98SE will not start

[bob1002]

This problem has just occured on my desktop running 98SE.
When I turn it on, it will go through the initial system diagnostics and load the 98 screen.
Then the beep and says it will run scandisk.
Scandisk runs to 24% and then I get the message "data error while reading cluster 505658" and will try to repair.
After awhile this message comes up:
"ScanDisk detected an invalid long filename entry on this drive but was unable to fix it.
To fix this problem, run scandisk for windows."

Isn't scandisk and scandisk for windows the same?

Any suggestions?
Do you think this is a hard drive problem, virus, ???

Thanks in advance.
b.

[Cricket]

Sounds like your hard drive is developing bad clusters (I'm working on a computer that's doing the same thing. Owner is upgrading the computer anyway so he already has a new 120GB hard drive on hand)...once the bad clusters start, they're like cancer and will keep spreading till the hard drive is totally useless.

You need to try and save whatever important data is on that hard drive now. Stick that hard drive into another computer and use Windows Explorer to drag and drop your data onto another hard drive or burn them to CD-R.

Cricket

[RenamonXP]

Cricket is right on this one. Once and HD goes to that point its going to go all rabid on you. As cricket said. Burn it off or drag and drop. What you do with the messed up drive is up to you.

[bob1002]

Thanks for the response.
That's what I was afraid of.

I made a boot disk that allows me to at least get in.
And have a 2nd smaller HD on the computer that I hope I can copy my files to.

I just tried booting it up again and now it's giving me an error on a different cluster. Sounds like the "cancer" is spreading like you say.

Before I start copying, what (if any) is the possibility this is caused by a virus? This is a secondary PC and I haven't kept the virus def's up to date. I don't want to move my problem somewhere else.

Thanks again!
b.

[Kubie]

bob1002,

It isn't a virus, your HDD is just going bad.

Carl

[bob1002]

O.K.

After I put in my new HDD.
Since I went from W95 to 98SE with an upgrade disk, I'll have to load 95 first & then the 98SE?
The 98SE CD says it will search the system for eligibility.
Does it?
Or is there a workaround?
I haven't kept up with all of the ins & outs like I used to.

B.

[andyms18a]

yes thair is a work around start the windows98 install and it will ask you for the location of the win95 cd remove the 98 cd
and insert the 95 cd point the windows look up box to the cd drive once its detected the 95cd remove it and reincert the 98 cd and setup will continue this is the best way to install 98 as well as you dont get any win95 problams on your computer.also download the drive check softwair from your damaged hdd manufactures web site as some times it can fix the drive by low levall formating it all data will be lost but it may save the drive so you can use it as a spair

[Cricket]

Originally posted by andyms18a download the drive check softwair from your damaged hdd manufactures web site as some times it can fix the drive by low levall formating it all data will be lost but it may save the drive so you can use it as a spair

Zero filling the drive will just wipe the data from it, it doesn't repair the damage.

Bad clusters are actual physical damage to the platters (magnetic material is actually flaking off) and once it starts, it just keeps getting worse and worse. Best to get all your important data off the drive and then either send the drive in if it's under warranty or if it's not, take it apart and get the magnets...they're really powerful and make great refrigerator magnets for holding big items to the door.

Cricket

[bob1002]

Thanks to everyone for their help.
Cricket mentioned early on about putting the damaged drive in another computer and to get the data off.
After I install the new HDD couldn't I just connect the damaged one up temporarily afterward to get the files I want?

What's the largest HDD 98SE will recognize without partitions?

Anyone point me to a document, site, etc., for a "how-to" for replacing a HDD?
Like I mentioned before, I not as up to date on the ins & outs.
I've done this before, but it's been a long while.
Having someting to refer to would help keep me from overlooking something.
I know I could do a search, but figured you guys may have what I'm looking for at your fingertips.

Thanks again.
b.

[Cricket]

Originally posted by bob1002 Cricket mentioned early on about putting the damaged drive in another computer and to get the data off. After I install the new HDD couldn't I just connect the damaged one up temporarily afterward to get the files I want?

Sure, that'll work.

Originally posted by bob1002 What's the largest HDD 98SE will recognize without partitions?

It depends on which version of the Win98SE fdisk you got and the age of your motherboard (the BIOS may have size limitations. If you think you have the standard Win98SE fdisk, I think it'll recognize up to 64GB...but with a patched on, I think it'll go up to 128GB (or something like that).

Originally posted by bob1002 Anyone point me to a document, site, etc., for a "how-to" for replacing a HDD? Like I mentioned before, I not as up to date on the ins & outs. I've done this before, but it's been a long while. Having someting to refer to would help keep me from overlooking something. I know I could do a search, but figured you guys may have what I'm looking for at your fingertips.

Installing a new hard drive isn't hard to do...you set the drive jumper to either master (if you're using a 40 wire IDE cable) or CS/CSel (cable select if you're using a 80 wire IDE cable). Install the hard drive into the drive cage and connect the IDE cable (red stripe to pin 1) and power connector. Power up the system and go into BIOS to be sure the hard drive is recognized. If it is, change the boot order so that the CD-ROM drive is the first boot device, put your Win98SE CD in the CD-ROM drive, Save and Exit the BIOS and the system will reboot to the CD-ROM and the Win98SE installer will take over. Follow the on-screen instructions.

If you have more than 2 optical drives, put the Win98SE CD in the master optical drive (if they're both on the same IDE cable).

Here's the PC Mech tutorial on installing a hard drive.

Cricket