Have you gone into device manager via safe mode to delete any potential offending drivers?

Also, what was the main reason for the reload in the first place?

 

Checked all drivers in safe mode and none show a problem.
Reason for reload was usual corrupt windows problems........ crashing....freezing.........error messages.

 

Go into safe mode then set the resolution to 640*480*16bit. Hit OK & it will then ask you to reboot. Once you've rebooted, you should be able to get to the desktop & then change the resolution to something above 640*480.

 

Sorry, missed that the first time around. It's possible that the initial corruption you were finding was not O/S based and could be hardware-based instead. Anything glitchy from the hard drive and have you removed/re-seated all cards and memory?

 

Are you connecting to an AGP card, or an PCI or even an IMA graphics card? Are you connecting to onboard graphics? It may be a problem with the PSU. If you haven''t changed any hardware since the computer worked fine, then that can't be the problem, though.

 

OK I have sorted the problem, I just borrowed the original Packard Bell monitor and connected it up and it happily booted into windows. I don't quite understand why changing the monitor should have this effect as I was using the monitor I usually use but I guess I can chalk it down to experience.
If anyone has an explanation I would be happy to here it.

 

Was the monitor you were using not capable of the refresh rates that the computer was set at?

 

The monitor was capable of refresh rates higher than that set during this installation.

 

Have you tried setting it to 640*480 @ 16bit while in safe-mode then rebooting ?

 

Yes I tried that Didou but no improvement.

With the PB monitor I reloaded Win 98 not using the PB recovery disc and believe it or not it now causing the pc to close down when it starts to check for drivers for the monitor on booting into the desktop.

 

I have since checked out the hard drive and the memory and both seem to be OK.
I am still carrying out further checks to try and get to the bottom of this

 

OK an update, although I don't seem to be getting any closer to the solution.
I changed the memory today and tried to reload windows with the PB recovery discs, it seemed to load OK but when it got to the audit ? stage it stopped and the pc switched off.
I decided to repartition the drive and reformat it and then load windows with my Win 98 disc, it loaded ok but on the final boot into windows it detected the monitor (the PB one in this case) and went to ask for the drivers. As soon as I clicked on next it through up a message saying that windows has stopped to protect the computer..... when you hit any key it switches the computer off.
I checked the hard drive again (with 2 different programs) and found no problems, I have changed the memory and still no success.
It will boot up in safe mode but not normal mode.
This has me mystified