Having major problems

[michndave]

Hi people, I have registered with this site in the hopes of getting some help. Basically, the problem I have is that I think a pc needs a trip to the trash !
Ok... here's the story so far...... dad gets a pc from brother.we don't know if it works or not, but it boots up ok. try to upgrade to XP cos its an old windows 98 and XP won't install properly... kept on saying couldn't install certain files but he carried on regardless. He also chose the option of replacing 98 instead of upgrading... now.... because certain files are missing it won't run at all and stuck in no mans land really... no 98 or XP that will run, can't uninstall and can't get any further than a message that says... check for viruses ( well can't do that ) and CHKDSK/F .... what the hell to do to get this pc up and running ? If anybody has a clue or some info that could help then it would be mightily welcome

 

[Grok451]

Try doing a full install of XP as opposed to an upgrade install. If you have the full version of XP, try booting from the install CD and you should have the option to delete/format the old hard disk. I assume you don't need anything from it. Then do a full install.

 

[michndave]

We have tried to do what you have suggested, but unfortunatly it is not has easy as it may sound, we cannot actually do anything anymore, as the computer just freezes on a blue screen stating that it has been shut down to protect the pc due to an error in the registry of windows, we are in a complete mess at the moment, we cannot do anything on it, we cannot even open any windows in safe mode has it says bad command, is it time to resort to plan be and get the hammer out

 

[Grok451]

I'm not understanding your situation.

Can you boot from the XP installation CD?

From what you're describing, it sounds like you're still booting from the hard disk with the corrupted OS/registry.

You need to boot from the installation CD and format the hard disk from as part of setup.

 

[Spike]

More of a windows OS question, but OK. Your 98 has gone, and your XP is un recoverable. Time to start afresh.

1, Make sure that your system conforms to the XP minimum specs.

If it does,

2, Format the hard drive, either with a win98se boot floppy (download at www.bootdisk.org, the winXP CD (insert into the drive and boot from CD), or the win XP setup boot floppy's (www.bootdisk.org, or better still, www.microsoft.com)

3, Certain that the hard disk is formatted, install again.

In theory, you should have no problems unless there's a problem with your system.

Welcome to TS btw

 

[michndave]

Thanks everybody for your suggestions, and Spike, you mentioned that everything should run smoothly unless there's a problem with the system.... well i'm thinking there might just be because even when I put in the XP disc, or even the windows 98 disc nothing happens, the screen just stays blue. For all we are aware it could have loads of viruses, albeit old ones, because the pc we are discussing actually belonged to a child with parents that don't even know where the on/off button is !! I am led to believe that it did at one stage break down, and was supposedly repaired, but it was never used after that, and that was a couple of years ago.... its a real dinosaur we're talking about by the way, but it will suit Dave's dad as his introduction to computer. It's hard teaching old dogs new tricks as they say lol... so where do we go from here ?

 

[Spike]

when you say the screen stays blue, what exactly do you mean?

Has the machine been formatted?.

Just to be clear, take us through, step by step, exactly what you are doing to try to install windows - even down to where you're putting the CD and when. I wouldn't normally ask this, but I'm pretty confused about what you're doing and what's happening (and when!) now