Hi everyone.
I CAN NOT GET ANY OPERATING SYSTEM TO RUN ON MY OLD COMPUTER, and I suspect it MAY be video-related
first of all, here are my current specs:
-P3 ~933mhz
-256mb RAM
-30gb hard drive
-CD-RW drive
-ATI RAGE PRO 128 ~ 64mb AGP video memory
-on-board video adapter (usually disabled)
-and the cherry on the top; a cold soldered Power-supply - motherboard connection (absolutely no power if it's disconnected, just takes some fidgeting and is fine if I leave it once its working - I'm not sure if this is related but just wanted to put it out there)
A while ago I was running Windows 98se, but with an Nvidia 32mb video card for many years (my main PC at the time), reformatting and reinstalling when necessary, when one day my computer crashed and never loaded windows again :(
I can't remember what origionally caused my computer to crash - it happened a few months ago, and I'm now TRYING to refurbish it. I think it was just a typical freeze associated with Win98, when I had to just hold the power button :S
Ever since the crash, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY INSTALL/RUN ANY OS
BEFORE I changed my ANY hardware, I tried a clean install of Win98se from my good old Win98se CD - I could reformat and reinstall Windows98se, but it would always freeze the first time I logged on, at the 'add new hardware' dialog as it tried to install my plug-and-play monitor. I was frustrated, confused, and sick of Win98, so I borrowed a friends Windows 2000 CD. It would boot (WITHOUT A FLOPPY DISK :O), allow me to format and install Windows 2000, but would always freeze during the installation process, after copying files, when it tried to restart my PC.
Neither Windows 98se or Windows 2000 would work on my PC, so I pronounced my it 'dead at the scene', and bought a new one. I fixed a friends PC, removing Windows XP and performing a clean-install of Windows 2000, which didn't support his RAGE PRO 128 video card, so I installed my old video card, seeing as I wasn't using it anyways (an NVIDIA ~32mb AGP), trading it for his 64mb RAGE PRO 128 AGP
Now that I'm trying to revive my old PC, I've installed the RAGE PRO 128 video card (in most cases). I have tried several versions of Windows, with only the onboard video and also with the RAGE PRO installed, and here are the problems with each situation/OS:
-Windows 98 se:
-will start up and install with startup disk and Win98se CD, and will even go so far as to load Windows and ask me for my username and password, but,
-as soon as I try to advance, the Add New Hardware dialog comes up trying to install my Plug and Play monitor, and my system freezes if my RAGE PRO is NOT installed (no respond to CTRL+ALT+DEL) or if it IS installed, it just restarts the whole computer (remember that in each of these scenarios, I have physically removed/intstalled my video card and performed a clean install)
so, basically,
***WINDOWS 98SE GETS STUCK IN A boot-logon-add new hardware dialog-restart-boot- etc... LOOP if my video card is installed, OR WILL FREEZE AT THE 'ADD NEW HARDWARE' DIALOG (trying to add my plug and play monitor)***
I tried:
-formatting my hard drive more times than I can count
-burning SEVERAL other versions of Win98se including a spanish version, and trying a clean reinstall of each
-making sure the onboard video is disabled, and my RAGE PRO is selected as the primary display device via CMOS
-removing my video card and using the onboard video to do another clean install
Result:
-SAME PROBLEM
-Windows 2000:
*DOES NOT SUPPORT MY RAGE PRO 128 VIDEO CARD, according to the ATI website, so I'm using my on-board (max 1024-768 res) with my RAGE PRO physically removed*
-will boot from CD, allow me to format and install Windows 2000, but
-after full install, will always freeze at startup ("Windows 2000" screen) - process indicator DOES NOT MOVE, trust me; its completely frozen
so,
***WINDOWS 2000 ALWAYS FREEZES DURING STARTUP***
I tried:
-formatting my hard drive numerous times
-trying to clean-install with my ATI RAGE PRO installed, onboard video disabled
Result:
-NO LUCK
-Windows XP:
-Will boot from CD, and allow me to format and install Windows XP, but
-restarts itself upon startup when I should see the "Windows XP" screen
so,
***WINDOWS XP GETS STUCK IN A NEVER-ENDING BOOT-RESTART-BOOT-ETC LOOP***
PS:
-with my ATI RAGE PRO physically removed, it will not restart at startup; it just gives me a black screen after changing video modes (monitor IS recieving a signal) and does not respond to CTRL+ALT+DEL
I tried:
-formatting more times than I'd like to remember
-removing my video card and performing a clean install with only my onboard video
NO DICE
I even tried installing Linux Ubuntu 7.1 from CD:
-will boot the main menu, giving me several options like 'start or install ubuntu' and 'start ubuntu in safe graphics mode'
-but will freeze with a black screen after loading the Linux Kernel and changing video modes, no matter which option I choose
***LINUX WILL NOT START/INSTALL***
I tried:
-physically removing my RAGE PRO, and trying all boot options offered
-checking the CD for defects
PS: Linux installed on a seperate HD in my new PC no problem, giving me the option to boot Linux or Windows 2000 :D but, just won't work on my old PC
I am a Very patient person, and I've been working on reviving this 'anchor' for weeks, but
I AM AT MY WITS END
Windows 98se
Windows 2000
Windows XP
even LINUX
WILL NOT WORK
What can I do, besides throw it in Lake Ontario or burn it in a bonfire? Any thoughts, opinions, suggestions or questions would be GREATLY APPRECIATED
(hmmmmm, maybe I could burn it in a bonfire, and THEN throw it in lake Ontario? :)
