Home Build PC

[armbandbob 0]

I'm building my first PC at home.

I have put together an Intel Pentium 4 3.4GHZ HT S775 1M Cache on an Intel Eatonville Socket LGA775 I915G ATX motherboard with 2GB DDR RAM.

 

I'm trying to install windows 98SE so that I can then upgrade to 2K or XP, but am getting the following message after the reboot during the setup process.

"Insufficient Memory to initialize windows

 

Quit one or more memory resident programs or remove unnecessary utilities from config.sys & autoexec.bat and restart your computer.

 

Press any key to continue"

 

From what I have read online I believe this is due to the excessive RAM. In the system.ini file have tried inserting a MaxFileCache=524288 under [VCache] in system.ini, and have also tried inserting MaxPhysPage=30000 under [386Enh] but have been unsucessful with both things.

 

I have read trying to use msconfig might be an alternative but I cannot get past the error message even in safe mode to access the start button.

 

Any suggestions would be more than welcome

[GTwannabe 0]

Check the BIOS for "Windows Install Mode" It artificially limits the system memory to 128mb so Win98 can install properly.

 

You shouldn't have to install Win98 first; just boot off the Windows XP upgrade disc and run the installer. It will ask you to insert your Win98 disc for verification.

[armbandbob 0]

I cannot find a 'windows install mode' in the bios but have found a Max CPUID Value limit in the advanced boot configuration which I have now set to enabled 'in order to boot legacy OSes that cannot support CPUs with extended CPUID function'

 

It did not work when I simply rebooted after adjusting this in the BIOS, so I am trying to reinstall now.

 

I tried to install straight from the XP disk but I couldnt get the machine to look at the drive, due to it being the wrong file type or something. I should also point out I am trying to create a multiboot environment on this machine so that I can become familiar with most of the current and legacy OSes

[armbandbob 0]

To clarify it wont let me run the setup program from the XP disk in DOS mode

[armbandbob 0]

I still cant get passed the error message even with the Max CPUID Value limit enabled.

 

help!!!

[Wilhelmus 1]

<edit>

Quote:

I tried to install straight from the XP disk but I couldnt get the machine to look at the drive, due to it being the wrong file type or something.

 

</edit>

What is the exact error message?

 

Do you start the booting from XP CD, hard drive, floppy or where?

[Wicked101 0]

Make sure that "S.M.A.R.T." is enabled, you should find it on the win98se CD, I think the file is called "smartdrv.exe", just run it by typing "smartdrv.exe" once you are in the directory where the file is.

 

When your in dos and want to install win98se, instead of just typing "setup", type "setup /?" and then you can use diff. options to install

[theefool 0]

1. Go into bios, and make sure that the CDrom drive is selected as a bootup device.

2. With the XP cd in the drive, boot the computer. It will boot off the cd drive. When you get to the point where you have to hit F8 to agree with the license, it will ask for an older os cd. Just replace the xp cdrom with the 98 cdrom, it'll read the setup.inf (i think) file off that cd. Then you'll have the chance to setup the partition. Which you'll need to take out your 98 cd and replace it with the xp cd.

 

The reason you are having problems installing win98 with 2 gigs of memory, is cause win98 doesn't like memory over 512mb. I bet, if you were to take out all your memory except for 512mb, it will install fine. Even less memory would work even better.

 

In fact, if you were to install 98 with 512 megs of memory, then later install 1.5 gigs more memory, 98 will not be able to run any apps, cause of not enough memory. Yes, even with 2 gigs. Yes, there is a patch for this.

 

But, I'd just recommend booting off your xp cdrom and go to town.

 

Also, does BIOS see all your HDDs and CDrom drives?

[armbandbob 0]

Originally posted by Wilhelmus:

Quote:

<edit>

Quote:

I tried to install straight from the XP disk but I couldnt get the machine to look at the drive, due to it being the wrong file type or something.

 

</edit>

What is the exact error message?

 

Do you start the booting from XP CD, hard drive, floppy or where?

 

bold textWilhelmus, When trying to load up directly from the XP disk I am booting from a DOS floppy which sees my DVD-RW and CD Rom combo drive. I insert the XP disk but when I try to run setup I am told the program cannot be run in DOS mode

[felix 0]

armbandbob, I do have to ask, why are you installing 98SE?

 

With hardware like that, the only decent choice is XP. I don't think 98SE will know what to do with 2gb RAM and you may be wasting your money.

 

Given you bought the board, processor and I'm assuming all the rest, the vendor should have been able to sell you an OEM XP disk.

[theefool 0]

armbandbob, you should be able to load xp from the start, by booting off the cdrom. If you can't, then you have something not set in either the bios or the jumpers on the cdrom.

[armbandbob 0]

Originally posted by theefool:

Quote:

1. Go into bios, and make sure that the CDrom drive is selected as a bootup device.

2. With the XP cd in the drive, boot the computer. It will boot off the cd drive. When you get to the point where you have to hit F8 to agree with the license, it will ask for an older os cd. Just replace the xp cdrom with the 98 cdrom, it'll read the setup.inf (i think) file off that cd. Then you'll have the chance to setup the partition. Which you'll need to take out your 98 cd and replace it with the xp cd.

 

The reason you are having problems installing win98 with 2 gigs of memory, is cause win98 doesn't like memory over 512mb. I bet, if you were to take out all your memory except for 512mb, it will install fine. Even less memory would work even better.

 

In fact, if you were to install 98 with 512 megs of memory, then later install 1.5 gigs more memory, 98 will not be able to run any apps, cause of not enough memory. Yes, even with 2 gigs. Yes, there is a patch for this.

 

But, I'd just recommend booting off your xp cdrom and go to town.

 

Also, does BIOS see all your HDDs and CDrom drives?

 

to answer a couple of questions:

I have 2 x 1GB memory sticks so I cannot put less than 1GB in to start the machine with.

 

With a blank hard disk I have tried to boot up from the XP disk direct by making it the primary boot device and am asked to 'reboot and select proper boot device or insert boot media in selected boot device.

 

As this does not work, I have tried using a Dos 6.22 floppy to boot the machine and recognise the CD-Rom/DVD-RW combo drive. when i then look at the XP CD-Rom and try to reun setup. I am told that the 'program will not run in DOS Mode'

 

Windows 98SE's setup program on the CD-ROM also will not run on its own, but it will 'run' if I use the DOS 6.22 boot floppy including recognition of the CD-Rom/DVD Combo to boot the machine first. However it does not complete the installation coming up with the memory error I originally described.

[theefool 0]

The memory error is cause you have too much memory. You have to have something installed incorrectly, if you can't boot from the CD. Though, maybe not, I have seen some systems that refuse to boot from the CDrom. If this is that case, then go into the bios, and remove the Hdd from the bootup selection. Then make sure that the cdrom is in the bootup selection. Reboot. If the cdrom is connected properly, you should be able to access the xp setup bootup sequence. Though, when you do the first reboot, make sure you go back into the bios and put the HDD back in the bootup sequence.

[theefool 0]

Or stick some smaller memory in the computer and just do the normal boot with 98.

[theefool 0]

I think there may be another way to do this. Can you boot into dos, then insert the xpcd into the cdrom. There should be a setup tool that creates winxp setup boot disks. I think you need 6.

 

Wait, I just found something that may be of interest. Or may not...

 

for pro

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/detai...;displaylang=en

for home

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/detai...;displaylang=en

[AndyFair 0]

Quote:

Originally posted by armbandbob:
With a blank hard disk I have tried to boot up from the XP disk direct by making it the primary boot device and am asked to 'reboot and select proper boot device or insert boot media in selected boot device.

Does this mean you're selecting the hard disk as the boot device?

What you need to do is select the CD drive to be the first boot device. The XP disk is bootable, you shouldn't have to do any mucking around with floppy disks or DOS.

If you have already selected the CD as the first boot device, it means that your XP CD is not being recognised. It is a kosher XP disk, with proper holograms and everything, isn't it?

[theefool 0]

AndyFair, that is what I've been trying to tell this individual. Though, you seem to explain it better.

[Wilhelmus 1]

Quote:

"This Program Cannot Be Run in DOS Mode" Running Windows XP Setup, MS-KB278104.
SYMPTOMS
When you run Setup.exe in a real-mode command prompt, you may receive the following error message:
This program cannot be run in DOS Mode.
CAUSE
Setup.exe is not intended to be run from MS-DOS mode for Windows XP.
RESOLUTION
To run Setup from MS-DOS, you can run Winnt.exe from the I386 folder on the Windows XP CD-ROM. Type drive:\i386\winnt.exe, where drive is your CD-ROM drive, to start Setup.