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Author Topic: upgrade windows 98  (Read 11758 times)

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sumosean

    Topic Starter


    Starter

    upgrade windows 98
    « on: August 10, 2008, 09:43:04 AM »
    I am currently trying to up date my old windows 98 machine, so that it can just run wireless internet in my living room. i am tryin to install windows XP on it but it doesnt have enoiugh ram. i ve tried to upgrade the ram from a 32MB card to 125 and 250MB cards, however the computer will not boot unless it has the original 32MB card installed, and will only get as far as the windows load screen before the screen gets all messed up, with ramdom colours and patterns. also when one of the new cards is installed and i get to CMOS, it says the ram on the system has actually gone down!! ive tried everything, please help!!!

    drmsucks



      Specialist

      Re: upgrade windows 98
      « Reply #1 on: August 10, 2008, 10:30:57 AM »
      Please provide more info: http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php/topic,33586.0.html.

      If you just need to connect to a wireless router and your computer has USB ports, something like this may work and you can stay with Win 98 - you may need 98SE.

      http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124126
      If you don't have time to do it right
                      ...when will you have time to do it over?

      sumosean

        Topic Starter


        Starter

        Re: upgrade windows 98
        « Reply #2 on: August 10, 2008, 11:26:09 AM »
        computer stats:-
        CyrixInstead
        6x86MX(tm)
        28MB Ram

        Windows 98 - 4.10.1998

        i have connected the wireless drive, but cannot install it properly becasue the Cd drive doesnt work (another problem)

        when the computer is started with the new ram and get to the windows load screen, it screws up the graphics, and will restart in a rew mins.


        thanks for your help

        drmsucks



          Specialist

          Re: upgrade windows 98
          « Reply #3 on: August 10, 2008, 11:49:43 AM »
          The information available for your system is insufficient for me to be of any help. However, I think that the best option for you would be to re-install Win98 (actually to upgrade to 98SE) and replace the CD drive. Then you can install the drivers for a wireless adapter.

          Best of luck!

          FYI, requirements for Win XP: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314865.

          If you don't have time to do it right
                          ...when will you have time to do it over?

          sumosean

            Topic Starter


            Starter

            Re: upgrade windows 98
            « Reply #4 on: August 10, 2008, 11:55:37 AM »
            what other information do you need? even if i reinstall windows, will that mean i can install the ram?

            Broni


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            Re: upgrade windows 98
            « Reply #5 on: August 10, 2008, 12:03:31 PM »
            Quote
            i am tryin to install windows XP
            I wouldn't even try. It's very old machine.
            As for RAM upgrading, we'd need to know what motherboard you have.

            Try...
            Download, and install Everest: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4181.html
            Open it, click Computer, then Summary.
            In upper menu, go Report>Quick Report-Summary
            Save it in text file, and paste it in your next post.
            Don't include anything under line Debug - PCI

            Due to the age of your computer, Everest may not detect the motherboard, but give it a shot.

            In any case, since you're running Win 98 First Edition, you'll need to do something about it, as drmsucks said.

            sumosean

              Topic Starter


              Starter

              Re: upgrade windows 98
              « Reply #6 on: August 10, 2008, 12:20:44 PM »
              --------[ EVEREST Home Edition (c) 2003-2005 Lavalys, Inc. ]------------------------------------------------------------

                  Version                                           EVEREST v2.20.405
                  Homepage                                          http://www.lavalys.com/
                  Report Type                                       Quick Report
                  Computer                                          COMPUTER 1 (K DUFFY)
                  Generator                                         Duffy Family
                  Operating System                                  Microsoft Windows 98 4.10.1998 (Win98 Retail)
                  Date                                              2008-08-05
                  Time                                              03:55


              --------[ Summary ]-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Computer:
                    Operating System                                  Microsoft Windows 98
                    OS Service Pack                                   -
                    DirectX                                           4.07.00.0700 (DirectX 7.0)
                    Computer Name                                     COMPUTER 1 (K DUFFY)
                    User Name                                         Duffy Family

                  Motherboard:
                    CPU Type                                          Cyrix 6x86MX/MII, 233 MHz PR300
                    Motherboard Name                                  PCChips M571
                    Motherboard Chipset                               SiS 5597
                    System Memory                                     27 MB  (SDRAM)
                    BIOS Type                                         AMI (07/15/95)
                    Communication Port                                Communications Port (COM2)
                    Communication Port                                Communications Port (COM4)
                    Communication Port                                Printer Port (LPT1)

                  Display:
                    Video Adapter                                     SiS 5597/5598  (1 MB)
                    Monitor                                           MBW-SERIAL [NoDB]  (17091)

                  Multimedia:
                    Audio Adapter                                     C-Media CMI8330 Audio Adapter

                  Storage:
                    IDE Controller                                    Primary IDE controller (dual fifo)
                    IDE Controller                                    Secondary IDE controller (dual fifo)
                    IDE Controller                                    SiS 5513 Dual PCI IDE Controller
                    IDE Controller                                    USB Mass Storage Device
                    Floppy Drive                                      GENERIC NEC  FLOPPY DISK
                    Disk Drive                                        Audio Player
                    Disk Drive                                        GENERIC IDE  DISK TYPE47
                    Optical Drive                                     (CD-Rom Drive)
                    Optical Drive                                     ATAPI CDROM
                    SMART Hard Disks Status                           Unknown

                  Partitions:
                    C: (FAT32)                                        2008 MB (133 MB free)

                  Input:
                    Keyboard                                          Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard
                    Mouse                                             Logitech Serial Mouse
                    Mouse                                             PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port

                  Network:
                    Network Adapter                                   PPP Adapter.
                    Modem                                             Conexant HCF 56K Speakerphone PCI Modem

                  Peripherals:
                    Printer                                           Acrobat PDFWriter
                    Printer                                           SHARP JX-9200
                    USB1 Controller                                   OPTi 82C861 FireLink USB Open Host Controller
                    USB Device                                        USB Mass Storage Device

                  Problems & Suggestions:
                    Problem                                           Disk free space is only 7% on drive C:.


              --------[ Overclock ]---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  CPU Properties:
                    CPU Type                                          Cyrix 6x86MX/MII PR300
                    CPUID Revision                                    00000600h

                  CPU Speed:
                    CPU Clock                                         233.80 MHz

                  CPU Cache:
                    L1 Cache                                          64 KB
                    L2 Cache                                          0

                  Motherboard Properties:
                    Motherboard ID                                    51-0831-001437-00101111-071595-M571$00766M571_RELEASE 08/31/1998 S
                    Motherboard Name                                  PCChips M571

                  Chipset Properties:
                    Motherboard Chipset                               SiS 5597
                    Memory Timings                                    3-4-4-?  (CL-RCD-RP-RAS)

                  BIOS Properties:
                    System BIOS Date                                  07/15/95
                    Video BIOS Date                                   Unknown


              --------[ Power Management ]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Power Management Properties:
                    Current Power Source                              AC Line
                    Battery Status                                    No Battery
                    Full Battery Lifetime                             Unknown
                    Remaining Battery Lifetime                        Unknown

              Broni


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              Re: upgrade windows 98
              « Reply #7 on: August 10, 2008, 12:33:19 PM »
              Bookmark this page: http://www.m571.com/m571/
              There is all info about your motherboard.
              It looks like it supports up to 384MB of RAM, but you need to make sure, you install correct type. Read the manual at the above page.
              With 384MB installed, you can nicely upgrade to Windows 2000, very good OS.

              drmsucks



                Specialist

                Re: upgrade windows 98
                « Reply #8 on: August 10, 2008, 10:15:43 PM »
                Great resource in that link, Broni!

                @sumosean: Please note in the Everest report that your processor speed is 233 Mhz; also note from the MS link that I provided that the MINIMUM recommended cpu speed is 233 Mhz and that 300 Mhz is recommended; further, XP min for hard drive space is 1500 MB and your hard drive is 2000 MB. If you go with XP, I'm afraid that you will have a very poor experience.

                Win2000 is a much better fit, as Broni said: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304297.

                Best of luck.

                If you don't have time to do it right
                                ...when will you have time to do it over?

                Broni


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                Re: upgrade windows 98
                « Reply #9 on: August 10, 2008, 10:33:56 PM »
                Thank you :)
                I may be little bit nasty, but at any time someone quotes M$ requirements, I go mad.
                IT'S A LIE! THEY LIE!
                I have Win 2K computer with 450MHz processor, and 384MB of RAM, and it JUST runs fine. I can't even imagine putting XP on it. It won't work.
                I apologize for my outburst :)

                BTW, 233MHz reminds me, when I bought brand new 98 computer with 233MHz processor, and the top speed on the market at that time was 300MHz, so I felt good.
                That darn thing cost me around $2,500....they probably added 20% to the price, because it was all black, and back then they were not black computer on the market.
                ...but I wanted black one...LOL

                drmsucks



                  Specialist

                  Re: upgrade windows 98
                  « Reply #10 on: August 10, 2008, 11:07:22 PM »
                  I may be little bit nasty, but at any time someone quotes M$ requirements, I go mad.
                  IT'S A LIE! THEY LIE!
                  LOL...I thought that you would like that :)

                  You were absolutely right to buy a black computer - they were cool! And, everything else equal, you just knew they were faster!
                  If you don't have time to do it right
                                  ...when will you have time to do it over?

                  Broni


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                  Re: upgrade windows 98
                  « Reply #11 on: August 10, 2008, 11:09:19 PM »
                  But it was Toshiba....the worst tech support, or rather lack of it, I've ever seen...

                  drmsucks



                    Specialist

                    Re: upgrade windows 98
                    « Reply #12 on: August 10, 2008, 11:11:03 PM »
                    With 98 you didn't need tech support - you just needed to re-install every Saturday!
                    If you don't have time to do it right
                                    ...when will you have time to do it over?

                    Broni


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                    Re: upgrade windows 98
                    « Reply #13 on: August 10, 2008, 11:17:42 PM »
                    LOL...
                    Actually, I liked 98. I kept that computer for a long time.
                    I reinstalled, mmmmm, maybe three times....

                    drmsucks



                      Specialist

                      Re: upgrade windows 98
                      « Reply #14 on: August 10, 2008, 11:54:05 PM »
                      LOL...
                      Actually, I liked 98. I kept that computer for a long time.
                      I reinstalled, mmmmm, maybe three times....

                      I loved it and was a late XP user - right before SP2 came out, I think.
                      If you don't have time to do it right
                                      ...when will you have time to do it over?

                      Broni


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                      Re: upgrade windows 98
                      « Reply #15 on: August 11, 2008, 12:01:36 AM »
                      Same here, but I had another one with Win 2K. In fact, I still have it in running condition.

                      drmsucks



                        Specialist

                        Re: upgrade windows 98
                        « Reply #16 on: August 11, 2008, 12:23:27 AM »
                        I saw that you still have 2k running - I skipped that too!

                        Let's see: DOS (I can't remember version when I started, but it was early - had Word 1.0 and two 5-1/4 floppy drives!) - once I got the hang of things, I dumped MS DOS and went with DR DOS, much better; win 3.0; win3.1 (I hated both Windows and stayed with DOS for a long time - had a "task switcher" that would allow me to "multitask" in DOS); Win 95; Win98, then SE; XP; Vista.

                        I think that 98SE was my favorite of all time.
                        If you don't have time to do it right
                                        ...when will you have time to do it over?

                        Broni


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                        Re: upgrade windows 98
                        « Reply #17 on: August 11, 2008, 12:30:29 AM »
                        Quote
                        I think that 98SE was my favorite of all time.
                        Same here, but I have to say, Vista is not bad.

                        drmsucks



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                          Re: upgrade windows 98
                          « Reply #18 on: August 11, 2008, 12:39:21 AM »
                          I agree but I use XP 90% of the time. As soon as I went to 2 GB of RAM, my intense dislike of Vista vanished! XP is still faster on anything that I do, though.
                          If you don't have time to do it right
                                          ...when will you have time to do it over?

                          patio

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                          Re: upgrade windows 98
                          « Reply #19 on: August 14, 2008, 10:16:59 AM »
                          Win 2K Rules....
                          " Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined. "