Comsuq

[BFD Deadeye]

Got a client with a Compaq Presario. Was unable to boot into regular Windows 98se or safe mode. Finally got into safe mode and ran defrag (worst fragmented drive I've ever seen). After defrag, I was able to get into Windows whereas I ran as many utilities in Norton 2000 that I could. Seemed fine. Now, I cannot boot into Windows again, although I can get into safe mode no problem. On regular Windows boot, it gets to a certain point and freezes, although it is intermitten, meaning, I can get into 98 SOMETIMES, but not all the time. Any ideas?

I should also note that client did not install any new drivers/periphials. And Norton DID find some problems, but fixed them.

[melloman]

msconfig may give you the inroad to what's doing normal mode in. from safe mode:
Start>run> msconfig enter. MSSconfig gomes up.
choose selective startup, uncheck all but system.ini. apply changes, reboot when prompted at exit. if the boot is ok, then it's time to add some stuff you removed with msconfig. once you added stuff anf got the crash, back to safe mode and remove half of what you added last. if a crash again, remove half of the half you left, etc...
If normal mode crashes clean, then you are probably looking at a bad driver. Go to device manager, and disable anything you can. (note: you are disabling the 32 bit drivers, not everything. Many things will function without their 32 bit drivers. ) use the same strategy to enable stuff slowly until you get to know what it squawks about. when you find it, remove, reload the driver. ;)

ComQrap computers have their own issues, but this is pure windows 98-ME troubleshooting.

[BFD Deadeye]

Turns out it was a bad Lucent modem. Thought I had the problem fixed, but when I went to dial up, it locked up on me. Removed the modem, and when Windows started back up and found it, it would lock up on the install. Popped in an old US robotics I had laying around, and low and behold, it works great now. Thanks for the reply melloman.