I reformatted hd. installed a purchased version of win98se. Loads fine.
When comes to screen searching for driver for the compaq Cv735 the
system reboots. Does this if i take my WinMe drive and install it.
The system came with Win98se but started re-booting on start-up after
about two yrs. Will run regular 98 fine.
The system is an Acer vt7100 with 256k ram, an s58m motherbd.
I tried a diff monitor - same results. Will go to safe mode fine.(i figure
cause it is not loading drivers.)
This is very frustrating. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

If the monitor driver is the cause (I seriously doubt that) try NOT installing the monitor diver. The system works just fine without specific monitor driver. You can install the driver AFTER you installed the windows 98 SE. Here's the link for the driver package you need in case you don't have the monitor driver for Windows 98:

http://members.driverguide.com/drive...driverid=61789

You will need to register there. It's free of charge.


P.S.

You can set you system to "apply changes without restart" at display properties/settings/advanced/monitor (or was it /adapter, can't remeber). That applies to the resolution/refresh rate/colour depth changes. I think a monitor driver change results in some of those changes, therefore making your system reboot.

That was for the monitor driver.

Now, the safe mode only situation....

Looks to me that the monitor driver is the least of your troubles.
You will have to post to me what you see in device manager.

Rightclick my computer, select properties, and click on device manager tab.

All the problem device's (read: lack of needed drivers) will have yellow triangle with exclamation mark in it.

Please, take note of :

- device(s) type (ex. "display")
- device name (ex. "ATI Radeon 1600")
- error code (that you will see if you select the problem device you see and click on properties button)

finally got to boot into windows. went sm and disabled everything under pci bus. now using MS-DOS compatibility mode. maybe now i can isolate the exact problem. Figured the reason was a driver pblm.
just installed new chipset drivers from intel. Hope to flash bios next.
May have been a virus or something. The guy who gave me the puter was a friend here fm Czech republic. Spent lots of time on internet with his wife over there. Gone back home now. Will have to e-mail and give the low-down on his/our puter. Thanks for replies i got. hope this will help someone else. When fixed will try to install xp pro sp2 on it. Thanks again.