Windows 98 Start up problems

After an unexpected power failure, PC will not reboot - any suggestions?

Fan924
Thu Apr 03 06:49:53 PDT 2008

Details?

Brian
Thu Apr 03 07:51:09 PDT 2008

Please help others help you by providing more detail.
Was the PC on when the power failed?
Does the PC power up at all? If yes, how far does it get in the boot process?
If no, it's highly probable a component went South.


--


Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375


"cms-api" <cms-api@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:76A456E3-C095-4AB7-B5B3-92E4806A2404@microsoft.com...
> After an unexpected power failure, PC will not reboot - any suggestions?

cmsapi
Thu Apr 03 08:43:02 PDT 2008

Yes, the PC was on when the power failed. It sounds like the PC is trying to
boot, but nothing is displayed on the monitor.

"Brian A." wrote:

> Please help others help you by providing more detail.
> Was the PC on when the power failed?
> Does the PC power up at all? If yes, how far does it get in the boot process?
> If no, it's highly probable a component went South.
>
>
> --
>
>
> Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
> Conflicts start where information lacks.
> http://basconotw.mvps.org/
>
> Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
> How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
>
>
> "cms-api" <cms-api@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:76A456E3-C095-4AB7-B5B3-92E4806A2404@microsoft.com...
> > After an unexpected power failure, PC will not reboot - any suggestions?
>
>

dadiOH
Thu Apr 03 10:26:54 PDT 2008

cms-api wrote:
> Yes, the PC was on when the power failed. It sounds like the PC is
> trying to boot, but nothing is displayed on the monitor.

Does the hard drive activity light come on?

Does it flicker on/off for a couple of minutes and then stay off?

Have you tried another monitor?


--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Don
Thu Apr 03 10:27:31 PDT 2008

"cms-api" <cmsapi@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:BFAE4AFA-9242-479C-BB75-C8170A2F2B2C@microsoft.com...

> Yes, the PC was on when the power failed. It sounds like the PC is trying
to
> boot, but nothing is displayed on the monitor.

Commonly (say half the time) if the power fails while
a Win98 PC is doing something, you will need to
reinstal the OS (and possibly reformat beforehand.)

You did not post whether you can boot DOS from a
floppy and get a disk directory of C:\
If the hard drive has essential data that you need to
salvage, the safest route is to put the drive into another
PC (that boots from its own C:\) and copy data over.
Copy what you can save before you make any attempt
to repair the old C: drive, let alone boot from it.

Before reinstallation, you should run as many diagnostics
as you can find, on both the motherboard and the old
hard drive. There would be no point reinstalling on a
damaged MB or to a damaged hard drive.

(I have not been in this position for 20 years. Electricity
used to fail frequently where I live, so I have used UPSs
(battery backups) for many years. The cheaper ones
give you about 5 minutes of full power, plenty to shut
down safely and without damage.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Brian
Thu Apr 03 10:35:11 PDT 2008

Does the tower display a solid light as an indication of the delivered power
and/or any "blinking" lights indicating disk activity?
Does the monitor have a green light indicating power/signal/connectivity or an
orange/amber light indicating no signal/connectivity?
Do you have another monitor to swap out to test if the present monitor may be
faulty?

--


Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375


"cms-api" <cmsapi@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:BFAE4AFA-9242-479C-BB75-C8170A2F2B2C@microsoft.com...
> Yes, the PC was on when the power failed. It sounds like the PC is trying to
> boot, but nothing is displayed on the monitor.
>
> "Brian A." wrote:
>
>> Please help others help you by providing more detail.
>> Was the PC on when the power failed?
>> Does the PC power up at all? If yes, how far does it get in the boot
>> process?
>> If no, it's highly probable a component went South.
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>>
>> Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
>> Conflicts start where information lacks.
>> http://basconotw.mvps.org/
>>
>> Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>> How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
>>
>>
>> "cms-api" <cms-api@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:76A456E3-C095-4AB7-B5B3-92E4806A2404@microsoft.com...
>> > After an unexpected power failure, PC will not reboot - any suggestions?
>>
>>

cmsapi
Thu Apr 03 11:46:01 PDT 2008

Yes, the activity light comes on and then stays off. A couple of weeks ago,
I tried to connect another moniter, but it was not recognized.

"dadiOH" wrote:

> cms-api wrote:
> > Yes, the PC was on when the power failed. It sounds like the PC is
> > trying to boot, but nothing is displayed on the monitor.
>
> Does the hard drive activity light come on?
>
> Does it flicker on/off for a couple of minutes and then stay off?
>
> Have you tried another monitor?
>
>
> --
>
> dadiOH
> ____________________________
>
> dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
> ....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
> LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
> Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
>
>
>
>

cmsapi
Thu Apr 03 11:48:02 PDT 2008

Thanks for the info - we thought a battery backup was connected, but it
failed too.

"Don Phillipson" wrote:

> "cms-api" <cmsapi@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:BFAE4AFA-9242-479C-BB75-C8170A2F2B2C@microsoft.com...
>
> > Yes, the PC was on when the power failed. It sounds like the PC is trying
> to
> > boot, but nothing is displayed on the monitor.
>
> Commonly (say half the time) if the power fails while
> a Win98 PC is doing something, you will need to
> reinstal the OS (and possibly reformat beforehand.)
>
> You did not post whether you can boot DOS from a
> floppy and get a disk directory of C:\
> If the hard drive has essential data that you need to
> salvage, the safest route is to put the drive into another
> PC (that boots from its own C:\) and copy data over.
> Copy what you can save before you make any attempt
> to repair the old C: drive, let alone boot from it.
>
> Before reinstallation, you should run as many diagnostics
> as you can find, on both the motherboard and the old
> hard drive. There would be no point reinstalling on a
> damaged MB or to a damaged hard drive.
>
> (I have not been in this position for 20 years. Electricity
> used to fail frequently where I live, so I have used UPSs
> (battery backups) for many years. The cheaper ones
> give you about 5 minutes of full power, plenty to shut
> down safely and without damage.)
>
> --
> Don Phillipson
> Carlsbad Springs
> (Ottawa, Canada)
>
>
>

cmsapi
Thu Apr 03 11:49:01 PDT 2008

Please see earlier response to Don.

"Brian A." wrote:

> Does the tower display a solid light as an indication of the delivered power
> and/or any "blinking" lights indicating disk activity?
> Does the monitor have a green light indicating power/signal/connectivity or an
> orange/amber light indicating no signal/connectivity?
> Do you have another monitor to swap out to test if the present monitor may be
> faulty?
>
> --
>
>
> Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
> Conflicts start where information lacks.
> http://basconotw.mvps.org/
>
> Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
> How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
>
>
> "cms-api" <cmsapi@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:BFAE4AFA-9242-479C-BB75-C8170A2F2B2C@microsoft.com...
> > Yes, the PC was on when the power failed. It sounds like the PC is trying to
> > boot, but nothing is displayed on the monitor.
> >
> > "Brian A." wrote:
> >
> >> Please help others help you by providing more detail.
> >> Was the PC on when the power failed?
> >> Does the PC power up at all? If yes, how far does it get in the boot
> >> process?
> >> If no, it's highly probable a component went South.
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >>
> >>
> >> Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
> >> Conflicts start where information lacks.
> >> http://basconotw.mvps.org/
> >>
> >> Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
> >> How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
> >>
> >>
> >> "cms-api" <cms-api@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:76A456E3-C095-4AB7-B5B3-92E4806A2404@microsoft.com...
> >> > After an unexpected power failure, PC will not reboot - any suggestions?
> >>
> >>
>
>

philo
Thu Apr 03 13:09:20 PDT 2008


"Don Phillipson" <e925@SPAMBLOCK.ncf.ca> wrote in message
news:ewTyxCblIHA.748@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> "cms-api" <cmsapi@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:BFAE4AFA-9242-479C-BB75-C8170A2F2B2C@microsoft.com...
>
> > Yes, the PC was on when the power failed. It sounds like the PC is
trying
> to
> > boot, but nothing is displayed on the monitor.
>
> Commonly (say half the time) if the power fails while
> a Win98 PC is doing something, you will need to
> reinstal the OS (and possibly reformat beforehand.)
>
> You did not post whether you can boot DOS from a
> floppy and get a disk directory of C:\
> If the hard drive has essential data that you need to
> salvage, the safest route is to put the drive into another
> PC (that boots from its own C:\) and copy data over.
> Copy what you can save before you make any attempt
> to repair the old C: drive, let alone boot from it.
>
> Before reinstallation, you should run as many diagnostics
> as you can find, on both the motherboard and the old
> hard drive. There would be no point reinstalling on a
> damaged MB or to a damaged hard drive.
>
> (I have not been in this position for 20 years. Electricity
> used to fail frequently where I live, so I have used UPSs
> (battery backups) for many years. The cheaper ones
> give you about 5 minutes of full power, plenty to shut
> down safely and without damage.)
>



I've found that if win98 has a bad shut down such as due to a power
failure...
the OS is usually repairable...
however the fact that there is no display on the monitor means there are
other problems here.

If there was a power surge and consequent failure, the power supply itself
could have failed.


BTW: I suggest <G> one uses a battery backup system similar to the one I
have:

http://www.plazaearth.com/philo/batt.jpg

At least 24 hours of backup there <G>