[Pensionada]

I am trying to re-install W98SE on an old Compaq Pessario 2240.
This does not succeed, apparently because the Compaq hardware requires something special.
HP is willing to deliver a copy of the recovery discs for only Euro 38.50 but I would like to save money for my (elderly) client. (My services are for free).

Can anybody help me how to get around this?

Thanks
Rob

[glocK_94]

Well, can you be more precise. Where does it fail? No drivers? No boot? etc...

[Pensionada]

glocK_94, on Jan 19 2007, 07:37 PM, said:

Well, can you be more precise. Where does it fail? No drivers? No boot? etc...

The symptoms are a crash at the end of the installation (blank screen: _ cursor blinking at top left); start-up (normal) does the same; however, start-up (safe mode) works, but does not show any missing drivers or other errors. Anyway, I am not very familiair with safe mode.

Procedure that I followed was: fdisk, format, boot from W98-CD
I tried several times with different CD's (English and Dutch): no difference.

[glocK_94]

Hmmm. Usually this kind of symptom reveals a registry crash but if you just formatted it can't be that... Safe mode works? Ok maybe a vxd/driver problem then... Have you tried step by step boot (if that's the english name) to see exactly where it fails?

[charles__]

Have you check the device manager in safe mode to see if there is any problems device. Are you trying to install 98 with other hardware connected to the pc like a printer or other devices?
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwar...Pessario%202240

Might try disabling the sound card,modem in the device manager and see if it will boot

This post has been edited by charles__: 20 January 2007 - 03:37 AM

[Pensionada]

glocK_94, on Jan 19 2007, 11:09 PM, said:

Hmmm. Usually this kind of symptom reveals a registry crash but if you just formatted it can't be that... Safe mode works? Ok maybe a vxd/driver problem then... Have you tried step by step boot (if that's the english name) to see exactly where it fails?

Very good suggestion!
I tried loading safe mode in step-by-syep mode: the first part goes ok; then it start loading the device drivers of windows:
- javasup ok
- vrtwd.386 ok
- vfixd.vxd ok
- msmouse.vxd CRASH

So, now we know where the problem might be, but what is the solution ??

[glocK_94]

There are several things to try. First you can try to extract the vxd from the Win98 CD in case its wrongly copied (seems unlikely). You can as well boot in safe mode and delete the mouse driver from there. In case it fails, you can rename the vxd to something msmouse.old and see but I don't really believe it will help.

You can try to delete Enum from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE in registry. Sometimes this mouse driver issue is caused by other drivers (modems, GPU and even simply USB stuff pluged in) or Wifi PCMCIA cards (did you add any?). So like charles__ suggested, your good to unplug everything that wasn't there originaly and take of drivers one by one.

By the way, when you skip loading this vxd in step by step mode, what happens?

This post has been edited by glocK_94: 20 January 2007 - 06:29 AM

[Pensionada]

glocK_94, on Jan 20 2007, 01:27 PM, said:

There are several things to try. First you can try to extract the vxd from the Win98 CD in case its wrongly copied (seems unlikely). You can as well boot in safe mode and delete the mouse driver from there. In case it fails, you can rename the vxd to something msmouse.old and see but I don't really believe it will help.

You can try to delete Enum from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE in registry. Sometimes this mouse driver issue is caused by other drivers (modems, GPU and even simply USB stuff pluged in) or Wifi PCMCIA cards (did you add any?). So like charles__ suggested, your good to unplug everything that wasn't there originaly and take of drivers one by one.

By the way, when you skip loading this vxd in step by step mode, what happens?

I tried to skip the msmouse step and that did not make any difference: it still crashed and I thus conclude that the crash has nothing to do with the mouse.
So, I looked at the hardware devices again (in safe mode -configuration screen)
PS my naming may be off, as my system is not in English ...
and noticed something weird with the network adaptor: it looked installed but on the next line (if you open it up) it did not show any adaptor: that line was empty. So, I de-installed the network adaptor.

As I wanted to install by hand, I looked for the CD in "my computer" and then noticed that the system does not see the CD-drive at all, although the software was installed using it...

Then, when I tried to start Windows, it gives a series of error messages that have to do with the missing network adaptor, I guess: vnetsup.vxd, dfs.vxd etc. then tells me that it cannot start windows and crashes. Same in safe mode-step by step., but I can still go in safe mode directly. However, what to do? I cannot re-install the network driver, do not see any other peripherals, do not see the audio driver either.

Normally, I would say: re-install, but this is a clean install that I have tried several times and always comes up with the same problems.
Someone, keeps on telling me that I should simply order and use the Compaq recovery discs, but I am not convinced that if I spent the money, that it would work.

Your opinion and advice, please


PS I have tried downloading and installing several of the sp's that Compaq indicates on the page that Charles suggested (had already gone through that before I posted) but nothing seems to work. The last install was after I ran SP8875.

[glocK_94]

CD drives are disabled in safe mode so that's normal (don't understand why since such devices almost never crash but anyway -for speed maybe?-).

For the rest well... can you disable your network adaptater physically (unplug the PCMCIA card) or is it integrated? In the last case, can you disable it in BIOS? You could also try to install some generic ndis4 drivers.

The HP CD will probably work but I totally understand your position. 40€ is a lot of money.

[Pensionada]

glocK_94, on Jan 20 2007, 05:05 PM, said:

CD drives are disabled in safe mode so that's normal (don't understand why since such devices almost never crash but anyway -for speed maybe?-).

For the rest well... can you disable your network adaptater physically (unplug the PCMCIA card) or is it integrated? In the last case, can you disable it in BIOS? You could also try to install some generic ndis4 drivers.

The HP CD will probably work but I totally understand your position. 40€ is a lot of money.

Let me add another piece to the puzzle.
Because I did not have any other ideas, I tried to install ME (Millenium Edition)and this was accepted as upgrade to 98SE without any problem .... and it is running quite nice, be it somewhat slow, but, hey, this is a 200MHz computer with 32MB memory.
I will continue with the installation; then if all continues to go well, check with the owner on Monday and leave the **** thing at ME.
Not that I like ME but ...

So I will stop playing with 98SE for the moment. Thank you very much for your help and valuable assistance.

[Pensionada]

The problem is solved.
I ran fdisk /mbr and used a copy of the official recovery disc that someone mailed me.
Thank you for your help.