can't fix c_437 in recovery console

Hi my XP computer started rebooting in a loop, unable to start windows. The first time it hapend I got this message: '\windows\system32\c_437.nls is corrupt...press 'r' during first screen to repair'. After some googling other peoples threads I figured out how to set the boot order to read the XP disk first, get to windows setup and enter the recovery console.

I had so many Tabs open while researching this I forgot where I read it but once I got the prompt in the recovery console I was supposed to type: 'Copy c:\i386\c_147.nls c:\windows\system32\' I typed that and it said 'access denied' ?

So any ideas on what else I'm supposed to type at this prompt to fix this file?

 

Try

Code:

expand d:\i386\c_437.nl_ c:\windows\system32\

That is assuming that xp is installed to the 'C' drive and your CD/DVD is 'D' drive.

 

Hi Robert,

_nullptr is correct on the line to expand that file.

I just want to suggest that your original error could be from a corrupt filesystem and that the file is actually already there. I think I would run a chkdsk /r at your command prompt and try to start Windows before I replaced any files.

Just for information purposes there are limitations as to which folders Recovery Console can access on your HD. The I386 one is not in the list. You can access the copy of that folder on the CD as _nulptr pointed out.

 

uh--oh..there's two cd drive on the pc, I'm kind of broke, I got it second at a garage sale,
it's an old XP. The top cd writer works...there's another cd drive though....how do I know what the the proper letters are? Is there anyway to check in the recovery console?

 

I'd still do the chkdsk first.

But you can just experiment to find the drive letter. Changing drive letters at the command prompt is just type the letter with a colon and hit enter. If your prompt changes to that letter then it exists. You then do a dir command to see what files/folders are available. I believe a Windows installation CD will have a setup file in the list so if you find that then it is probably the CD drive and you can use that letter.

So you would try:

d:
dir

e:
dir

See if one of them has both a setup file and i386 folder. And use that letter in the command in place of d:

Edit: I found this video that is pretty good. One thing it mentioned is there is a command map that should tell you the drive letter for the CDROM more easily.

 

Ok I found the drive right letters and performed the expanded file command and the chksdsk \r . During the scan it got to 51% and then said this:

"The volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems."

Even worse the computer seems to reboot even sooner during start-up than before the scan

So does this mean I'm screwed as far getting windows back without erasing my files?
Does this mean I won't get windows back...at all? Is the hard drive just dead or something?

Also before I went into the recovery console there was an option to 'setup XP'
I take it that's what I need to do to re-install Windows? And that would over write everything? Just wondering what my next option is.

 

I would run the chkdsk /r scan again.

Does the error message still reference the c_437.nls file?

If it doesn't reference that file then I would definitely run the chkdsk again. When the error message changes from one file to another then that is due to corruption. Repeat the chkdsk to see if when finished and you reboot normally you get a different file causing the problem.

You don't have to reinstall yet, and there are ways of saving important personal documents but I think you should figure out if chkdsk cannot fix problems first.

After running chkdsk again you could try F8 at startup to see if you can get to SafeMode options and try Last Known Good Configuration.

 

@sach2 ok little New Year's break..

Recap: so I was trying to properly run chkdsk /r in recovery console after getting the corrupt c_437.nls message on start up. The first time it only made it to 51% and said there were "one or more unrecoverable errors on this volume"

I tried chksdk again several time, First it made to to 75%, then 25% twice, then I tried it one last time and when I came back to the PC it said: "found and fixed one or more errors on the volume" with a bunch of usual data on volume and bytes available and all that. I couldn't monitor the process the whole time so I couldn't see if it made it to 100% and it didn't give me a number once it finished like the other times. It didn't mention any specific file. Also...it said the volume was created in 2004.

Then I rebooted hopping it was fixed and it went back to rebooting after the initial screen of text on start up...I should mention that BEFORE I went into chkdsk the first time it would make it riiiiight up to windows about to load up: I would see the windows logo for a bit , the screen would go black then blue for a split second before rebooting. Now it happens a few seconds after I see the "press DEL to enter setup" at the very start. So maybe I screwed the the start up some other way?

I managed to get to the advanced options by pressing F8 and choose both safe mode and Last known good configuration and in both options it was like as soon as I pressed enter the system rebooted again.

Is there anything else I could try? Should I just run chkdsk again and again?
Is there anything else I could do at the other options in the F8 menu that I could do?
I that the end of the road as far as getting my data back before re-instal?

 

Hi,

Let me think about it in case I'm missing something. I'll get back to it tomorrow.

I think booting a live Linux CD/USB should still get you access to (most of) your files in order to copy them to flash drive or external HD.

It sounds like something is seriously wrong with the HD. If chkdsk hasn't been able complete after several times it isn't going to complete. After you get your files you could format the drive and try a reinstall but it might be wiser to just get a new HD. If you do want to try to reuse the drive then you would want to run a the manufacturer's HD diagnostic on it to see what kind of shape it says it is in. http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

 

@sach2

so if you don't have any other ideas on this..what did you mean by booting a live linux CD?

Do you have more details on what you meant by that for me to go search on ?
Or maybe a link?

I'll have to figure that all out from scratch...the thing is I save all my files on an external hard drive EXCEPT for all my bookmarks, I forgot about those. And I'm a compulsive bookmarker so I still feel like I've lost alot.

 

Sorry I didn't get back to you.

This is a very detailed guide http://www.winhelp.us/index.php/other/recover-files-using-puppy-linux.html

It looks like a lot of work but it is mostly just pictures. Will you be using a CD or USB (if your unsure if your computer will boot from USB you will want to use a CD)? Do you have a CD burning software that can burn an ISO file? I can give you a short version of the basic steps.

 

I didn't see 'USB' in the boot order in the BIOS page but is there any way I can check? Could I put a USB stick in the PC and then see if it shows up in in the setup?

'Cause I have tons USB stick I could use that would be more conveinient then the CD.

If I have to I can use a friends computer and burn to disk yes but then I'll take a few days getting all that done before coming back with how it went.

 

Yes, I think if you insert a USB stick and then restart it should show up in BIOS as a boot option.

If not read your initial splash screen when restarting the computer and see if it mentions something about a key to get to a boot menu. Sometimes the boot menu includes items not seen in the BIOS boot order. For Dells and Toshiba it is F12, I think Asus is F8. Try entering the Boot Menu if it is available during the splash screen.

If you give the make and model number of the computer we can try to figure out if it can boot from USB and what the key is to get to the boot menu.

 

@shachs2 My computer model is a SONA computer LR110582 Model number: AP4VP-MY. If that helps you find the 'Boot Menu' key.

I booted with a USB in and it did not show up in the boot order, If you have any way of getting to this 'boot menu' if that's something different then I can still try that.

I was reading the Puppy Linux link you gave me, it has a disk check function, would that have any chance of fixing anything Windows chkdsk couldn't?

also my dying hard drive is PM-Maxtor 6E040L0.

@plodr This is not the same PC as in my earliest threads I got it second hand at a garage sale. The sticker on the back says XP, but the stack of disks and books that came with it includes a 98 booklet but no 98 disk. It does have the XP home edtion disk though. So unless the 98 sticker was removed I THINK this was originally a XP machine...I just wouldn't know for sure.

 

I couldn't find anything about a Sona with either of those model numbers.

Does the Setup screen not mention an option for a boot menu?

All I can say is try F10, F11 and F12 during the original splash screen you see when starting the computer. Other than that I think burning a CD is your best choice.

The CD has to be burnt as an image file rather than as data. Imgburn can do that using the "Write Image File to Disc" option.

*****
I have never tried that chkdsk alternative. I really doubt that HD is salvageable. Once you get your data backed up then you could do a low-level format using Seatools and reinstall XP but it will be hit or miss how long before it becomes corrupted.

 

Alright I got Pupy Linux running off a Cd and am now saving my files!

Thank you for that link. In that link there's a another one about "www.winhelp.us Data Recovery CD/USB", I'm going to try that to run chkdsk from a more stable platform...if that makes sense.

I've never been in Linux before it seems pretty stable...is this like a whole operating system loaded up on my system now????

Ok I know nothing about Seagate but I'm wondering how I should go about using it? I've done some minor searching but thought I should ask before I go down the wrong path,
could I load it up in Pupy linux or should I use use Seatools for DOS:

http://knowledge.seagate.com/articles/en_US/FAQ/201271en
Now that I've gotten my feet wet with this whole booting from an ios image thing I could do it from dos put the proper windows-interface version looks alot more user friendly.

thanks again for any help.

P.S
Has this thread gone too long? Should I start up another thread for the Seagate part or does it not make a difference? They used to be touchy about that.

 

Hi,

No problem continuing this thread as it all relates to your HD. I'll take a look at those two discs tonight. The Seagate Tools for DOS does look rather old fashioned but I think the CD is the way to go. (I use almost all WD drives so I am unfamiliar with SeaTools but will burn a CD to take a look.) I don't think it can be run from Puppy.

The Winhelp disc, I haven't looked at for a couple of years but will try that from USB also to see if it has any advantages.

I'll post back tonight, early evening if possible.

 

I just looked at SeaTools for DOS and its interface is updated from those screenshots. It looks much like the Windows version. The problem I had with it is that it did not give an Erase function. The Help section says that it should be available for Seagate/Maxtor drives but I was testing on an old Maxtor drive and it was not an option.

I'll look at the old Maxtor software and get back to you.

I read the information about the winhelp disc and remember that I did try it. It doesn't seem to have any real advantages for your situation. I think I would skip that one. Its version of chkdsk will do no more than your recovery console.

 

K...just so you know I'm only looking at 'Seatools' 'cause you said I could do a 'low level' format with it in the previous post so I thought that's what you were familiar with. If there is anything better to use to wipe the drive before trying to re-instal windows I'll just go with that.

 

Seagate bought Maxtor several years ago and their SeaTools software is supposed to work with Maxtor drives and give an Erase(low-level format) option but in my test on the only Maxtor drive I could find it did not give that option. I do not know why because it recognized it as a Maxtor drive.

I think the Maxtor software should be fine. It is copyright 2006 and a 40gb drive like yours should have been manufactured before then. I tested the PowerMax 4.23 bootable CD version from here.

The interface is old but workable. Just read the screens. I would run the Short and Long (extended) tests. The long test should attempt to recertify(repair errors) the drive. If that succeeds you could try running a chkdsk (from recovery console) on the drive one more time to see if it would complete and if XP is salvagable.

If it fails then there is the low-level format option to erase the drive. That will put it in the best condition possible to do a fresh install.

 

I ran the long test in Maxtor and it says the drive needs to be replaced, well at least I know
for sure.

I'm going to try and get pupy linux online 'cause that seemed to work just fine, and use that until it dies...then I'll wipe the drive and take to the recycler and find a replacement.

Thanks for all the tests and help.

 

I was pretty sure the drive was bad.

I hope you understand that Puppy is running straight off the CD and will work even with no HD installed. There are other Linux that will run the same way. Many have gone over the 700mb limit of a CD but if you have a DVD burner there are plenty to choose from that would have more programs such as an Office suite for word processing. Or I could look around for one that is still 699mb.

As far as the HD if you have copied everything you want from it to an external storage device you could still do the low level format. The drive won't be entirely reliable but I often use questionable drives for storage and they seem to work fine for that purpose for quite some time. (That is why I have an old Maxtor around to test.)

The problem with using a bad HD for an OS is that there are so many tiny files that are needed to run an OS. A single bad file can cause the whole OS to not work, it is just bad luck that it is stored or moved to an area that has gone bad.

One thought is that if you have transferred all the files you need from that HD to an external storage device then you could go ahead and do the low-level format of the drive which will overwrite everything on the drive and mark any bad areas.

Then you could create a 10gb partition. This partition would just be used as a place holder to take up space at the beginning of the drive which is probably in the worst shape. Then you could install XP and let it take over the 30gb of unallocated space during install. That would give you a fresh XP installation on probably less damaged area of the HD. It may go bad or it may work for quite a while. It is just a last ditch option that may be worth a try if you have the time to spend or can't get comfortable with Linux.

***
As far as Puppy online does the Browse icon on the desktop take you to an internet browser? Or are you sure you are not connected to the internet with Puppy?

 

When I first get on pupy it tries walking me through the steps to configure my online, it asks if I want to put in windows drivers or go with the "etho"option which I choose and then it asks some other stuff and does a test and says the test was successful and then when I click on the browser this big red square comes up with an X on it saying I'm not connected to the internet....I'd have to go back in and write everything down to come back with if you need that to know what's wrong.

...yeah I'm up for trying to get XP working off a partition if you are! I'll need to do it step by step like every thing else. Would I start by doing the low level format with the maxtador boot cd?

I'm a little confused though, how can I still run Pupy off the boot disk
if the hard drive is wiped or not working? What about all that text that comes up when you boot up, like to get into the boot setup and everything....isn't that coming from the hard drive also? 'Cause if I have to choose one i'll try to get online on pupy first.

One last thing...does getting online through Pupylinux limit the performance of firefox if it's not working out of Windows? Like does it have equal access to the ram and uh..processor and everything?

 

I don't know what is up with your internet. When I start Puppy it automatically connects me to the internet. I just close that configuration box with no changes. Then I hit Browse and it asks me which browser to download. I've never had to configure anything. I'll take another look at that configuration box to see if it may be messing something up. One thing I wanted to mention about running Puppy from Cd is that it won't save any settings. Each time you startup you have to start all over again. I think I vaguely remember there is a way to boot from a CD and point it to a linux distro on USB which would allow you to save settings like bookmarks and such. I'll take a look around for that if I get a chance.

Puppy is running off the CD in RAM, so it does not need a HD. You could unplug your HD and it will still run just the same. The main problem with running from CD is that everything disappears when you shutdown. So no downloads or newly installed programs the next time you boot up. Live CDs are great for access to your files on a HD or to get on the internet but not really an alternative as your only OS. Live USB allows you to save setting which is a big improvement but if your PC doesn't boot from USB unless there is a way to boot from CD to point to USB then that isn't an option.

As far as installing WinXP again, if you have the files you need off your HD then the low level format is the first step. Then from Puppy you would start Gparted. I think it is under the Start menu then System and then Gparted.

In the top right corner it should say /dev/sda that means your HD.
The HD should be empty and showing as unallocated. So right=click the unallocated space and choose to Create a new partition. I think it is safest to make it 18gb (18000mb), that will cover up the most used parts of the HD and still leave plenty of room for XP (you can adjust smaller if you prefer). After you are done installing XP you can format this large partition and use it for data so it won't be wasted.
For the "Create As" box you want primary.
For the "File System" use Ext4 (this will make XP installation ignore it).
Then hit Apply in the main window.
That should give you a new partition and leave you with about 20gb of unallocated space. Then you can boot to the XP installation disc and tell it to install to the unallocated space which I believe is the default. See how the installation goes.

gparted pic: http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/3343/gparted1.png

 

Here is a pretty good guide for gparted that covers all possible scenarios on a low-level formatted disk. You probably don't have to initialize so you can skip step 2. Use my particulars such as /dev/sda as your device (the "a" in sda is the important part as that means the first HD. (sdb, sdc, sdd are things like second HD or CDROM or USB devices.)

 

ok I created a 20gb partion on the drive , then installed XP to the unallocated area, during setup it said 'have to reboot computer and setup will continue' and then it rebooted and it was still set to bott from CD so it went straight to 'press any key to boot from cd' and I did and then it said 'error loading operating system' then I went into BIOS set to boot from the drive and then rebooted and it just goes 'error loading OS' . So sould I try and set up again?

Did I do anything wrong? I had to set a partion table in gparted before I could set the partion. Also there where three boxs on the left side of the gparted window where it said amount of the partion and amount after and amount preceeding where I wasn't sure which box, I put 20mb in the middle one if that's right? and 1 in the preceeding part. The second post you gave me last night, I think it's missing a link.

So does that mean this drive is just a lost cause?

Getting on line with Pupy:

I go through "conection wizard' --> Wired setup--> test etho --> Confiure Netwrok interface--> "Pupy was able to find a live network proceed with aquiring IP adress"
auto dhcp> NETWORK configuration SUCESSFUL < THEN WHEN i click on the browser it < my key board has ****ed up on me now< sayd please conect to the internet< so i don"t know where it has gone wrong<

i coud go with static ip adress but i have no idea whqt htat means or if my isp uses that< i:m used to just putting in my username and password for my isp but i can"t find where to put that>>>>k i need to reboot now "cause something goin gwrong with my keyboard now! thanks for help> sorry about this mess post

 

The setup should go you boot from CD and then press any key when prompted. It reboots after copying files and this time you ignore the hit any key message and it should go ahead and boot from the HD.

I'd set your BIOS back to CD first and then try the setup again.

****
I did find the program that allows a computer to boot to CD and then choose to boot from USB. If you still have an extra CD you could burn that ISO and try a different linux from USB drive. As far as I know it should be automatic. You use broadband and an ethernet cable? 5.0.14 the ISO is in the zip file. http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager/download.html

 

ok I tried to instal XP again and got the same same error message. I think I'm giving up on this hard drive. I know this cuts into hardware territory, if it's ok to ask that in the software area...but can I just put a new hard drive in? My only concern with that is it's an old machine, I don't know how different hard drives get over time, as far as their power consumption and every thing...'Cause I just wouldn't want any thing that pulls any more juice off the mother board than the original or taxes the system in any way. Maxtor 6E040L. Just tell me if I should re-post this in hardware.
**************

I'm a little confused what you meant by 'try a different linux that loads off USB'...Is the link you gave me for CD that I should use first? And then through that to boot from USB? 'Cause I don't know what program to boot from USB, unless your refering to the other link in the pupy linux page. Confused on that paragraph. Yes I use broadband and ethernet cable....normaly I imput my username and password to connect to my IPS and Windows does the rest..the linux setup doesn't offer that. But does ask me if I want to load windows drivers or modules...should I try that? 'Cause I don't know how the Windows drivers would instal in Linux...that through me for a loop.

 

It is probably best to just ditch the drive. It will be unreliable. You can replace it with any 3.5" IDE HD (They are getting scarce but still available--so fewer choices than SATA drives which are most common now.). There is no limitation on the size of the drive and a larger one won't draw more power. I think IDE drives top out at 500g. When comparing drives you want to look for 7200 RPM rather than 5400 RPM as access will be faster(and the difference is noticeable even when you aren't paying attention). You also want the biggest cache size available probably a difference between 8mb or 16mb.

That still doesn't explain why it gives the no OS message. The install should go you boot from CD and hit a key. It writes file to the HD that allow it to boot from HD. Then it boots from HD rather than CD and completes the installation accessing the CD as necessary. Whether the HD has problems or not during the reboot from HD it should have at least started and then thrown up an error about a missing file. It seems it didn't write the basic boot files correctly. I don't blame you for not wanting to waste any more time.

***
The idea on the Linux USB is that perhaps a different Linux version would be less troublesome. Puppy should have booted to the desktop and given you full internet access automatically with a wired ethernet cable. (I have never had to configure anything for internet access on several computers with Puppy.) I have had problems with specific Linux versions booting on different computers. The easiest way around this is to try different versions. Using a USB saves you from writing CDs with versions of Linux that don't work.

Since your computer doesn't appear to be able to boot from USB (no option in BIOS and we can't get to a Boot Menu) then the PLOP ISO that I linked to might be an option (Here is the basic idea and I tried it on an old computer and it worked for me http://www.pendrivelinux.com/boot-from-usb-without-bios-support-via-plop-cd/). You burn that to a CD and then boot to the CD. It should read any USB sticks attached to the computer and if it finds an Linux USB it will offer to boot from that. So it would be a work-around to get your computer to boot from a Linux USB and you could try several versions. Also running from USB allows you to save settings in between boot which is impossible from CD.

The program I like to write a Linux ISO to USB is Lili which is here. It is fairly straightforward. I prefer to download the linux distro separately as an ISO then use the program to put it on USB.

Step 1. Choose your USB stick.
Step 2. Choose the ISO you previously downloaded.
Step 3. Pick a size for Persistence which is the ability to save settings (rough estimates would be 500mb (for a 2-4gb stick) or 2gb(for a stick larger than 4gb stick).
Step 4. Tick first two boxes and untick the third.
Step 5. Hit the lightening bolt to write the stick.

If you have a 2gb or larger USB then download Linux Mint ISO (Mate 32bit) version and use Lili to put it on USB. Then use the PLOP CD to boot your computer with the USB already attached. It should offer to boot from USB and you can see if Mint will automatically connect you to the internet. Mint should be the least troublesome linux version. If it doesn't automatically detect your internet settings then it may be something more complicated.

 

I was just looking at finding IDE drives and you might consider EBay for a reasonably priced one. They really are getting scarce and since you don't need a huge capacity having used a 40gb drive it may be easier to find one there that is New and yet reasonably priced.

The other thing I will mention is that any bottom of the line new computer like a Walmart super special type thing would be something to consider if you don't want to go Ebay (although I have had good luck with Ebay when the seller has positive feedback).

I'm only saying it because your computer is probably 8 years old and those motherboards were not built to last forever. My experience is that of the 5 machines I had that were bought between 2000 and 2006 that were mainstream models from Dell, Compaq and HP that 4 of them have died because of motherboard problems.

Something to consider that rather than spend $80 to get a new HD it may be better to shop around and spend $200-300 for a basic desktop.

And I forgot the link to Linux Mint downloads to consider: http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

 

...hi I'm back.

I've hit a snag...I got Mint 14 linux on the USB with lily. That went fine.

I'm trying to burn the 'plop' CD to load to USB. In the link you gave me and said to go to the 14 version I can't find a single ISO file to burn or don't know which one is the one to burn. So far everything you've thrown at me to burn it's always ONE obvious iso file.
When I unzip this it's like there's a ton of folders ..also there's a list of tools underneath on this link...any way, what exaclty am I supposed to born to Cd or click on to burn to get this Plop thing going? Can't find plpbt.iso..the links on this page don't work

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/boot-from-usb-without-bios-support-via-plop-cd/

this one the links works but can't find the file.
http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager/download.html

P.S 'cause I've been wondering all week, what is your thumbnail from?

 

Hi,

This is the link I used http://download.plop.at/files/bootmngr/plpbt-5.0.14.zip

The ISO is right there in the unzipped files. plpbt.iso Let me know if you have trouble and I can just upload the iso to mediafire.

*****
It is a Courbet self-portrait: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Gustave+Courbet&FORM=RESTAB

Hey, I kind of like this one...I look just slightly less stressed out!

http://www.stars-portraits.com/img/portraits/stars/g/gustave-courbet/gustave-courbet-by-c_cil.jpg

 

Here is the file by itself if you didn't find it. Only half an mb: http://www.mediafire.com/?tnczw1bi15hgf0b

Let me know if Mint has you automatically connecting to the internet. I'm curious about your having to enter passwords for an ethernet connection. Which version of Mint did you download? I'm downloading the Mate version the first on the list of downloads. http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

 

Yeah I found the right file by checking the files in windows XP first....windows 7,which I cant stand, doesn't say .iso next to the file name.

I downloaded the the top one aswell which was MAte 32, I got the load screen "
Linux mint 14" for a really long time and then it froze just as it looked like it was about to start with all these wierd frozen graphics. the only thing I can think of is when I was putting it on lilly it said 'this version of linux is not recognized but will use the same parameters as version14" And the one i was loading the stick was 14.1 so I don;t think it was that. I think maybe the system couldn't handle that version, it was a BIG file to load compared to Pupy, if i'm not mistaken, maybe it was to much for my dying system to handle.

After that I went back to pupy linux, I tried to load the windows modules to see if that would make a difference,,,it goes 'navigate to the proper .inf file' (if i'm remembering that correctly) And then I just felt like I have no idea which file to use so I gave up on that.

Should I try another leaner linux? You said they're were many options. I thought I needed one with windows modules 'cause I think my ISP listed it as a requirement for
the modem...but maybe that was just an OS of somekind.

Maybe it was just the system.

 

Robert, I'm trying to find a distro that just works but am not finding any that are great and light. I'll keep looking.

Here is a small one that would only really be good to see if your internet will automatically connect. It is a fine distro but mostly for troubleshooting and not good for daily use. But relatively small and since you will put it on USB it won't cost you a CD or anything. So try this if you get a chance and I will keep looking for a better day to day distro for older machines. http://sourceforge.net/projects/partedmagic/files/partedmagic/Parted Magic 5.10/

 

I'm going to experiment with this Pear linux. It is large but it seems very quick and might be a good choice. I had just put away my oldest computer but will drag it back out tonight to see how it works with this distro. I'll just post a link to it in case you might want to start a download. It is another 881mb but seems to load up very quickly. I will try it out on an old P4 tonight and let you know how it goes.

 

So far in my experiments Pear has worked best on my old P4 machine. It does have an AGP video card rather than onboard video but it is very old. If Pear works on this particularly buggy machine it should work on any machine. I hope!

I've tried Puppy (Lucid version 5.28) and it works.
Parted Magic works intermittently. Sometime it takes three boots to get the internet working. Even then the internet is slow.
Lubuntu which loaded OK but didn't want to give access to the HD.
Vector which loaded OK but didn't want to give access to the HD. (The no access to the HD is to protect Windows files but I find it a major problem.) I'm going to try the full CD rather than the live version and see if that allows access.
Mint froze on this machine before fully loading same as on yours.

So far Pear is the fastest and easiest. Vector looks to have a more intuitive desktop but the no access to the HD is a non-starter. I'm going to try the full version CD of Vector and I'll let you know whether it is worth a download.

 

hmmm...run into a little problem, the USB stick I used to put Linux Mint on with Lily is no longer being recognized by either Lily or the PC I'm using to do all this on. Would using this as a USB loader to do somthing to it that would prevent it from being recognized as it usually would? Any ideas?

Just wanted to test that PC magic link you posted.

......does this 'pear linux' go on USB also or can I burn a CD for that?

P.S If I had another ancient win98 PC where the hard drive died on me, that I bought in 2000...(it's so wierd that that sounds old now)...could my pupy linux potentially work on that too? It's been in the basement for while. I know we're dealing with one PC at a time here but just wondering how far back that could go.

 

I've never had a problem and use Lili at least once a week on a couple of USB drives.

Check in Disk Management if the USB is being seen by the computer. Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Computer Management>Disk Management (from the left pane). Does it show as Disk 1 or Disk 2 down in the graph section?

Just to add, I often use Lily to format a USB when nothing else will recognize it. After the formatting is recognized by everything else. So it shouldn't have done any damage. Check disk management and if it shows there then you can use the HP USB format tool to blank the drive and see if it is useable again.

 

Puppy could potentially work on a win98 machine. Those are usually Pentium/celeronII or maybe up to Pentium IV.

There is also a variation of Puppy called Wary Linux that I haven't tried. It is specifically for older machines that the newest versions of Puppy may have left behind. Does the old machine have a ethernet connection? That would be the deciding factor because getting a modem to work in linux these days is apparently not easy.

Forgot: Pear would have to be a USB because it is 841gb. I've just finished the other Vector download so I will try that on the old machine and see how it goes. It would fit on a CD if it is bootable. They seem to have a separate LIVE version which I didn't like so I am unsure if this will boot. But we will see.

 

That Vector CD is only for installation so nothing new there.

There are two other versions of Puppy.

Wary for older PCs and Racy that has a bit more support for higher resolution monitors/graphics. You might give Wary a try.

Either would still be best using USB to save settings, so I think we should troubleshoot getting your USB working.

 

no....usb is not showing up on the disk management pane.

You said I could try Wary or Racy on Cd? I could just test it on CD first and if it works then i'll get another USB stick....I'll try formatting it on another Pc tommorow and get back to you.

 

Yes you could write the Wary to CD. Again, the problem is that you can't save changes between boots. So if you run FF and want to get the Adblock extension it will work great--until you reboot and then you have to install it again.

You can write it to CD and at least see if it configures your internet. That would tell you if it is a viable option for that PC. I have found that different Linux distros work better on some machines than others which is why I try so many different ones. I used to really like Mint back at version 7 or so but the new versions seem more problematic rather than less.

The only reason I have pushed Pear is that it loaded up on my new PC and this very old and quite buggy PC rather easily. I wouldn't even keep the old PC except my brother asked me to look at it and I loaded it up with a fresh XP and told him it had some graphic card issues and used a very strange type of RAM and he never picked it up. So I keep it around for testing and in the hope that he takes it AWAY, one day. But if it worked with Pear I think there is a good chance yours might as well, if we can get your USB recognized.

Keep the HP USB Format Tool in mind if you can get the USB recognized on a different machine. It will do a thorough format and do one of the best jobs at making it recognizable in the most machines. When you get the exe file it has to be right-clicked and Run as Administrator. http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Hard-Disk-Utils/HP-USB-Disk-Storage-Format-Tool.shtml

 

I just tried Wary and it asks a lot of questions about configuration. Once you get past the basics and set your time-zone there is a "Welcome" screen that asks about Internet configuration etc.

I would avoid going into internet configuration and instead ignore this window for a moment and instead click on the desktop icon for Browse and let it start up the browser and see if you can then put Google.com in the URL bar and get to google and then type "dog" or something into the google search box and see if it comes up with some results. That would tell you if Wary can automatically configure internet access.

 

@sach2 In case you were wondering

I tried Wary and it wouldn't automaticaly configure, and ran into the same netwroking windows as Pupy Linux. I think I'm going to cave and just pick up a new PC, you can only live without internet for so long before you get withdrawal symptoms, which is terrible but true. I did learn how to boot from CD and everything which was alot easier than I though it would be. At least I have figured out a way of getting files off an even older PC that died on me earlier.

 

Sorry, the internet was so troublesome. I've just always had internet connect automatically using Linux CDs. Of the 6 variations I tried over the last several days I only had one not connect and that was the older version of Parted Magic I had linked to earlier. Maybe you have an unusual ethernet chip on the particular computer? I just don't know enough about configuring internet to give you any advice on that.

It sounds like a new computer may be the best way forward considering the age of that one. Good luck!

 

I just had one last thought. If you have all the files off the old PC, you could pull that HD and swap it with the one in the current PC and try to load WinXP on that one. It might complete and give you internet while you shop for a new PC.

 

@sach2

Yeah I was thinking of sliding in this Hardrive I found :

Amazon.com: Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 8 40 GB Internal Hard Drive MPN: 6E040L0: Computers & Accessories

It's like the EXACT same HD I had before but from what you said about motherboards dying I figure 80$ to ship should get a new one.