Computer restarting over and over

I have a Compaq Presario 5000 with Win98SE. It started to restart itself after booting, right after the desktop came up. I tried everything I could think of, spyware scans, virus removals, system scans, etc. I finally reformated the disk and reinstalled Windows. It still restarts itself but now it doesn't even give me the desktop before it restarts, it gets to the point where the desktop is loading but then restarts.

I can get into Safe mode with no problem and do whatever I want in there.

I am convinced it has to be hardware related since I reformated the HD and reinstalled Windows. But it works in Safe mode.

I'm stymied. Can anyone give me an idea of what could be wrong and how to fix it?

 

Hi ya likearock.

If it's getting into the computer in safe mode... it's possibly a driver problem.
I'm thinking the video driver.
I would start by visiting the Compaq web site and downloading all the latest drivers for a Presario 5000.

 

I would give the RAM and it's slots a clean, and check that the cpu is secured and seated correctly and check fans are working.........this problem is quite often caused by dirty RAM or overheating.

Hope this helps.

 

I've cleaned and reset everything inside that I could, the fans are working fine, not excessively hot.

I can not get the computer online to update the drivers! I'm going to try to download them onto floppy disks next.

 

Good luck with the floppy deal.
Some Dell drivers can be on the high side of 8MB.
You'll most likely need to get on line with a computer that has a CD burner.

 

Oh this is just getting more interesting by the moment. I remembered that way back when I had to install a driver for the monitor I had, went into the control panel and according to the System Devices I have no monitor. Go to Display properites and I have no option of updating the driver. It appears I can not update the driver in Safe mode but have no way of doing it otherwise.

 

Ok...
I'll say ahead of time I don't know if this will even work.
As a matter of fact I'm not sure it has ever been tried.

But try this:
Boot in Safe mode.
Then chose to "Restart in MS-DOS Mode"
At DOS prompt type... sys c:
Hit the "Enter" key

 

Okay, I got so frustrated over this that I gave up for a while.

I have reformated the HD.
I have reinstalled Windows.
I have checked to see if everything is plugged in correctly.
I have cleaned the fans.
I have attached a different monitor to it.
I still can not use this computer.

Turn it on and it shuts down immediately. Can't fix it if I can not get it to turn on long enough to run a program.

Help?