Win98se Tower Stopped Working!

Hi! I'm having a problem with my Win98SE tower at my mother's house. First, while I was compressing a zip disk using DriveSpace, it was stuck at 10% for too long. I looked at the drive's LEDs, and the drive wasn't busy. Also, when I tried its mouse, I didn't see the cursor. I rebooted, and now, it displays the blank screen just before the log on screen for too long and doesn't move past that screen. Several reboots do the same thing. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Try booting in safe mode?

 

I accidently did a few times, and it worked, but I want full functionality. BTW, I left my mother's house where this computer's at this morning.

 

Safe mode is there, so you can fix issues and get the system back running. IDK what is messed up, maybe restore the registry, undo your tweaks, or just re-install Windows?
Google windows 98 repair install or win98 over win98 - used to be a method to reinstall Win 98 over itself and not lose your settings (best I recall).
It is a good idea to backup (image) your computers in case of disaster.

 

Well, this problem started while I was compressing a Zip disk using DriveSpace: it normally takes forever, but the progress indicator was stuck at 10% for too long, and when I looked at the drive's LED, it wasn't busy. I reset the computer, and that's when the problem started.

 

Well...I have an ISO of Win98SE on the computer, and I even have its contents extracted to a folder on the hard drive. The last time I was at my mother's house, at a suggestion from somebody on another forum, I tried to reinstall Windows, the setup program asked me for the CD key. I didn't have the key. I looked at the original download, and it didn't have the key. I went onto the winworldpc.com site, where I got the ISO, and found too many keys, and none of the ones I tried worked. When I asked for help with that, the topic was closed, and the administrator said it was due to piracy issues. I really want that computer to work, as it's currently my only Win98SE PC, and I want to play games, experiment with file compression and install themes on it, the last as I like the color selection.

 

I think I know the problem with the CD key: instead of mounting the ISO as a CD, I tried the install from a folder to which I extracted the ISO's contents. I remember seeing a utility online that can do the mount from DOS but don't remember where. Can somebody give me an URL?

 

I had to do a lot of work, but I was able to run the setup program from a mounted ISO. A CD key I was given still doesn't work.

 

I just looked on eBay for a Win98SE CD, and they were all too expensive. Is there a way to repair the install without the CD? I have both an ISO and a folder that holds its extracted contents.

 

If you have the ISO extracted, run setup.exe

 

I did, but I couldn't get the CD key.

 

Try a new image. When it comes to "abandonware" there are still people who care about it. Check out the whole site. Got my images here when I was in my VM phase, lol. Pretty sure you'll like it.

https://winworldpc.com/library/operating-systems

 

I thank you for the link. It will be a nightmare to bring it to the Win98 computer, as I need to bring it to the computer through a flash drive, but it's possible, as the Win98 computer has some DOS USB drivers on it. BTW, I downloaded the retail version.

 

Do you not have a drive which can burn CDs? You can still get a CD-R. Six bucks for ten from Amazon.

https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/imgburn.html

 

I have a USB CD-ROM drive that can burn CDs. I might have a usable CD here. Thank you for the info.

 

I have SHSUCD on the computer and tried to mount the ISO as a real CD. It took a lot of effort but worked. Unfortunately, I still could not get the CD key to work. I'm going back home tomorrow morning, and so, if I don't get it working today, it might be a couple more weeks before I can get it to work.

 

What happened to the original CD that came with the computer, or was it "pre-installed?" You might have to contact the original manufacturer, to see if they still might have a license key that will work, or there might be a sticker on the computer (side, back, bottom?) that has the license key. (While you DO need the license key, at least Win 98 (or Win 98 SE) doesn't need activation. It sounds like part of the problem is trying to use a retail version of 98SE when it's license key was originally for a pre-installed OEM version.
I wish you luck on the USB drive; with my computer running Win 98SE, I had to install "after-market" (i.e. non-Microsoft) drivers to get Win 98SE to recognize Thumb drives, or USB hard drives. I think the original Win 98 USB drivers were only for USB 1.x; all my USB thumb or hard drives are USB 2.x or USB 3.x

 

Well, at another person here's suggestion, I tried the OEM ISO, extracted its contents to a flash drive and installed them on the Win98 computer. It worked, but, after the install, I got the same problem and a new problem: I'm now getting an Out of Memory error while starting a driver. I am able to bypass the driver but don't know what's causing the protection fault. BTW, the computer didn't come with a Win98 CD: it was preinstalled.

 

You could try these...

https://forum.winworldpc.com/discussion/6677/new-serials-compilation

 

I don't need the link, as I successfully reinstalled Windows. The problem is that it still does not boot properly.

 

How much RAM is installed in the machine? Should you exceed 1GB, it will tell you there's not enough memory.

 

It is at 1GB. I looked at the CMOS setup, and it only displays the RAM; it doesn't allow me to change it.

 

Try booting it with one stick installed. That is, 512mb installed.

 

I know it's been a few days, but can you describe in a little more DETAIL what you mean "it still doesn't boot properly?" What specifically is the problem?

 

There is a patch for the RAM limit - https://www.philscomputerlab.com/rudolph-r-loew-patches.html
Download that zip, extract and then extract patchmem.zip


The Windows 95/98/SE/ME RAM Limitation Patch Program patches Windows 95, 98,
98SE or ME to support Computers with more than 512MB of RAM. Unmodified
Windows 95, 98, 98SE or ME can malfunction or crash when more than 512MB of
RAM is present.

PATCH INSTALLATION

1. Download and UnZip the Program to a known location.
2. Open a MS-DOS Box or Boot into DOS.
3. Go to the Directory where the program is located.
4. Run PATCHMEM to install the patch.
5. The Patch will take effect the next time Windows is Booted.

 

If the original Win 98SE was pre-installed, and still ran in "safe mode," you probably should have tried THAT "repair" first; and not try to install an OEM or full retail re-install. The "damaged" version, if successfully repaired, would not need a "license key" to work. A clean install, whether OEM, retail, whatever, is going to require the license key to install, and will have forgotten (actually, wiped out) the key contained in the pre-installed OS.

Win 9x (including Win 98SE) required ONLY a "license key," usually by a sticker on the PC itself, or included with the original documentatiomn. With Win XP and above, Microsoft added another step: in order to INSTALL the software, you needed the "license key" as described above, but in addition, you had 30 days to use that "installed" version of Windows and ACTIVATE the software with another (longer) string of (characters, or the software was limited, or in some cases, not function at all, other than giving you a way to purchase a copy of that version of Windows. (Probably NOT available for "old" Operating Systems, other than being told to upgrade to Win 11.)

 

Have you tried to patch the image?

 

I'm sorry about the long delay: I left my main internet laptop's power supply at my mother's house last month, and, when I went back there for Christmas, I left its mouse at home: its internal one no longer works. The symptoms are that, if I use step-by-step confirmation mode and disable only the QEMM/Windows drivers, near the end of the boot process, I get a blank screen with just the text cursor blinking then the Shut Down screen. When I don't, I get an Out of Memory error on MAGNARAM. I can use DOS mode but really want Windows mode.

 

It seems the HARDWARE is functioning properly, so it's somehow the Win 98 installation and (non-MS?) drivers (some good, some bad, some even downright ugly) (multiple of times) that are causing the problem. If you are NOT interested in DOS alone, then start with THAT alone, and slowly (one by one) add "drivers" needed to work in a Windows 3.1 environment. "DOS" drivers CAN (and do) interfere, at times, with Windows. I Haven't dealt with Win 3.1/WfWG in over 20 years, so I can only help so much, mostly from memory. I had to re-re-reset-up my Win 98SE machine lately, but that was from well documented written documentation, specific to only THAT machine.

 

Well, I tried to disable several drivers, some at a time, but didn't find the driver that's causing the problem.

 

BTW, right now, the only DOS drivers being loaded at start-up are HIMEM.SYS and DOSKEY, as I wasn't able to get UMBs or EMS.

 

Maybe "DOSKEY" is a problem. I have (had to) resurrect a couple of "DOS only" computers in the last few months, and had NO problems, PROPERLY including HIMEM and did you remember to include "UMB" command? I used HIMEM but told UMB NO EMS to make sure ALL of memory was available for Windoze. You may well have to EDIT the config.sys and autoexec.bat" files to achieve what you want.

Another question is: HOW MUCH memory is in the computer to begin with? Physical memory (as in memory modules) not just "virtual" memory. (POST BIOS should give you that info.)

Just WHAT are you trying to accomplish (particularly with a computer that old??? Especially one at least six or seven generations of Windows behind?)

 

AFAIK, DOSKEY shouldn't be a problem. The next time I'm at my mother's house, I can disable the line, but I really like and want DOSKEY, as it makes the command line easier to navigate. If by "include UMB" you mean in the "DOS=" line in CONFIG.SYS, I believe I have it enabled. The system has 1GB main RAM. My main interest here is to experiment with disk compression, as I have some ideas on which I'm working. I really like Win98SE, though, and find window colors on modern systems sadly lacking.

 

I don't know how you currently have "config.sys" set up, and for Windoows, I don't think QEMM is appropriate.
IF you only want Windows to work on the computer efficiently (or properly) and are not too interested in DOS /Win 3.1 only operation try this:

Rename your original "config.sys file to some other name, like configsys.old so you don't lose it.... completely.)
Then in the ROOT, C:/ drive, create:

c:\dos\himem.sys /verbose
DOS=high
DOS= umb
device=c:\dos\EMM386.exe NOEMS
>
..(possible video drivers here?)
>
>

files=#needed (example: files=40)
stacks=# needed
lastdrive=z

Save as "config.sys." (There is assumed to already be a "dos" directory with all files in the C:\ drive, of course.) The DOS command in the new "config.sys"file can also be combined to DOS=HIGH, UMB (in that order.)

You do NOT want "QEMM" or anything else in the way for Windows 3.1x; it already manages memory to it's own advantage, but ONLY if no other memory mangler is trying to reserve memory space for something else first. (Hence, the "NOEMS" statement in the original configuration file.

 

I thank you for your input. Right now, I'm not at the computer, but, IIRC, other than HIMEM.SYS, I am only loading DOSKEY. Other lines are disabled, including EMM386.

 

OK, I'm "stabbing in the dark here," with only partial documentation; but Win 98 (or 98SE) REQUIRES a very specific configuration of memory at "boot time," and that INCLUDES a statement of HIMEM.SYS , (and BEFORE [on the next line in config.sys] the "DOS= high and DOS=UMB. statements.

To make things more decypherable, what exactly CAN you simply boot into DOS, and show us your current "CONFIG.SYS file, and "AUTOEXEC.BAT" file; they are both in (or should be) in text forms and should be in your root drive (typically C:\).
Let us know when you have access to the computer and can provide THAT.

 

You have to start with DEVICE =HIIMEM.sys" (OR
something like:

Device=c:\dos\HIMEM.SYS /verbose


DOS=HIGH
DOS=UMB

Then, Device =c:\DOS\EMM.386.EXE NO EMS

In THAT specific order.


For DOS only, you need to EXCLUDE "Expanded memory," which is what "EMS" is all about. If your "QEMM" somehow tries to reserve expanded memory for DOS (such as Lotus 123) programs, you WILL more than likely have problems with Win 3.x programs.
Sadly, there is a LOT to be found about memory management in Win 3.1 and DOS, that are far beyond what is to be found here, but can be found on the Internet. We ALL had to learn about that, and the balance, but THAT was over 20-25 years ago. You may have to hunt for answers or get specific answers to those questions and how to configure memory/memory managers from the "ol' daze."

Ask the experts @ "Major Geeks." They may still know.

Otherwise, I fear I can be of no further help.