PCWorks: Win 98 slow boot up with flashing cursor

I have been asked to check a computer with windows 98 as the
OS. The problem
occurs at boot up during which, after the POST and the login
screen it
reverts to a black screen with a flashing bar in the top
left hand corner.
This remains for about a minute and a half then continues to
finish booting
to the desktop and continues without any problems.
Apparently during this
delay something is going on in the background. Can anyone
enlighten me as to
what is going on during this period and what can be done to
shorten the
time. 
Thanks, 
Alan. 
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Alan, has there been any hardware removed from the system
recently? Or 
perhaps a piece of hardware has failed and Win98 is having
difficulty 
loading drivers for it.

Have you run check disk and defragmented the hard drive?

How long has it been since the OS was installed? The 9x
series is easily 
fixed with a routine format/reinstallation schedule,
unfortunately.

Peter Kaulback

Alan Priol wrote:
> I have been asked to check a computer with windows 98
as the OS. The problem
> occurs at boot up during which, after the POST and the
login screen it
> reverts to a black screen with a flashing bar in the
top left hand corner.
> This remains for about a minute and a half then
continues to finish booting
> to the desktop and continues without any problems.
Apparently during this
> delay something is going on in the background. Can
anyone enlighten me as to
> what is going on during this period and what can be
done to shorten the
> time. 
> Thanks, 
> Alan. 
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> How long has it been since the OS was installed? The 9x
series is easily 
> fixed with a routine format/reinstallation schedule,
unfortunately.
>
> Peter Kaulback

How do I format an XP machine since they don't have boot
disks?

It is a Hewlitt Packard so it must have the H-P disk. After
clearing the 
disk can I simply load XP on and then call Microsoft to
activate again? The 
machine is around 4 years old. 
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98 had a bootlog file (bootlog.txt?) t6hat may be helpful.


Alan Priol wrote:
> I have been asked to check a computer with windows 98
as the OS. The problem
> occurs at boot up during which, after the POST and the
login screen it
> reverts to a black screen with a flashing bar in the
top left hand corner.
> This remains for about a minute and a half then
continues to finish booting
> to the desktop and continues without any problems.
Apparently during this
> delay something is going on in the background. Can
anyone enlighten me as to
> what is going on during this period and what can be
done to shorten the
> time. 
> Thanks, 
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It depends on what kind of CD came with it.  Usually it's a
POS 
"restore" disk and you have to run it.  If it's a
FULL OS 
version, just boot from it, then it will format and install

(follow the prompts).

What do you mean by "clear the disk", do you mean
the HD or the 
CD?  You can't "clear" the CD (unless it's an RW
disk, which I 
highly doubt, and if you did that it would of course be
blank). 
You don't need to clear the HD, when you install XP on it as
I 
mentioned above, it will be "cleared" when XP
formats it.....if 
it's a full OS CD.

You don't need to call M$, you can activate it just by
clicking 
the icon when it asks.
-Clint

God Bless
Clint Hamilton, Owner
http://www.OrpheusCom
puting.com
http://www.Comput
ersCustomBuilt.com
http://Computer-Hardware-Sales-Consumer-Electronics
-Sales.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Vern"

> How long has it been since the OS was installed? The 9x

> series is easily
> fixed with a routine format/reinstallation schedule, 
> unfortunately.
>
> Peter Kaulback

How do I format an XP machine since they don't have boot
disks?

It is a Hewlitt Packard so it must have the H-P disk. After

clearing the
disk can I simply load XP on and then call Microsoft to 
activate again? The
machine is around 4 years old.
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In addition to what Peter said; how does it boot into safe 
mode?  Do you see any names/titles on the screen?  If it
still 
does it in safe mode, it could be a disk management utility

installed.  Something like maybe Ghost, HD backup program, 
Norton utility, etc.  If it does not do it in safe mode it's

probably a driver or something loading at boot (that may or
may 
not be in the System Tray).
-Clint

God Bless
Clint Hamilton, Owner
http://www.OrpheusCom
puting.com
http://www.Comput
ersCustomBuilt.com
http://Computer-Hardware-Sales-Consumer-Electronics
-Sales.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Kaulback"

Alan, has there been any hardware removed from the system 
recently? Or
perhaps a piece of hardware has failed and Win98 is having 
difficulty
loading drivers for it.

Have you run check disk and defragmented the hard drive?

How long has it been since the OS was installed? The 9x
series 
is easily
fixed with a routine format/reinstallation schedule, 
unfortunately.

Peter Kaulback

Alan Priol wrote:
> I have been asked to check a computer with windows 98
as the 
> OS. The problem
> occurs at boot up during which, after the POST and the
login 
> screen it
> reverts to a black screen with a flashing bar in the
top left 
> hand corner.
> This remains for about a minute and a half then
continues to 
> finish booting
> to the desktop and continues without any problems.
Apparently 
> during this
> delay something is going on in the background. Can
anyone 
> enlighten me as to
> what is going on during this period and what can be
done to 
> shorten the
> time.
> Thanks,
> Alan.
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As it is an HP it might not have a restore cd, rather it may
have a 
restore partition with diagnostic and restore utilities
located there. 
Check HP support for specific instructions regarding the
particular 
model you have there.

It will activate on it's own when installation is complete
unless you 
want to call them, I've had to when reinstalling after the
tenth time in 
about 6 weeks. They get kind of antsy about such
reinstalls.

HTH

Peter Kaulback

Vern wrote:
>> How long has it been since the OS was installed?
The 9x series is 
>> easily fixed with a routine format/reinstallation
schedule, 
>> unfortunately.
>>
>> Peter Kaulback
> 
> How do I format an XP machine since they don't have
boot disks?
> 
> It is a Hewlitt Packard so it must have the H-P disk.
After clearing the 
> disk can I simply load XP on and then call Microsoft to
activate again? 
> The machine is around 4 years old.
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> You don't need to clear the HD, when you install XP on
it as I
> mentioned above, it will be "cleared" when XP
formats it.....if
> it's a full OS CD.

Since it is a HP computer I am not expecting a full OS CD.
That is why I am 
asking about cleaning the hard drive. The computer is so
full of ads and 
viruses it barely moves. They couldn't load mouse drivers so
they called me. 
It is so messed up I couldn't load them either. I need to
wipe the hard 
drive and start over.
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Pete, the trouble is I don't want to restore WinXP. I want
to wipe the drive 
to get rid of all the junk and reload Windows so the machine
will be like it 
was new.



> As it is an HP it might not have a restore cd, rather
it may have a 
> restore partition with diagnostic and restore utilities
located there. 
> Check HP support for specific instructions regarding
the particular model 
> you have there.
>
> It will activate on it's own when installation is
complete unless you want 
> to call them, I've had to when reinstalling after the
tenth time in about 
> 6 weeks. They get kind of antsy about such reinstalls.
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It sounds like it's in pretty bad shape, so it would
probably 
be a waste of time to try and install all the anti-malware
on 
it and AV software.  The only way to totally wipe it like
you 
mentioned in another email, is to reformat it, and the only
way 
you can do that is if you have full OS CD.  You *can* wipe
it 
(reformat it), yes, but you won't have anything to put back
on 
it.

I'm not very familiar with "restore" CD's (never
used them for 
obvious reasons, and I build my own PC's), but that may be 
your/their only hope without an OS CD.
-Clint

God Bless
Clint Hamilton, Owner
http://www.OrpheusCom
puting.com )
http://www.Comput
ersCustomBuilt.com
http://Computer-Hardware-Sales-Consumer-Electronics
-Sales.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Vern"

> You don't need to clear the HD, when you install XP on
it as 
> I
> mentioned above, it will be "cleared" when XP
formats 
> it.....if
> it's a full OS CD.

Since it is a HP computer I am not expecting a full OS CD.
That 
is why I am
asking about cleaning the hard drive. The computer is so
full 
of ads and
viruses it barely moves. They couldn't load mouse drivers so

they called me.
It is so messed up I couldn't load them either. I need to
wipe 
the hard
drive and start over.
============= PCWorks Mailing List =================
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Contact list owner <owner-pcworksimagicomm.com>
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=====================================================