hardware or software crash/corruption or both ??

have two PCs--an old (bought in 2000, and uses 98SE operating system, with a "super fast" scanner), and a new (bought in 2005) which has XP media edition operatin system), and my old scanner will not work "fast" on the
new PC---so, I've been scanning documents into the old PC, and then burning them on CDs, and then physically taking the CDs to the new PC, inserting them , etc

last night I tried to burn about 103 meg on to a CD--an error message came up which said "invalid file in parameter list"---what is that ?? has my hard disc crashed ?? I can't even "open" "my computer" on my desktop (in my old PC) which implies to me I've got (also ??) a software problem with 98SE
---after "my computer" didn't open up I hit "Control + alt and delete"
and that box" popped up and said "not responding"

re my old PC, and my new PC, I virus scan often, and have not yet found any virus in either PC---I haven't hooked up to the Web/internet, with my old PC,for about a year

 

Did a cold boot achieve anything?

 

yes

my old PC has two internal 30 gig hard drives, and about an hour ago I copied that 103 meg folder into the other hard disc, and then tried to burn that 2nd copy---didn't work--now am defraging both hard discs in the old PC---the defrag program is "looping back" (reading info, then "it" says that info has changed, so, it starts to defrag again---I haven't defraged for a LONG time)

I'm thinking I'll replace those two internal hard discs anyhow, as they are like bearings on a car, and wear out sooner or later --I wouldn't go thru all this baloney IF that "super fast" scanner (and its software) worked on XP, and/or not ONLY on/with 98SE-----New Soft (??), in Taiwan(??), made the old software for the old scanner, and they say they have updated software to use on/with XP---but that, apparently, is "baloney", as they haven't sent me a trial copy, nor have even quoted a price, to me, to buy "cold"---I couldn't find (to purchase) a FAST scanner of Hewlett Packard, nor Epson, to use with XP---so, I bought a "cheapie" HP scanner, for the new XP PC, and there are so many adjustments one must make, for EVERY scan, that the overall scanning speed is s-l-o-w

if the burner in the old PC has "coonked out" I have another possible choice
--I have an external hard disc/drive which is "compatible" to/with both USB 1.0, and USB 2.0, or whatever they are, and in the past I have "walked back and forth" to both PCs with data WITHIN the external hard disc/drive (eg, the 103 meg, in the current situation)

I'm typing this via the new PC (with XP media edition as the operating system)

 

Once you get your 98 se PC working again rather than burning CDs or keep swapping your external hard drive why don't you get a memory stick. You can pick up a 1Gb one for less than £30 on ebay. And yes they do work with 98SE. Yargwel will be able to help with this as he helped me.

 

the 98SE PC seems to be working now (after doing a lot of defragging)
--its burner may be "shot", anyhow---walking back to the other PC worked (ie, I was able to put the 103 meg on the external drive)

I'm thinking of replacing the two (2) 30 gig hard drives, with, say, two (2) 120gig hard drives, and transfering all the stuff to such new drives from the old drives---the old drives have probably "spun" for, say, 3 million miles already, and their "bearings" (or something) may be "shot" or ready to crash

I don't have a Windows 98SE restore disk/CD---don't believe that old PC ever had such--I have two (2) Compaq restore discs (which came with the old Compaq PC when that Compaq was purchased new), and I assume one or more of those CDs contains Windows 98SE (and also contains verious Compaq "stuff" which I never use nor need)--the original Compaq came with 128 Ram, and (as I recall) a Celeron 833---I, years ago, maxed out the motherboard with a Pent III(866 ??), and 512 of RAM---years ago I also deleted some of the Compaq stuff (some Compaq programs ?? don't remember) as that PC was very slow

guess I'm "stuck" with 98SE and a "super fast" scanner, or, XP media edition and a "super slow" scanner

a one (1) GB memory stick costs $30 ??---what slot (or whatever) do I put such in (re my old Compaq PC) ??---I already have the 80 GB external hard drive (and, just today, bought ANOTHER external hard drive---320 GB for $149)---I don't do video, nor music CDs, nor home photographs, nor color photos-------just documents (black & white newspaper articles, mainly)
---oh, I guess one puts memory sticks also into USB ports/slots/female portion jacks

the guy at the computer store (re replacing the internal hard discs/drives, and transferring files) says one can't transfer 98SE via external hard drives as a "midwife"--the latest virus scan "says" I have about 900,000 files on/in both/each of the old PC, and the new PC (but I save all outgoing, and iincoming, e mails "of importance", and attachments to same "of importance")

 

In fact you can now get 2Gb USB Memory sticks for around £25 ($47).

 

at $47 per 2 GB memory stick, that amounts to about 12 memory sticks
(about 23.4 GB, or some 343,000 files, so far) or about $564---my newly purchased 320 GB external hard drive only (??) cost about $150---and I don't really know how, at this time, to segregate the "real real important stuff", from the "not so real important stuff"

"food for thought" in the future, though, as the memory sticks don't have bearings (??), nor "spin around" (re "wear and tear", abrasion, friction, etc on other contacting, or non-contacting, surface parts)

I think I had better replace, pretty soon, the two (2) 30 GB hard drives in the old Compaq PC with, say, two (2) new 120 GB (each) hard drives

--I found the restore CD disks (two of them) for the old Compaq (and I guess the 98SE software, and the burner sotware, and some other software, is within same)

---maybe I should put the restore CD disks on memory sticks ????

 

I might add that an acquaintance of mine is "in" the holographic storage
"business", a technology which is "coming around the bend"

don't know the costs "per GB of storage", nor the reliability, nor the "cubic feet of space" (density ??) per GB", of that---don't know, also, how viable,
or economic, that technology might be for "the average Joe" (on a limited budget)

 

another question has "cropped up"

I asked a guy in a computer repair place "can I buy any size hard drives
to fit in my old Compaq PC (that implying that it doesn't matter if, or if not,
I use 98SE in that old PC) ???"---he gave a reply of "just about"

then I asked a guy in a different PC repair place the same thing---his reply was "98SE specifies a maximum size hard drive, be that 60 gig, 80 gig, or whatever, so, you have to learn what that max size that is---and I (him speaking) don't know what that max size is"

so, if the 2nd guy is correct, how do I learn what that max size is ?? Compaq may say "ask Microsoft"---Microsoft might say "we no longer support 98SE, so, ask Compaq"---I haven't, yet, asked Compaq, or Microsoft, that question

so, I'm asking, herein, Major Geeks people

 

The TRUTH is, the old(er) Microsoft OSes (Win9.x), which use the FAT32 file system, cannot use MORE than 128 GB of any harddrive. Therefore, you'd be wasting money (or disk space) if you installed a HDD larger than that. Luckily for you, it is still easy to find 120 GB HDDs just about everywhere.

Keep in mind that you need an "ATA" (or "ULTRA-ATA") harddrive. Your motherboard will NOT work with an SATA harddrive, unless you ALSO install a special PCI card to control the SATA drive, which will slow down the bootup time tremendously.

Other than that advice, you can shop with impunity. I'm sure you also realize that you need an INTERNAL drive, not an external HDD.

Hope this answers your question about buying a HDD which will be compatible with your system...

 

thank you

"perfect" answers---I currently have two (2) 30 GB hard drives. and am thinking about buying, say, two (2) 80GB, or 120 GB, hard drives
--I forgot to ask the "ATA vs SATA" question, and you even answered that

I already use an external 80GB hard drive (for backup, and, sometimes, to transfer files, the latter usually when the CD burner on the 98SE system, on the old Compaq PC, doesn't work) on the 98SE old Compaq PC, and it works OK---that external 80 GB hard drive says on the box (it came in) that it is compatible with both 98SE and with XP, and that is true

 

I decided (initially) to try to do, myself, a restore of the 30 gig Compaq C drive---I've got two (2) "quick restore" Compaq CDs, and I assume 98SE is within one (1) of those CDs

how long should this take ?? the first CD has been "spinning around" (hopefully) for about fifty (50) minutes--I have, or had, about five (5)
gigabytes of "stuff" on that C drive (could not transfer that five gigabytes to the 30 Gig D drive, as the "transfer thing" kept crashing)

I can't even figure out how my C drive ever got "corrupted", or whatever, as I've never found a virus within my C drive, or D drive, on that old Compaq PC

 

Sorry to say, but this doesn't sound good to me. You should have noticed some progress by now, but if you want to play it safe, I would simply allow the system to run overnight...

Of course, there should be some indication of activity (flashing light, maybe) on the front of the optical drive. If you didn't set the system to boot from the CD drive, you're wasting time waiting for something to happen...

Enter the CMOS Setup and make sure the system is set to boot from the CD-ROM drive first; if not, change it, and remember to save your settings when you exit the CMOS. The system will then reboot, and with any luck, you'll be on your way towards fresh install...

Good luck with this; got to get back to work...

 

when I shoved the first CD into the reader drive stuff (mainly questions) came up---answered those questions (with, mainly, "yes", or "OK', or hit "next" etc)------so, the first CD began to work

for about an hour the monitor screen has been totally blue except for white words which say "working" and "Compaq quickrestore"---there are no flashing lights, nor "clickety click" sounds---there is a steady non flashing light on, and the OTHER light is not flashing (nor lit up)

don't know how to do the CMOS setting "thing"---I'll let it run for a couple of hours (or overnight), and maybe tomorrow, if no further progress, eject the CD and "try again" ????---I'm thinking maybe it is taking a LOT of time to delete (or something) that some five (5) gigabytes on that 30 GB C drive ??

 

Any news? Have you been able to make any progress with this?

 

yes

I got the restore 98SE CDs to work, and the printer (a "98SE compatible" laser Brother printer) to install and work

I'm having a problem getting the "98SE compatible" Epson Scanner (which used to scan fast) to work--I'm not sure if the scanner driver was installed correctly (by me, just last night, and uninstalled and reinstalled, a couple of times, last night), as what but I keep getting is an error signal when I try to scan (after setting the compression, the type of document, the black & white "option", and the contrast) ---that error says "error from data source"---the scanner, also, is titled (in "properties") as a Kodak digital camera, and even though I've "named it" as an Epson Scanner --the "help" pages in the scanner electronic documentation is not "helpful", and mainly refers me to something named "the data source manager"

I'll have to really dig thru a lot of stuff (and perhaps not be able to locate) the original "words on paper" manual or little book which came with the Epson scanner back some six years ago

I wouldn't have this problem if my OTHER scanner (a new "XP compatible" HP scanner) was such that it wouldn't "randomly" pick a size (eg, 2 by 4) in a pre-scan, and then ask me if that pre-scan size should be changed to, say, 81/2 by 11---I also have to change the contrast for EACH document I scan with the new HP scanner (for use with the XP operating system, ie the other, and newer, PC)---one can make a FULL size scan (81/2 by 11) with the HP scanner, but then that's always at a "pre-set" contrast (which may be too dark for, say, an old yellow newspaper article)---and scanned newspaper articles are "no good" if they look like a "dark blob"---I even have a few hundred "selected" newspaper articles from around 40 years ago !! (yup, a hundred or so, not 10,000 or so)---"simple minds have simple pleasures" ??? (eg, "yeah, baby, let's have some patent litigation !!--you've got, smarty pants, tough smart lawyers ??---and how 'deep are your pockets' ??")

 

Well, I hate to ask you to do this, but would you please post any information you have about the Brother printer, and the Epson scanner? We need to know what models you have, and how they connect to your Win98 computer. Chances are, they both use USB connections, but we need more details.

We also need to know if you've installed any OTHER USB devices on the system; a USB thumb drive, a digital camera, or whatever. We need to know the details of just about EVERY peripheral device attached to your system, such as a Zip drive, an external CD burner or backup harddrive... you get the idea.

Lastly, please download Everest Free Edition from here:

http://www.majorgeeks.com/EVEREST_Free_Edition_d4181.html

Save the file to your Desktop, or someplace where you can find it easily. Then double-click on the file to install it. Next, run Everest by double-clicking the green Everest icon; we need more specific information about your motherboard. I get the feeling you might not have the motherboard chipset drivers installed, which can cause the problems you're experiencing.

I realize that this will seem like a lot of work, but it is the only way we can help you get everything working properly. Take your time with this; provide as much detail as possible. Once we know some specific details, we should be able to point you in the right direction on getting your peripheral devices installed and working properly. This won't be resolved in a day, but we should be able to make a good dent in this if you'll provide the information I've requested.

Good luck; let us know if you have any questions about any of this...

 

the brother printer works as before (or it did yesterday) I did the restore, so I figure there is no problem with the brother printer----its connection is via USB 1.1

I'll do the checking out, etc on the scanner tomorrow

only have those two (2) peripherals connected to that Compaq PC

thank you re Everest---I'll download and install same tonight or tomorrow

I even saved, or copied, on the D drive of the Compaq, the program files (installed prior to the restore) for the scanner, so I can at least compare the number of folders, and files, in same, that made the scanner work PRIOR to restore, with the number of folders, and files, now in the C drive (wherein the scanner doesn't work)---I assume that there is, or should be, scanner driver download (or something like that) software within those program files and folders---prior to restore (when the scanner was working OK, but the Compaq PC, was crashing, freezing, and acting weird), that program files folder was 71.9 megabytes in size, and contained 13 folders, and 1066 files

 

periodically I connect a 320 GB external hard drive, or an 80 GB external hard drive (ie I have two (2) external hard drives) to the Compaq---neither are connected now, nor were (or have been, or are) connected after restore

 

Thanks for clarifying those points for me; now, I'm even more convinced that your problems are most likely the result of missing motherboard chipset drivers, which can affect USB performance (and many other system functions) on your computer.

We should be able to narrow this down better once you run Everest; that will allow us to ID the motherboard and chipsets (NorthBridge and SouthBridge), and THEN we'll know which motherboard chipset drivers you need to install...

After running Everest, please use it to generate a HARWARE report; look in the MENU Bar (just below the TITLE Bar) and click on "Report", then follow the Report Wizard options to create the "Hardware-related pages" report. Give the report a simple name (such as "First Report.txt", or "Report01.txt"; obviously, I'd prefer that you save it as a TXT file, not as an HTML file. Be sure to save the report where you can find it easily, then ATTACH it to your reply; do NOT copy and paste it, because it will be ~150 KB to ~200 KB in size, and that will consume a LOT of bandwidth...

Anyway, the GOOD news is, once those mobo chipset drivers are installed, you should see some immediate improvements in the way your system works. Again, we'll know more when we get the information about your motherboard and the chipsets...

 

thanks

will look further into this later

the chipset and motherboard haven't been changed ever (some six years),
and the scanner has worked fine all those six years prior to restore---now, of couse. I coud have (for example) "blown a transistor", or similar, somewhere within the Compaq, and/or within the scanner, the past three (3) days

I suspect the scanner driver wasn't downloaded---and don't know how to check on that---there should be 71.9 (or so) MB of scanner software (and some 13 folders, and some 1066 files) in the C drive in the Compaq, and I guess within all that is, or is not, the scanner driver software

 

Well, Everest should tell us most of what we need to know about your system, and once you provide the specifics about the Epson scanner, we should be able to locate a suitable driver for it pretty quickly. I'll admit I'm not too fond of scanners, because some just never seem to work as expected, but Epson makes quality products, so this shouldn't be too difficult to rectify...

 

--I've downloaded Everest to the new PC, but not to the old Compaq PC---I don't have the old PC hooked up to the internet via an ISP (or anything) as I'm, now, only using the old Compaq PC for scanning (and printing out, sometimes, of the stuff scanned)

does that mean Everest "scans" only the new PC ??

I assume Everest scans , internally, the chipset (or chipset drivers software, or whatever) in whatever PC it is installed in

if I want to put that Everst program into the old PC, ie install same, can I
put that Everest program on a CD (from the new PC), and then physically take that CD, insert same in the optical reader drive in the old PC, and then will the Everest program work on or in the old PC ???--using "install programs" ???---in other words, do the same process as I did with the restore CDs, and the printer CD, and the scanner CD ??

I removed anti-virus software, also, from the old PC

course (sigh) I do have two (2) ISPs for the new PC (netzero, and DSL via Verizon), and, in theory, Verizon works thru any (AND all) phone jacks in one's residence---so, I guess I do have the old PC hooked up to the internet when I want to (but without virus, etc protection)

sorry to add this complication

 

Probably the easiest thing for you to do is simply to find the same Everest Free Edition file you downloaded from MajorGeeks (the one named "everesthome220.exe"), then copy / burn it to a CD-R.

Once you've burned that file to the CD-R, boot the Win98 system, and load the CD-R. Use Windows Explorer on the Win98 system to find the "everesthome220.exe" file on the CD-R, then copy it to the Win98 Desktop from the CD-R.

Once you have the "everesthome220.exe" file copied to the Win98 Desktop from the CD-R, double-click it. It will then install itself onto the Win98 system, and you'll be able to find the information we need.

I would hope that you WON'T download files directly from the Internet UNTIL you install a good anti-virus program FIRST, which you could also download onto the new PC, and burn onto the same CD-R with the everesthome220.exe file. Most of my friends prefer the free AVG antivirus program. That way, everything you install on the old Compaq CD will come ONLY from the new PC. Doing things that way should keep your old system protected and isolated from the nasty stuff floating around on the Internet.

Let us know if you run into any problems when you burn Everest (and maybe an antivirus program) onto a CD-R in the new system. If all goes well, copy Everest (and anything else you need) from the CD-R onto the Win98 system, then install Everest there and let us know the details I've requested previously.

Good luck; I think we're getting closer...

 

good

I can (or think I can) burn that .exe on a CD, then take the CD to the old PC, and then insert that CD, and then copy that to my desktop (on the old PC)---and then follow your other steps---about thirty feet of "walking" is involved

am "up to my ears" in anti-virus, anti-spam, find spam, etc stuff, mostly gotten/obtained thru Major Geeks---and haven't found a virus (under any virus scan, and I do virus scans about ever two weeks, or about every month) yet in either PC--and I don't open "weird" e mails--but (sigh) have gotten on "sucker lists" re "pumping and dumping" stocks, and "pitches" re "free this, and free that" (like Clorox, or free lobster dinners, or whatever)
---and I WAS a stockbroker (for about two years) some thirty years ago !!
---and, hopefully, when I get the time I will become heavily involved in "computer modeling" re "picking stocks" (or at least "bracketing" what stocks NOT to buy re computer modeling)---"oh yeah", there are "a few bucks to be made" in providing such a service--decades ago I even did some computer programming in one (1) of the old FORTRAN computer languages !!

I've also found the number of GB, number of folders, and number of files, does NOT agree when comparing those "numbers" between the C, and saved (??) C, hard drives, for the scanner software---in fact, the Epson CD contains 458
MB, not 71.9 MB, and 11 "main" folders, and OVER 1006 files--I didn't count the "sub folders" within the "main" 11 folders

 

OK

I've installed Everest on the old PC, generated that hardware report as text, and saved that in a folder in the old PC

now do I re-burn that into (say) the same CD, and then walk over to the new PC and put that into the optical reader tray, and then put those/that text stuff on to the desktop in THIS (new) PC ??

if so, then HOW do I attach that to THIS "message board" ?? I know how (it is easy) to attach atachments to e mails

there is no "file" (above) and a drop down list which says "attach arttachments" (or something like that)

oops---I see "manage attachments" below---so, I guess I click on that and further instructions will follow ??

 

attached (hopefully) is that first hardware report

I struggled burning that via the old PC onto a CD

 

was the attachment transmitted ??

 

I've put the hardware report (in text) of the old Compaq PC on the desktop of the (here) new PC---took some "struggling" getting the burning to burn in the old PC (put that eport ofn a CD)---even had "extreme slowness" in doing a defrag on/in the old PC, and even though, at this time, the C drive in the old PC holds only a tiny amount of megabytes

now will try to attach that hardware report to this communication

I might noter I glaned thu the hardware report and notice "it says" a Kodak digital camera is "hooked up" (or something like that)--there is no Kodak digital camera hooked up (and the associated, ??, icon "says" Epson)

 

11-7-06

Malware Killer (or others)

OK---I've had the Everest hardware report attached to a posting for about
five days---what next ???

 

don't know if it is important, but I (with a friend helping) maxed out the motherboard (in terms of CPU, and RAM) on the old Compaq PC about four (4) years ago, ie 850 Pent III and 512 RAM

 

7-12-07

another unrelated question

i recently bought a 3rd computer--from the 1st computer i transferred the address book to the 2nd computer, but don't remember how (what steps) i did that

now i want to transfer (or copy) the address book in the 2nd computer, to the third computer---"Windows for Dummies" is not helpful (or i can't find how to do thsat in that book)