[ArchetypeZero]

My old XP crashed a while ago, and right now I don't have the money to buy a whole new computer. So I managed to get ahold of an abandoned Windows 98 (not sure if its SE, will update) and switched the hard drives. Now the CD-ROM doesn't work, and the USB ports only work in safe mode, but that's okay for now. What I'm trying to do currently is make the resolution better, from 16 to 32 I suppose. Can I make my old XP's graphics card compatable with the Win98 HD?

Also this is the XP I swapped the HDs with: http://cgi.ebay.com/...=item2a0513d4bc

Edited by ArchetypeZero, 03 March 2010 - 05:31 PM.

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Hello ArchetypeZero and welcome to GeeksToGo.

Before we get into the drivers you need, can you explain what happened to crash the XP and why you removed the hard drive? Compaqs have a hidden partition on the hard drive that you can reinstall the operating system from if it still works.

If that is not an option you can download the Intel Chipset drivers appropriate to that pc from here. That pc has the Intel 845GV Chipset so you need to download and install the Intel® Chipset Software Installation Utility, the Graphics Driver and Intel® Application Accelerator in that specific order from the line adjacent to the Intel® 845GV Chipset area. Then you would, for example, Click on the Download for the Intel® Chipset Software Installation Utility, and on the next page under Operating System select Windows 98 and then get the INF Update Utility - Primarily for Intel® 400 Series Chipsets. I know that says it is for a different chipset but it will work. Carry on the same way for the other two drivers and after installing them open device manager and see where your at. Please make sure you install them in that order.

Edited by Leurgy, 04 March 2010 - 05:29 PM.

[Leurgy]

Hello ArchetypeZero and welcome to GeeksToGo.

Before we get into the drivers you need, can you explain what happened to crash the XP and why you removed the hard drive? Compaqs have a hidden partition on the hard drive that you can reinstall the operating system from if it still works.

If that is not an option you can download the Intel Chipset drivers appropriate to that pc from here. That pc has the Intel 845GV Chipset so you need to download and install the Intel® Chipset Software Installation Utility, the Graphics Driver and Intel® Application Accelerator in that specific order from the line adjacent to the Intel® 845GV Chipset area. Then you would, for example, Click on the Download for the Intel® Chipset Software Installation Utility, and on the next page under Operating System select Windows 98 and then get the INF Update Utility - Primarily for Intel® 400 Series Chipsets. I know that says it is for a different chipset but it will work. Carry on the same way for the other two drivers and after installing them open device manager and see where your at. Please make sure you install them in that order.

Edited by Leurgy, 04 March 2010 - 05:29 PM.

[ArchetypeZero]

Ah great, thank you. The whole reason I need these is to connect to the internet. Before I switched the HDs I had a Linksys WMP54G wireless adapter that I used to connect to my family's LAN, which I'm currently trying to use. The resolution is making the GUI of Linksys fail, I can't connect to any networks or set one up.

Before we get into the drivers you need, can you explain what happened to crash the XP and why you removed the hard drive?

It happened a while ago, I only remember the 'Virtual Memory Minimum Too Low' message coming up all the time prior to the crash, so I'd assume I overloaded it. My father suggested using some 'recovery disks' that had been made for the PC which we used numerous times to restore it after crashes. Here's where it gets complex: the PC <i>had</i> undergone a fatal crash even before this one, so we purchased another HD (a Seagate Barracuda SATA) to replace the original one (the one that came with the PC) and had the PC reformatted for it. The Seagate HD was the one we recently replaced with the Windows 98 HD. Going back to the recovery disks, I was pretty sure they would fail considering how we replaced the original HD with the Seagate, but I was desperate, so I hesitantly ran the recovery disks and after the first disk the HD was destroyed, stuck in the black startup screen with the underscore flashing. My point is that I'm not sure if that hidden partition you're referring to can still be used since I had to replace the original HD. Also sorry if this is confusing, I didn't want to be vague in case a resolution is possible. And again, thank you for the help, I think I'll be able to get my PC working decently before long.

[123Runner]

ArchetypeZero

You have confused me.
Can you please clarify what you are doing?

Here is what I know and then I am lost.
You have a HP computer that had XP on that crashed.
You acquired a 98 computer.
You swapped the hard drives between them.

So you now have the HP drive (with XP) in the 98 computer and the 98 drive in the HP computer.

What computer are you attempting to get running?
Either combination is going to be a very futile attempt to get running.
The problem is that each hard drive has drivers from its original computer installed on the hard drive. That is what each OS is looking for on startup. Without the proper drivers for startup, each one is going to crash and burn.

Your best option with the least headaches is a reformat and re-install of the OS.

Your "Virtual Memory Minimum Too Low" error is generally related to not enough ram in the computer.

If the original drive in the HP unit was replaced (a SATA drive for a SATA drive) and reformatted, then the recovery partition is most likely not there.
If you made a recovery CD, then theoretically that should work for a recovery. It should format and load all of the drivers and the OS for the unit.

I would swap the drives back and attempt a startup on the HP unit and see what you get.
I would also try the recovery CD's on the HP unit.

I suspect that the recovery using the 98 hard drive failed because there is a great chance that the drive is a lot smaller than the original drive and the recovery did not know how to format and use the smaller size.

123runner