strange boot problems

[Guest_imported]

I just started a job at a local school and really want to make a good impression but this pc they asked to fix has me puzzled. When I got to it it would freeze at the Windows 98 screen and any attempt to start in safe mode was futile. I checked, reformatted, and reloaded windows on the hD using another PC and booted sucessfully on the 2nd machine. Still the same problem on the original PC. reset bios w/ jumper, set settings for setup in CMOS, swapped memory, video, etc. When I tried to flash the bios with the utility from the MB maker website it threw an error. The motherboard is a PCCHIPS M748 AMI Bios Baby AT. Do you think the MB is fried? I was even going to buy a MB on my own and replace it but I can't find many baby at boards. I really need this job because work is hard to find here in SC. Any help would be appreciated. Also, I finally got to the safe mode screen and it locks up on both safe mode and step by step but doesn't always lock at the same place.

 

[tlcscousin]

Try fdisk /mbr to wipe the master boot record. It is possible the master boot record is corrupt. No matter how many formats are done, the master boot record is not wiped out. It sounds like you have tried all sorts of other stuff, wiping out the mbr which is rebuilt on the next boot should fix it. I would myself format the drive and then fdisk the mbr and then clean install the OS.
Make sure of course that you do have a boot disk that has a working cd-rom setup.

 

[bgauntt]

To take shovel204's suggestion even further, you may want to go ahead and debug the drive which also wipes out the master boot record but performs much more. If you look in the FAQ's for this forum under the virus topic you will find the instructions for debugging a hard drive. I do this to all hard drives when all else fails and have had good results.

 

[Guest_imported]

Hi bgauntt,

When you say debugging, do you mean to say low-level
formatting utility that we used to have say some 5-10 years
ago within the bios setup menu??

 

[bgauntt]

Yes it is low-level formatting and I know it is not normally recommended, but I have used it many times if I feel that I need to reformat and wipe out the MBR anyway.

 

[Snipeatwrk]

Make sure all expansion cards are seated properly. Also memory modules. Could also be a bad power supply.

 

[Guest_imported]

In a never ending effort to rid my computer of unnecessary things, last night I deleted easykeys - which I read was for handicap user enhancements. Now my computer won't boot and says that it needs easykeys to run windows. Windows safe mode won't run so I can't get into the recycle bin to bring back easykeys. I can access dos. I did this and looked at the system.ini and config.sys, etc which all come up blank. I'd appreciate some help - I guess I got a little reckless in my cleaning.