System Boot Probs

I'm having a prob where when I try to turn on my system (after being shutdown), and the system will hang right before it would normal say "Starting Windows 98". It would already go thru the mem test, and detect the drives... but after the first screen of my boot it will just hang. I will get one beep, then on the blank screen I'll get some weird symbols. Sometimes it will even say "Divide Overflow Error" as well. I can reboot my computer with no problem, it's only when I try booting up the system after it is shutdown. And when I do try to do that... I'll need to wait up to hours to a day for it to be able to fully reboot again. So basiclly I need to leave my system on all the time because I need to use it often.

Some say it could be a problem with the power source, or proccessor... but I really have no idea!

Cpu specs: Dell Dimension XPS D333, 200w of power, 128mb RAM, and a ATI Rage Pro 8mb.

I've ran scandisk on thorough, and that dosen't help at all. How would I know what's wrong inside the Registry? I've used programs liek RegClean, and Easy Cleaner... but those didn't help either.

This prob started so many months ago, I don't remember how or when it really started (sorry).

I wrote down those strange symbols (altho i doubt it will really mean anything). Can't really type them out for you, but ill try to explain to them in my best ability.

1st line has a down arrow, then the exponent of 2, a circle with an upside down L connected to the top of it, a hook, less than or equal to symbol, another circle with an upside down L connected to the top of it, an arrow pointing towards the right, equal symbol, something that looks like a musical note???, a vertical line with a horizontal line connected to the left side of it, lowercase t, uppercase L.

Now for the next line of this comp system BS hehe. 1/4, a happy face, arrow pointing to the left, upside down F, arrow pointing down, another musical note, and something in the shape of a T.

Well... hope you can figure SOMETHING out with that = )

Btw if I try to hit F8 to go into Safemode, or try booting off the Win Startup disk... those won't work either because it'll end up giving me the same symbols

I'll have to agree, sounds like a virus, I've seen that behavior with the old, but not nice, NATAS. Get yourself a boot disk with an Antivirus like McAfee or something, make sure it's not that. Right click My Computer and go to the last tab (performance I think). It will usually tell you if there's a boot sector virus.