Why wont Windows 98se install???

[Wuzup101]

Ok well I just got a new video card (winfast GF2 GTS Pro) and since I had been getting some small but anoying errors in windows I decided to do a clean install of 98se. I booted into the c prompt and put in my data lifeguard tools disk from western digital and had it write 0's to the hard drive so it would "be like new" again. After doing this I partitioned the drive into one single partition and then formatted it (tried both format c: and format c: /s). I have reformatted several times since but every time i get to the windows setup program it starts and then has some type of error somewhere in the program. I got a few SUWIN erros. One saying suwin caused and illegal instruction in module GDI.EXE at 0001:4F95. I dont know what's causing the problem, i had similar problems when i first loaded windows (before the system was overclocked) and it took me a few days before i could get the setup program to run to completion. The thing just dont want to load. One question is do i have to remove all the pci cards before clean loading. I still have all of them in as of now. If anyone can help me I would be very very greatful!!!

Ps. I also posted this message over in the mydesktop.com windows forums but i thought since the system was oc'ed and everyone here is very knowledgeable that you might be able to help me here.

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AMD Duron 700mhz @ 950+mhz cooled by FOP-38
Asus A7V
20 gig Western Digital 7200rpm running UDMA/100
NEC 40x cd-rom
Sony 12/8/32 CD-RW
Zip parrallel drive
384 megs of micron (CAS 2)
Winfast Geforce2 GTS Pro 32meg DDR
Sound Blaster Live

[Big Lar]

First off/ Load windows Non OC'd..... if that dosn't do it, try booting into safe mode, you will get a screen stating that windows cannot detect drivers from safe mode/ clik ok/ then reboot, should work then, if not, you may want to try loading windows with a different cdrom, believe it or not, alot of the time the errors are from a cdrom either cutting out, or not reading correctly. I have never had a prob with installing with all the cards in place, & I've probably done this a godd 100 times in the last year, as I do it for a living now. You may want to check that your I/O Voltage is at least to 3.4v with that card as well.

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Help me get this Boot outta my azz!!!!

[TREB]

Install windooze at default speed.

[Wuzup101]

Alright I'm gonna knock it back down to 700 and try with my other cd rom drive. Actually I was thinking of the cd rom drive because windows only has generic drivers and i wasn't sure if that could have been the prob... Thanks. Big Lar...how do i check the I/O voltages??

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AMD Duron 700mhz @ 950+mhz cooled by FOP-38
Asus A7V
20 gig Western Digital 7200rpm running UDMA/100
NEC 40x cd-rom
Sony 12/8/32 CD-RW
Zip parrallel drive
384 megs of micron (CAS 2)
Winfast Geforce2 GTS Pro 32meg DDR
Sound Blaster Live

[Wuzup101]

Nope...Didn't work. I have it at 7oomhz now and I tried installing through my sony drive instead of the nec and it still came up with an error as soon as the install program started. I have also tried to install me and similar errors come up. Not a clue y though.

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AMD Duron 700mhz @ 950+mhz cooled by FOP-38
Asus A7V
20 gig Western Digital 7200rpm running UDMA/100
NEC 40x cd-rom
Sony 12/8/32 CD-RW
Zip parrallel drive
384 megs of micron (CAS 2)
Winfast Geforce2 GTS Pro 32meg DDR
Sound Blaster Live

[Burnt_IN]

I had the same kind of problems with a client's (o/c'ed) computer the other day when I tried a fresh install of 98SE. After fiddling I found out that if I set the RAM timings slightly less aggresively, then setup would complete. Once all was loaded, I could then tweak it back to its former glory.
Weird I know, but perhaps this would help - or maybe setting everything to 'default' in the BIOS??? Good luck

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All silicone-chips were created equal... except some which were more equal than others.

[Ramr]

Ok try this boot the machine with a win98 boot disk, format c: restart with the disk in and try setup.It sounds like Windows cannot find a logical drive to write to. Since you used WD's software to well kinda LLF the drive it left it unreadiable by windows. A simple format c: should leave the drive readable by win98.

[Wuzup101]

Alright i have the ram running at cas (3-3-3) and at 100mhz instead of 133, and i'm currently trying my luck at that speed. I did already do all the things Ramr suggested and the system is finding a drive to write to... it just wont finish setup. but after a filed attempt if i go to the prompt and hit dir c: i can see the files that were coppied to it. Also i tried a third cd rom drive from my bro's computer that i just loaded win 98se from on 3 weeks ago, that install went without a hitch. I'm at a loss here...but i'll keep u all posted...and thanks for the help.

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AMD Duron 700mhz @ 950+mhz cooled by FOP-38
Asus A7V
20 gig Western Digital 7200rpm running UDMA/100
NEC 40x cd-rom
Sony 12/8/32 CD-RW
Zip parrallel drive
384 megs of micron (CAS 2)
Winfast Geforce2 GTS Pro 32meg DDR
Sound Blaster Live

[Big Lar]

The I/O voltage is sometimes a setting in bios, sometimes a jumper on the board, depending on the board. As previously stated, it very well could be the WD software too...

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Help me get this Boot outta my azz!!!!

[Maxout]

Try FormatC: /u

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If you lived here, you'd be home by now...

[Wuzup101]

what does format c: /u do

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AMD Duron 700mhz @ 950+mhz cooled by FOP-38
Asus A7V
20 gig Western Digital 7200rpm running UDMA/100
NEC 40x cd-rom
Sony 12/8/32 CD-RW
Zip parrallel drive
384 megs of micron (CAS 2)
Winfast Geforce2 GTS Pro 32meg DDR
Sound Blaster Live

[TNproud2b]

format - unconditional

[TNproud2b]

PS,

"SUWIN" (setup windows) errors are almost always caused by RAM - at least in my experience.

Install Windows with just one stick of RAM set to cas3, 100MHz

Disable any BIOS options related to 'shadowing' or 'cacheing'.

[Jctaylor]

Just making sure... You did go into BIOS and disable virus protection, right?

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I know, I've got some serious buying to do.

P2 400 (but not for much longer)
Abit BE6-2 v1.2 with problems
Diamond Viper V770 Tnt2
SB Live Value
IBM Deskstar 7200rpm 45GB

[Wuzup101]

Ok well I got things working again. I think the one stick of ram that i had in there was defective or something?¿? Well anyway it's only a stick of 128 and it has a waranty on it so i'll be returning it shortly. The system loaded without error as soon as i removed that stick. I cant wait to get halflife running with this new video card... Thanks for all your help...

------------------
AMD Duron 700mhz @ 950+mhz cooled by FOP-38
Asus A7V
20 gig Western Digital 7200rpm running UDMA/100
NEC 40x cd-rom
Sony 12/8/32 CD-RW
Zip parrallel drive
384 megs of micron (CAS 2)
Winfast Geforce2 GTS Pro 32meg DDR
Sound Blaster Live