[admin]

Okay, Plan B, download this Windows 98 boot disk. It will load CD drivers, and provide you with a DOS prompt.

Load this boot disk to a floppy disk. Insert this floppy drive and start your computer. When finished booting you'll get a DOS prompt "A:\", type "E:" (without quotes) and press enter. You'll now see E:\, this should be your CD drive. Type "copy WME-J5-30-1-B02.EXE C:" (without quotes). This will copy the ATI driver from the CD to your C: drive root directory.

Now remove the floppy disk and reboot your computer in safe mode. Right click in My Computer, left click "explore". Click on your C: drive. On the right side of screen find WME-J5-30-1-B02.EXE and double click to install it.

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I seem a bit trying, but please bear with me. I'm trying to understand what you're telling me. When boot from the A disk I load on CD drivers. I'm not sure why, because the CD drivers seem to be fine on the computer. I rebooted a different computer in Safe Mode (same OS) and it didn't have the CD drive available either.

Also, if it's copying it from the CD, then I'd need the CD in the CD drive with that file on it, right?

And...I was looking at the driver that you linked me to, and while on the page it says it's for Windows '98, in the release notes it says "The display driver included in this package is for Microsoft Windows Millennium." It makes no mention of Windows '98. The release notes are identical to the one I downloaded and installed before. The release note's also refer to the version as "4.13.1.2655" with the 1. The file name is also exactly the same as the other file I installed "wme-j5-30-1-b02.exe" (I noticed also that the 1 is in the .exe name, which made me a bit uneasy). I'm absolutely sure the numbers are the same on the release notes, and .exe file names. I checked letter for letter.

I hope I don't annoy you, since you obviously know more about computer matters then I do, but the identical file names and release notes, makes me a bit uneasy, and I don't quite understand how the boot disk works with the CD drive since all Windows '98SE OS don't detect the CD drive in Safe Mode.

Elven

[Elvenwarrior2001]

I seem a bit trying, but please bear with me. I'm trying to understand what you're telling me. When boot from the A disk I load on CD drivers. I'm not sure why, because the CD drivers seem to be fine on the computer. I rebooted a different computer in Safe Mode (same OS) and it didn't have the CD drive available either.

Also, if it's copying it from the CD, then I'd need the CD in the CD drive with that file on it, right?

And...I was looking at the driver that you linked me to, and while on the page it says it's for Windows '98, in the release notes it says "The display driver included in this package is for Microsoft Windows Millennium." It makes no mention of Windows '98. The release notes are identical to the one I downloaded and installed before. The release note's also refer to the version as "4.13.1.2655" with the 1. The file name is also exactly the same as the other file I installed "wme-j5-30-1-b02.exe" (I noticed also that the 1 is in the .exe name, which made me a bit uneasy). I'm absolutely sure the numbers are the same on the release notes, and .exe file names. I checked letter for letter.

I hope I don't annoy you, since you obviously know more about computer matters then I do, but the identical file names and release notes, makes me a bit uneasy, and I don't quite understand how the boot disk works with the CD drive since all Windows '98SE OS don't detect the CD drive in Safe Mode.

Elven

[tazz1964]

Can you gave me more info. on your system model ,make do you have a windows cd or do you have a restore disk from the company that made the pc?

[admin]

Hi Elven, don't worry, you're not annoying me If I didn't like helping people with their computing problems I wouldn't have started this site. Also, I don't pretend to know it all, and welcome input from other members. That's what makes online communities so great!

Back to the problem at hand. A boot disk bypasses Windows and loads a basic DOS system on your computer. Ever since Windows 98, this boot disk also loads CD-ROM drivers. What I'm suggesting you do is use this boot disk to copy the driver from your CD to your hard drive, since you can't access your CD in safe mode. This may well be the same driver you initially installed, and there's no guarantee this will fix your problem, but it's a good place to start (you could also have compatability problems with your motherboard and/or BIOS). However, the majority of the time these problems can be fixed by completely removing the video drivers (i.e. Driver Cleaner), and then reinstalling the latest driver.

Please try the instructions in my ealier post. If you have questions or uncomfortable with the instructions just ask! I'm old enough to remember working in DOS, and even programing in Basic, but I realize to most people today DOS commands might as well be Greek. Keep us posted!

[Elvenwarrior2001]

Sounds reasonable. One more question, and then we'll give it a try. Would it be possible to copy the Driver Cleaner from the CD to harddrive in the same way, and then install and run the Driver Cleaner? And if so, what do you think of that option, or do you think I still should copy the driver you gave me over and install that?

Tazz: I have the Windows 98SE disk that came with the comp. I'll try to get some sytem info. I'm not sure about any restore disk. *shrug*

Elven

Edited by Elvenwarrior2001, 11 November 2003 - 02:30 PM.

[admin]

One more question, and then we'll give it a try. Would it be possible to copy the Driver Cleaner from the CD to harddrive in the same way, and then install and run the Driver Cleaner?

Yes. If you haven't run drive cleaner on this computer yet, please do so before installing the driver.

[Elvenwarrior2001]

Okay...I'll have to do it through the DOS boot disk to get it on the comp I guess, since the Driver Cleaner isn't on the computer. I'd do everything the same to get the Driver Cleaner on there except I'd tell it to copy the Driver Cleaner instead of the Video Driver, right? And it can install the Driver Cleaner in Safe Mode, right?

Elven

[admin]

Correct!

[Elvenwarrior2001]

Okay. I copied the boot file to an A disk and stuck it in the A drive of the problematic computer. I turned it on and at start up I got the following error message:

"Non-system disk or disk error. Replace and strike any key when ready."

I tried striking a key but it did the same thing of course. I removed the A disk and it started up and froze at the "Windows '98" screen as usual. I started it in Safe Mode as was able to read the A disk and the file seems to be in order. I doubt it was a disk error since the disk works fine and it's brand new. The error message is of course the message I get when I leave any A disk in the drive on start up, but for some reason it didn't run anything. What shall I do now?

P.S. If it were to execute correctly and we get to the part where you told me to enter "E" is E supposed to be a new CD-ROM drive, or the letter that represents my current CD-ROM drive (D)?

Elven

[admin]

Okay. I copied the boot file to an A disk and stuck it in the A drive of the problematic computer. I turned it on and at start up I got the following error message:

"Non-system disk or disk error. Replace and strike any key when ready."

That's strange? Maybe you have a defective diskette?

[tazz1964]

hi
What you can try is put your windows 98 disk in your cdrom and shut down leaving the cd in reboot and see if it boots up off the cd if it does it may have a repair on the cd where when it boots it will ask you to install windows or repair windows some cd have it some do not I don't know why this is I have two windows 98 cd one as this repair on it and then other one does not . if it does pick repair and let it run then see if you can boot up normal mode. if this works then you can run the programs adim told you about in earlier posts and we can get the right driver for you. the right drive for your card is
video driver this is what it says on the ati site.
(Windows 98*admin Display Driver version 4.13.2655)

[Elvenwarrior2001]

Disk is not defective. I checked. I even got a new one and tried.

Tazz: Tried CD thing. Nothing different happend on boot up.

What now?

Elven

[admin]

After you downloaded the file for the boot disk, did you just copy it to your floppy?

The way the boot disk file works is to run it after you download it, then it will prompt you to insert a floppy, and will proceed to copy the files to it. I probably should have given better instructions the first time.

[Elvenwarrior2001]

Yes, I just copied it. This time I got it right. I put in in the drive (after getting the boot disk right of course) and turned on the comp. It read the disk and gave me a menu similar to the option for going into Safe Mode with three options. Boot with CD-ROM support, boot without CD-ROM support, view help file. I viewed the help file, perused it for a bit and then returned to the about options. Since the first was preselected, and it seemed like the right one, I let it boot with CD-ROM support. It began loading stuff from the A disk, messages running across the screen every once in a while saying it was doing this and that. Finally it reached a screen saying "Preparing to start your computer. This may take a few minutes. Please wait..." I waited and after a little while this was added onto the screen. "The diagnostic tools were successfully loaded to drive D." Then it just sat there like I was supposed to do something. I let it sit for a while, and when it was apparent it wasn't going to do anything I tried hitting enter, and spacebar, and even escape. It wouldn't move. So I restarted and the disk brought be back to the original menu with the three options. I restarted in Safe Mode (removing the disk) and of course nothing was different because I never got the option to copy the file over.

What now? Something obviously went wrong but I don't know what.

Elven

[tazz1964]

Hi
after the boot disk loaded the diagnostic tools did you get a A:/ ?