI Pool Data...

Microsoft(R) Windows 98
(C)Copyright Microsoft Corp 1981-1999.

C:/>

(incidentally, there was no floppy disc activity. I opened up the case and checked connections... no obvious problem; in fact I know it's fine, because it worked before this problem, and hasn't changed since.)

I type "A/:"; press enter, and I get this:

General failure reading drive E
Abort, Retry, Fail?

What's Drive E?! I've only got one HDD and one CD drive!

More to the point, I've already repartioned and formatted this HDD - where's it getting this Windows stuff from?!

Is it something to do with the registry?
I mean, there must be some residual data somewhere that was unaffected by the FDisk and Format activity.
I don't get it! (and I'm not new to installing Windows, I got this disc in '98, and I've never experienced anything like this before).

Does anyone?

(p.s. - I've only got one monitor and one mouse, hence the delay in doing things.)

[promsan]

I've just been reading Mac's link:

There are basically two ways to format a primary partition, you can either make it bootable by copying system files and making the drive bootable. (this is only for your active primary, when you set it active FDISK writes the boot program to the Master Boot Record MBR), or you can let the operating system installation take care of that. I generally just let Windows setup handle that, for a super clean install. To do this, type from the A: prompt while booted with your startup disk:

Not bootable: FORMAT C:
Make bootable: FORMAT C: /S

I know how to use FDisk, no problem... what's new is that I don't think I've ever done "Format c: /s" before.
I'm beginning to wonder whether I should reformat without the "/s", and let the Win98 disc do it - if it will.
I know I've done this before, but it's so long ago - at least three years - that it's a hazy memory...

...the "/s" might explain why I'm getting this "Windows" stuff when I boot up (as quoted above).

[promsan]

Right,

I just tried a reformat like this "format c:" (without the "/s"), and I managed to get to the pretty setup screens.
I did a typical setup, and then when it did the restart - booting from hard disk - it shutdown/restarted on the WIN98 splash screen.

I rebooted and was able to select "start in safe mode"; but no joy, instead I got the following error message:

While initializing device VCACHE
Windows protection error. You need to restart your computer.

So I did (following same steps as above, selecting safe mode), and I got this:

Windows protection error.
Press any key.

I reformatted with "/s" and ran it again; stopped dead on the DOS screen just before the pretty setup screen, as before.

Reformatted again without "/s", and the same as above.

Dead end, apparently.

One thing I do notice is that the floppy is doing nothing, even when I insert the Microsoft bootdisk and select boot from floppy (in any combination) in BIOS. It looks to be plugged in alright, but there appears to be no power; or no activity at any rate.

This is weird.

Of course I'll google, but I can't seem to work this one out... it's beginning to look like I'll have to get new HDD.