Win'98 PC boots to flashing cursor (not command prompt)

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wanaride

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Jul 30, 2015
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I am trying to setup a Win'98 (2nd edition) PC for testing at work, but the machine is not working correctly. (I need Win'98 because I need network connectivity and the ability to access a full version of DOS.) Here is the problem sequence:
- Cold boot the machine. PC starts up.
- Start > Shutdown > Restart. BIOS completes. Win'98 splash screen appears for a few seconds, then what looks like a BIOS information screen appears for one second, and then the screen goes black with a flashing cursor in the upper left corner. This is not a command prompt; anything you type is not echoed on screen and there is no "C:\".
- After waiting 5 minutes I press Ctrl-Alt-Del to restart the PC.
- I am eventually presented with "Windows 98 Startup Menu" and the "Windows did not finish loading on the previous attempt" message. I select "Safe Mode".
- PC boots into Safe Mode properly.
- Start > Shutdown > Restart. BIOS completes, Win'98 splash screen, then info screen, then flashing cursor, and I'm taken to Windows for login! Great!
- After login, Start > Shutdown > Restart in MS-DOS mode. Screen goes black. It appears the video card is no longer providing an output to the monitor (input LED changes from blue to orange). And now I'm back to Ctrl-Alt-Del.

Can anyone explain why this is happening?
 
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BigBadBeef

BigBadBeef

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May 30, 2014
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The only place I could perceive somebody still using windows 98 is in a museum... as an exhibit! You aren't trying to install it into a newer pc, are you? Because there are terrible backward compatibility issues! Anyone that does engage in this bout of nostalgia uses a carefully set up virtual machine and stripping most CPU functions just to get it to run.
 
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cdabc123

cdabc123

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Jun 9, 2015
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it can still be useful for things. however i would try running it in vmware player you can control the hardware a bit more.

 
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boosted1g

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Jun 12, 2013
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As stated above if the PC hardware is newer then windows 98 then you are going to have problems.
I loath to think about what business application is dependent on windows 98.

If things boot fine in safe mode but not regular mode this would seem likely that it is a driver issue.

The problem with asking about 17 year old operating systems is that us actually old enough to have experience with it are going to have trouble remembering anything that long ago.
 
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BigBadBeef

BigBadBeef

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Because vmware has nothing to do with virtual machines as I suggested, right? Besides, have you any idea how much does VMware cost? No way his boss is gonna spring for that much money!
 
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BigBadBeef

BigBadBeef

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No, it won't. The newer the HDD, the worse the problem! Windows 98 doesn't even have a clue what an SSD or M.2 is!

Just install the newest windows, use a virtual machine, and when you switch the virtual machine to fullscreen mode and set it up properly, you won't even tell the difference, I promise!
 
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