[realapp]

Okay, here's the story. I bought this Gateway Solo 2500 Laptop a couple years ago and it basically has never ran since! I gave up on it and bought a Dell,but now decided to dig it out as my kids think they need a different computer! I recently reformatted and installed Win 98 Second Ed.. Problem is it keeps shutting down while they are playing basic games, nothing fancy! Do I need to get more Video RAm, or altogether different Video card. I don't know much about this. Or could it be a hardware problem. I don't have internet access on it yet as I have cable high speed networked and it only has dial up, But want to make sure this thing is worth fixing before I add anything else. Spec's are Pentium 11, 333Mhz processor 4.0 Gig hard drive. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

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Oh yeah, only 2 MG video Ram, I think?

[realapp]

Oh yeah, only 2 MG video Ram, I think?

[admin]

Try running this memory test: http://www.memtest86.com

Installation
===============
Memtest86 is a stand alone program that cannot be executed under windows and must
be loaded from a floppy disk.

To install Memtest86:
- Extract the files from the zip archive
- Open the directory where the files were extracted and click on "install.bat".
- The install program will prompt you for the floppy drive and also prompt you to
insert a blank floppy.
- To run Memtest86 leave the floppy in the drive and reboot.

NOTE: After the boot floppy has been created you will not be able to read the floppy
from windows. This is normal.

[realapp]

Trying to run Memory Test. I downloaded it to disk to put on the laptop. I clicked on intall. bat and it said insert target diskettedrive Wasn't for sure what that meant. I typed a:. It then said, Insert disk with batch file. What am I doing wrong?

[admin]

Followed these steps?

1. Extract the files from the zip archive
2. Open the directory where the files were extracted and click on "install.bat".
3. The install program will prompt you for the floppy drive and also prompt you to
insert a blank floppy.

[realapp]

I had to extract them from another computer to a floppy then opened them on the Gateway from the A drive. So should I save it to a different drive first, them open it from there?

[admin]

So should I save it to a different drive first, them open it from there?

Yes, extracting just uncompresses the files, running install.bat creates the bootable floppy.

[realapp]

Ok , I saved it to the desktup as I right clicked on the uncompressed folder and that was my only option other than my documents, etc. Anyway, it open the Dos prompt and gives me the message as before which first says, " this installatin creates a bootable floppy. Memtest cannot be executed under Dos or Windows. You will not be able to read the floppy after installed." then is says Enter target diskette directory:\

[Hemal]

hmm...well try it out and enter in your floppy drive (A) and see if it works, if not we can try something else

[realapp]

I entered a: after the above and then it said please insert a formatted disk. So I did. And then it says Please insert Disk No Name with serial Number 1112-1508 in Drive A . Press enter for Ok.

[realapp]

any other suggestions?

[admin]

It's really not that complicated:

To install Memtest86:
- Extract the files from the zip archive
- Open the directory where the files were extracted and click on install.bat.
- The install program will prompt you for the floppy drive and also prompt you to
insert a blank floppy.
- To run Memtest86 leave the floppy in the drive and reboot.

[realapp]

Ok!! Got it. Now what do you need to know from this. It ran Mem test

[admin]

If it passed all the tests that means the memory, CPU, and motherboard are probably not responsible. It's probably either an overheating problem, or software. Since it's only while gaming overheating seems likely. Unfortunately, there's no easy fix for this on a laptop--some were just poorly designed to begin with.

Did you have this same rebooting problem before when you gave up on it, or was it something else? When you reinstalled Windows 98 did you download all the latest hardware drivers?

[realapp]

HOw do I tell if it passed all the test. HOw long should this take. It has been running a really long time! It seems to be running the same 7 test over and over.

Before I reinstalled Win 98 it would lock up all the time, I don't remember it shutting itself down. Overheating is probably the issue with the gaming. (any suggestions for this) I'm not sure what hardware drivers to install other than the onest that were automatically installed. Thanks!!