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Setup starts then just points back to Win98 directory

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Righty

IS-IT--Management
May 24, 2001
162
US
I am setting up Win98 on a Compaq Desktop. It is a Pentium II with at least 128 Mg Ram. It has a 6 gig WD hard drive. I fdisked, formatted and copied win98 SE directory from the CD to the C:\win98 dir. I have done this with 2 different Win 98 CDs. When I begin Setup it runs through the quick scandisk screen making sure file strucures and such are ok. I receive "no errors". I hit exit and it goes to teh black screen saying setup is about to continue. Then I get the message copying files to continue setup. Instead of progressing to the first blue setup screen of win98, it just stays on the black screen and brings up C:\win98>. I have run WD diagnostics which come back showing no errors. Any idea why this is happening and how I can get past it?
 
Have you tried installing directly from the CD?
Why are you reinstalling 98? (was there a problem). This could be a hardware issue causing the failure.

PS. If its a compaq - has it got a hidden partition at start of drive (which might be causing the problem)? No compaq restore disk available?
 
Copy to a created directory called WIN98TMP.....all the setup files will then remain there, and setup will create the win98 dir.

Did you make a diretory, from the C prompt first..?
MD Win98tmp

and then switch to D:\ (if D:\ is the cdrom drive)or E:\.....so, from C: CD D: CD Win98
and use this command from D:\win98
Copy *.* C:\win98tmp
then run setup from C:\win98tmp



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.
 
The OS was gone when i received this system and no there is no recovery disk and I completely wiped out the drive and had to run Fdisk.
I always set up the dir C:\win98 and copy the files from the CD win98 to the C:\win 98 dir and run setup from there. I will try though to run setup from the CD to see if it will run that way.
 
When I try to boot from CD it goes trhough Scandisk then to the setup screen where I hit enter to Setup. It proceeds to the black screen where it says "Please wait while setup initializes. Scanning System Reistry... Copying files needed for Windows Setup... Please removed any floppy disk from your drives and press any key to restart your system.

It just keeps doing this over and over if i try to boot from the CD
 
Just as a cross check on Wolluf's suggestion,
does the formatted size of the drive come to the 6 gig?
 
When I go into fdisk it shows as 6150 at 100%
 
I think compaq's may require two setup floppies(OS manager or somesuch)...
I think these are downloadable....
I'll look around to find out more...

May i suggest, starting fresh with a clean wipe, then repartition and format and try to install from CD....(see this thread thread615-710673 if it's an OEM 98 CD)...
Delete whatever partitions in the specific order listed
1 non dos
2 logical dos drives
3 extended dos partition
4 primary active

Create new partitions in reverse order from above...
Set "Boot from CD ROM" in BIOS as "First Boot device"...
If it's an OEM, then the disc will recognize if there are no partitiions and/or unformatted on it's own and will direct you to steps to complete

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.
 
Ok.....
Here's the dealio;
It seems Compaq and HP used to put their System BIOS on a hidden patition at the end of the drive...Also may be "System utilities" and/or "recovery tools" and/or "the 9x CD setup" there as well, that is OEM specific
(it seems when these systems were shipped New, with
No friggin 9x CD given....
Read these links....

Yet, in one of these links, it talks about hitting the "F10" key when the blinking cursor jumps to the upper right hand side of the screen..to access the BIOS/System etc...

Some more info here

I'd be fumin', if this is true
I will never buy a Compaq or HP..

If your so inclined, and NOT sure you even NEED one, but
Compaq recovery CD's (certain models only) for $25 here
BEWARE though...I just noticed, its got an "Https"(for secure) prefix..Yet there's "NO" "Gold Lock" showing in my status bar.....(Odd).....never happened before...

I am blocking their Cookies though, so....I'd check the site certificate and/or use the telephone if you do anything...

My summarization of this whole fiasco by Compaq/HP is
"What a Dump!"


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.
 
Some possible solutions;

Much better explanation here
and even another possible solution/workaround;(didn't finish reading it yet...a bit long, but no doubt informative)




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.
 
One final thought;
Partition Magic may be the way to go here, though there's still the issue of proprietary drivers(OEM specific) for the Hardware and Chips on mobo....
has many, many drivers
username: drivers
password: all

atleast PM can also be used for a whole host of things....and it's a great tool anyway

I-yai-yai!!!!
sheeeeeesh!!!

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.
 
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