A friend's PC was running extremely slowly so I figured I would help and do a scandisk and defrag. The scandisk wouldn't run in Windows so I started it up in DOS and after it was complete, it doesn't want to go back to Windows no matter what. The screen is up for a few second then disappears and goes to the C: prompt.

I have made it to the safe mode and tried overriding the autoexec.bat and config.sys files according to the step by step method dictated after F8 is hit on startup and still no luck.

Should I just try to reinstall Windows 98? All I have are a Windows 95 and a Windows 98 Upgrade disks. So I guess I have to install the 95 then install the 98 Upgrade?

Any ideas to avoid that tedious procedure?

Thanks.

No emergency disk for 98?

Sounds like a probable windows protection error... Usually a driver is at fault for that. Try replacing drivers, starting with the video drivers.

Otherwise, you would be looking at reinstalling the O.S.

The alternative is a corrupt kernel or GUI file, in which case the fix is definately reloading the O.S.

I will check with the friend this AM about any disks, but she doesn't keep her documentation in logical order. Yesterday I could not find any startup disks or anything so I will bring my OS 95 and 98 upgrade disks and let you know how it goes.

Most versions will let you install 98 straight even if it's just an upgrade disk. It'll just ask to see the previous version disk at some point to verify eligibility, and then it'll go on from there.

Her PC is okay now. It corrected itself or something after it sat at the C: prompt for a few minutes straight. In other words, it loaded windows 98 on its own after a wait. Must be a gremlin of some kind in her Hewlett Packard machine.

Snouter- what model HP???


I want to look up which HDD is in there...might be something.

Froggie, it is an HP 6630. Do they have a history of problems?

Just as a follow up. The autoexec.bat and config.sys files have to be circumvented before windows 98 will load.

Meanwhile, I told her to backup all files she can in case the drives gets very ill.

The 6630 comes stock w/ a 10 G HD. The only two hard drives in that size that HP uses are a Maxtor (Good) and a Seagate (bad)

Turbo is right about the size and manufacturers. It is likely a Segate drive and it's sounding like it's wanting to fail on your friend. I'm thinking this is headed for a head crash.

Why is Seagate bad? I'm running a Barracuda IV and I've never had or heard of any problems...

It's the particular series.


All makes have a bad run now and then.


There's a run of the Western Digital drives in the 20, 40, 60 gig series that's getting headcrashes quite a lot. Although the more recent series, and ones before this series are fine.

There was a time when I wouldn't touch a Maxtor drive, and but before that series and after it, the drives are rock solid.

Even IBM has had at least one bad run of HDD's

Oh, sweet, so that particular model is the problem.

Yeah, Joey.


Right now, I'd not buy a 60 Gig WD drive for anything more than a $20 backup drive that rarely got used.

The 120 Gig drives, though, are solid from what I've seen.