reformat problems

[dzr]

I am not good at this kind of stuff but my friend's computer is so messed up with viruses and adware and all sorts of crap and I want to help her out. The only thing really to save it is reformatting the hard drive and reinstalling windows. I have done it before on my computer but was walked throught it by dell tech support. I am at a total loss with hers.

Here's the stuck part (be prepared for ignorant mess!)
I made a startup disk. Restarted the computer. Nothing. So I try to go into the bios and change it to boot from floppy but I can't get in at all. It says "hit Del to enter startup" (or something - def. the "del" part) -- I tried and tried. I tried f1, f2, esc, ctr del.... Nothing.

So being no expert, I pop in the windows 98 cd and restart thinking that might do something. Well it installs windows ok - I tell it to replace the system files... When done it restarts and is the exact same desktop as before but on top of it has the "getting started with windows" window popping up. So that obviously was a stupid thing to do.

I'm sure there's more dumb stuff I tried but right now my brain is frazzled... any help or suggestions would be so so so appreciated!!!

 

[TekTippy4U]

Firstly....do want to "wipe" the HDD, or is there data you want to save?

If you want to do a "clean" (brand new, NO Saved data)...
Fdisk and format first....then install....look here

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;255867

some pic's here

http://www.newlogic.co.uk/kbase/fdisk/page1.htm

If you have an OEM CD(it'll say "for distibution with new computers only&quot...you don't need a floppy

To get into BIOS..if it says hit "del"...than do that ....
Hit the key in 1 second intervals during bootup.......
What brand PC?
Is it a Laptop?
If the PC's a Compaq/HP...they can be nasty/tricky...


TT4U

Notification:
These are just "my" thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions....I try very hard to impart correct info at all times.

 

[KimLeece]

Hi-
Well from what I can understand the system WILL boot from the setup disk? If so at the first screen you should get options to install Windows or start the computer at the DOS prompt or start the computer at the DOS prompt with CDROM support. The last one is what you want. This will not install Windows yet. On the CD - or on the floppy startup disk that you have you should somewhere have format.com format the C: drive. Now go to the install directory on the Windows cd (probably D: unless you have other drives installed) and run setup - this will install a new clean copy of Windows.

Kim.

'Everybody is ignorant - only on different subjects.'
Will Rogers.

 

[dzr]

The computer won't boot from the startup floppy. It does boot from the windows 98 cd (it doesn't say OEM but does say "for distibution with new computers only&quot.

So perhaps I just hit the wrong selection of options when I ran through the install of the 98 cd?? Lord that would be great. I did see the three options - the last being "DOS prompt with CDROM support" which I know I didn't choose - I chose the "install windows".

So for what Kim says - I need to do some dos commands to navigate over to the D drive to run the set up?

 

[dzr]

by the way -- it's a "no name" computer brand - built by a shop in the mall :-
and yes, i do want to wipe everything out and start from scratch.

 

[dzr]

my lord do i feel like an idiot.

if i have the correct oem 98 cd then is that all i need?

the fdisk thing is confusing me.

 

[edfair]

No. The setup off the CD won't wipe out the old desktop. You've been there and done that already.

If it says hit the del key for setup it means the delete key. And if you are using the one on the numeric pad you may need to take numlocks off first.

To truly clean it really off you need the boot floppy , fdisk to remove the partition, then reboot with CD support and move to the CD (d: now) and run setup. It will automatically run fdisk and format for you.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[KimLeece]

Hi-
Well you could fdisk first but I don't think that is strictly neccessary, Check the link that TekTippy 4U gave you for a walk through on that. If you delete the partition with fdisk then be sure to re-create it again before you try to format.
I think the easiest way for you though is this.
Boot from the 98 CD and choose DOS prompt with CDROM support. If you are then left at the C: prompt do the following - this presumes that the CDROM is your D:

Type D: - press enter

You should now have the D: prompt

Type cd win98 - press enter

This brings you to that directory on the cd

type format c: - press enter

at the format warning press y (for yes)

this will format the drive - when it is finished

Type setup

This should give you a clean install.

The only problems that you might have is driver issues with some of the hardware after windows is installed. These should be available on the web or maybe you already have some hardware setup/driver disks. If you get problems here - post back and we'll try to help.

IF you want to go the fdisk route then you will need a copy of fdisk. The easiest way to get that is probably to boot from the 98 CD to the DOS prompt (again WITH CDROM support)

stick a blank formatted floppy in the A: drive

c: - enter (unless you are already there)

cd windows/command - enter

copy fdisk.* a: - enter

a: - enter
fdisk - enter

That should start the program where you first choose the options to delete the partition - then choose the option to create a new DOS primary partition using the maximum size (fdisk will default to this)

Exit fdisk and re-boot

Choose the setup windows option - setup will now format the new partition and install Windows.

Any problems - post back!


Kim.

'Everybody is ignorant - only on different subjects.'
Will Rogers.

 

[dzr]

wow. Thanks for that advice. Very good to know.

No matter what i tried i could not get into the bios. It made me real cranky. What i ended up doing was opening up the box and checking to see the what the brand of the harddrive is. I then went to maxtor.com and downloaded a copy of maxblast 3 -- it worked like a charm! Reinstalled windows no problems until....

i'm trying to hook up the network and of course i can't find the drivers for the network card. Again i opened it up and it's Cyber Solutions model "fb pctel amr" so I tried this :

http://www.modem-drivers.com/drivers/56/56830.htm

but that says the company is PC Tel no Cyber Sol.-- but the model # is the same...??

Sorry to be such an idiot. The good thing is, once i learn this i'll never forget

 

[KimLeece]

Hi-
That looks to me like a modem driver for a modem - not a network card. Rather than keep opening up the computer, run a search for a freeware utility called AIDA32 - this is a system utility which will tell you about all of your hardware. From that you should be able to identify the network card and then look for the correct driver.

Kim.

'Everybody is ignorant - only on different subjects.'
Will Rogers.

 

[dzr]

Holy Cow! You are my new favorite person. What a cool program!

You were completely right about the card (yes, i'm an idiot) so I got the correct drivers for the network card and am online with this machine now - yay!

One last thing and I promise I will go away. The display is terrible. I've got under display properties/settings "Display: (Unknown Monitor) on Standard PCI Graphics Adapter(VGA)" with a screen area of 640/480px.

I used AIDA32 and it says that has a SiS 300 graphics chip so I figure it needs the driver for that instead of the "Standard PCI Graphics..."
I got the driver for sis300 and try to install, it says that the best driver for this is already installed on the system. ???

I'm sure I'm missing some basic understanding of how this stuff works... What I do know is that this screen looks just aweful!

I really am thankful for all the help. I'll be glad to trade some php info ...

 

[KimLeece]

Hi-
You might be able to set it better with standard driver. Right mouse click anywhere in the middle of the desktop - will bring up a menu box - select properties then settings - you can probably increase the colours and the screen resolution.If you can't - you can force a driver install of the SIS300 driver by using the manual - rather than automatic choices - however Windows usually gets the automatic one correct so you might not gain anything from it - or worse - it might not work at all. If you force a driver change and Windows gives a warning that the driver you want to install is not the correct one - cancel the install - or you might end up not being able to see anything at all!!
By the way - what's PHP???

Kim.

'Everybody is ignorant - only on different subjects.'
Will Rogers.

 

[dzr]

the only choices of colors is 2 or 16 and it won't let me change the resolution. i'm starting to get a little cross-eyed.

i think that i tried it both automatic and manually but as i'm obviously not the smartest tech support person - i can't be positive.

i'm a web programmer -- php is the programming language i use - the kind you use for building forums like this (only tek-tips uses cold fusion hence the .cfm on their pages). you can see .php in bunches of other web pages with forms or database stuff.

 

[dzr]

would the fact that it's showing up as an "unkown monitor" in the list? or is this all the graphics card turf?

 

[KimLeece]

Hi-
Well you will have to try the SIS 300 driver. If you downloaded an INF file make sure that you know where it is. If you downloaded a ZIP file - you need to unpack it first. If you downloaded an EXE file - it probably has it's own setup so just run the EXE and follow the onscreen instructions.
For an INF file do the following
Start>Settings>Control Panel>System>Device Manager>Display adapters. Highlight the driver and click on properties, then the driver tab then "update driver". Check the box "Specify the location of the driver" and click next - on the next screen check the box "specify the location" and then use the Browse button to get to wherever you have the SIS 300 driver - once you are there click OK and follow the onscreen intructions making sure that the new (not the old)driver gets loaded. Once you are done you'll need a re-boot - then you should be able to set up the settings as per previous post.

Kim.

'Everybody is ignorant - only on different subjects.'
Will Rogers.

 

[Billymac01]

Hi, If u need to format your hdd again the easiest way is to close down with a restart in dos, type FORMAT C:/S if your hdd is not c drive type in the letter for your drive. Then type in your CD drive letter ie D like D:/win98. Sometimesit will be D:/setup.exe. For your colours you will normally find when all your drivers are installed, one will ask you if you wish to change to 16/32bit just follow the prompt.

 

[edfair]

Sometimes they are self installing executables, sometimes they are self extracting execuatables. Sometimes they create the setup for installing and sometimes they don't.
You may need to go into control panel, display, advanced and change the adapter to the SIS if it is there. Tht capability should have been added with the driver download.
Once on the new adapter you can change the resolution.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[dzr]

well i've tried all that. still only 2 or 16 colors as an option.

i did notice something new ??
in display/properties/settings/advanced/color management
it says
current monitor: (unkown monitor)
default monitor profile: <none>
profiles currently associated with this device - this box is empty

could this be the problem??

 

[KimLeece]

Hi-
I don't think that it is the monitor - it's the card. Can you tell me exactly what AIDA32 says about the card? In particular is it PCI or AGP? Is the driver you have for the correct operating system?
If it is an AGP card there is one here:

http://www.video-drivers.com/drivers/76/76395.htm

This link will take you to drivers.com - you have to log in - use &quot;drivers&quot; for user name and &quot;all&quot; for password. There is a Windows98 driver there that people say works fine.

Kim.

'Everybody is ignorant - only on different subjects.'
Will Rogers.

 

[TekTippy4U]

The monitor thing is only an issue if it's older than say 1996 or so.....most after that will handle 16bit

(unknown monitor) is unimportant concerning your Display Adapter driver
You have to know/figure out if you have a &quot;video card&quot; OR &quot;onboard integrated graphics&quot;....
I checked the internal drivers loaded with Win98 and didn't see SiS listed.....
finding

Check the BIOS also for Video settings...usually it should be PCI, unless your sure it's AGP...though most economical systems say from 1998-2001 are PCI cards, if it is even a &quot;Card&quot;...you may have &quot;integrated video&quot; chip built into mobo...

Here's a link similar to kimleece
you should be able to get an SiS driver here...if not from SiS site(if available)

http://list.driverguide.com/list/company955/index.html

User: Drivers
Pass: All

You may need to set &quot;Prompt for username and password&quot;
to access site.....
In IE Go to Tools>Internet Options>Security Tab>Custom>....scroll way down to User Authentication area

TT4U

Notification:
These are just &quot;my&quot; thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions....I try very hard to impart correct info at all times.