New Computer Won't Start Up

I recently bought a computer off eBay and upon bringing it home I came across a problem, described below:

- When I turn the computer on the typical black screen loads up with white writing on it (I don't know the proper name for this, Ms Dos?). The page appears where it reads 'Primary master, primary slave, secondary master, secondary slave' but then the whole screen goes blank.

- So I inserted the Windows XP CD in the hope that this would help and then changed the primary boot device to 'CD ROM' so that it could install XP. After reseting the computer it then gets to the point where it would normall just go blank but instead reads 'press any key to boot from Atapi CD Rom'

- After pressing the key a screen appears reading 'The computer is already in the process of being upgraded to Microsoft Windows. What do you want to do?' I am then given the following options:

1) To continue with the Upgrade press ENTER
2) To cancel the current upgrade & install a new version of Windows, press F10
3) To exit press F3

- After choosing option 1 a message appears reading 'File \$win_NT$.~BT\ntkrnlmp.exe could not be loaded. Error code is 7. Setup can not continue.

- So I go back to the option screen and try choosing option 2 and another message comes up reading 'File \i386\ntkrnlmp.exe could not be loaded. Error code is 7. Setup can not continue.

- I've tried option 3 but it's nothing, it just reboots the computer.

I'm really stuck at the moment as I've no clue what is wrong with it or what to do to fix it.

I'd appreciate it if somebody could help me out with this, thanks.

 

The problem sound like a problem with the disk itself. It does start up ok, then throws a wobbly. Check for dirt or scratches on the disk, give it a wash with warm soapy water. If that don't solve the problem and it's a makers recovery disk, then go to their website and download a new one. If it's a Windows disk, go to Microsoft and download Windows again. You have a licence for it with your present disk.

Mind you, i would get my money back through Ebay, and don't throw the packaging away.

 

Nah it's definetly the computer as it wouldn't even start up before I even had the idea about re-installing windows.

To tell you the truth I don't know if any OS is installed on it because I've never got it to boot up. It just goes to a blank screen and stops there.

I tried pressing F8 as it's booting up but it doesn't do anything.

Are there any ways I can format it other than installing Windows 98 and then formatting it from there?

 

did u check inside the hdd that you HAVE a hdd? and IDE + Power cable is connected and its set properly to master?

 

When you boot up, it goes through post and identifies 'Primary master, primary slave, secondary master, secondary slave" so it's found the hard drives. Booting up from the Windows disk and getting giving you an error messege says the memory is and BIOS and cpu is ok. Booting from the Windows disk involves everything that you have proved is working.

As the hard drive has been identified by the BIOS, then it's probably been unformatted or shredded by the previous owner, or shredded. Hell, wouldn't you erase everything? A computer wouldn't start with a hard drive with nothing on it.

It's either the hard drive or the Windows disk, and you can't prove one without eliminating the other.

I doubt if Primary master, primary slave, secondary master, secondary slave have all gone

 

Yes, Look at the HDD, the when you Know what brand & model you can download the manufactures utility to format, FREE, most are even avaible here at MG on the front page.
Segate is Seatools
Maxtor is MaxBlast
WD is Data LifeGuard tools

Then there is also Fdisk if you have 98 startup floppy "Boot Disk" it has Fdisk or Fdisk can be downloaded, FREE.

 

Ok, but if I remember correctly isn't there a way of running the format without actually going into windows itself? Can I not just press a special command whilst it is booting up which will bring up and option to format?

Surely I don't actually have to go inot Windows itself (which is impossible at the moment as it wont start up). As someone said, I casn download a program to format it but how am I supposed to access the Internet, let alone download the program if it won't open Windows?

P.s. I am using another computer to access the Internet.