Packard Bell PB660 CD

[crig48]

I picked up an older PC (Packard Bell -PB660CD) from a yard sale and I'm fixing it up for a senior citizen. When you turn it on, all you get is a startup screen which reads: Phoenix BIOS ver.4.03 CPU 486DX4 75MHz
System BIOS--shadowed Video BIOS--shadowed 3F8h COM--address conflict Push (F1) to resume
(F2) to setup The computer will not start Windows. It's suppose to have Windows 95. I don't know if it has A or B 95. Could the address conflict be causing Windows not to start. I appreciate any help getting this computer up and running. I can get it to start and run in safe-mode. Thanks







i

[Sauron]

Setup, make sure your floppy drive is working. Set the date, save, then hit resume, (this is my comp, hope it works for you) wait for it to get into the next screen (if there is one) hit F8. Your best bet might be to delete everything, ie, a format. Anyone agree with me?

[crig48]

I selected (F2)setup and checked the time and date. They were correct. I then select (F1)resume and the Windows 95 logo screen come up, the next screen was a black screen with the message: Windows protection error. You need to restart computer. When I restarted I got the same initial screen that I had to start with and Windows not loading up. Thanks

[highrisemech]

I agree it is best to reformat the c drive and load your own version of windows. But if you insist on trying to get the version that is on the machine running you must enter the bios by hitting del during boot up then find and correct the fault which is keeping windows from loading. Anyone who is proficient with bios setting should easily be able to correct the fault.

[Streams]

Should me an option to disable bios shadowning - disable it this i think should fix it

:)

[GaryRouth]

Hi crig48

Just curious: everything going again?

Did disabling the video bios shadowing (like Streams suggested) do the trick?

I actually do some similiar fixing up for seniors and kids in the neighborhood, and Packard Bells are frequently the free-or-nearly-free parts that come along. With one of the age you're looking at this time, I'd stick with Win95, since the hardware is so old the performance will match Win95 best. Sometimes the old Packard Bell parts don't have Win98 drivers, either: especially the old Cirrus video chips they used at times.

My cardinal rule with those old systems is not to spend more than $50 on them, because entirely new systems with Durons can be made for under $200, and then everything is several computing generations newer and more capable/flexible.

Good Luck
...Gary

(p.s. ...the 3F8h COM is an address usually used by the COM port 1, if my memory is working correctly this evening....not a sure thing)

[crig48]

I've tried to get into the bios of my computer by holding down the delete key while starting the computer, buti've not had any success. Can anyone tell me what i'm doing wrong. Thanks

[medlang]

Hi crig48
Windows protection error is normally a problem with windows not understanding the way your PC is set up. Try and boot up into safe mode (try F8 on start up ) and disable any conlficting devices.
It could be that your Com1 port is using a memory address needed by another device (3F8h COM)
You can alter things in the bios set up if you get stuck.
If you get realy stuck you could try to reload windows.

[GaryRouth]

Hi again

From your 1st post, it looks like you can enter your Bios Setup from the screen that is displaying your Bios error: press the function key F2 after the error message.

You can try disabling video bios shadowing, though on a machine as old as this, it might be needed for the older video system to have any speed at all. Another option, which is fairly straightforward, is to look for a Bios Setup menu that lets you accept Default Settings for most of the entries. These defaults
should allow your computer to get started & load Windows. You can always go back later to tune for performance. Not a lot of tuning, though, on an old 486.

If you have any more questions, post again & we'll see if we can get you going

...Gary

[BFD Deadeye]

I hope that PB doesn't have the CD IDE cable plugged into the sound card! If you reformat it, and you don't have the original disks that came with it, installing anything other than DOS or Win 3.1 is going to be a real bear!

[crig48]

THANKS---I installed another 8 mg. of memory and that solved all my problems. Thanks to everyone!