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[TruePurple]

I have been stuck running win98 since my XP mysteriously stopped working. Since I have long since lost track of my XP disk for this old PC I build myself awhile back, I got a ISO from a friend to repair it.

My CD burner no longer seems to be willing to burn, perhaps because the burn disks are too new for it to use? or perhaps the burning side of it is broken. Now I have a couple 8GB flash drives but my MoBO only supports USB FDD booting. So I need some program to bypass this issue. I found a program called Fbinst, but it doesn't work for win98.

I found this page
http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager.html#noinstall
I tried to understand some of the other options to see if they would help, but it was tough trying to figure whether any applied to my situation.

Following the instructions there under #7 under "Run from Floppy with a disk image" I downloaded plp 5.0.5 and rawwrite. I figured I could use that to fix XP for now then use the fbinst.

I point rawwrite to the plpbt.img file and press write.  I get "LoadLibrary 16 failed!"

Oh and for some strange reason it says "Windows 95 4.10 build number 67766446" along the bottom of the rawwrite program window.

[Elmar]

hi,
you can use this program too to write the image to the floppy
http://www.winimage.com/

regards
elmar

[TruePurple]

Could one of those other options help me? Which one?

I tried to figure out how to use that winimage program. I have winima81 because thats the latest one that is supported by win98. But there are too many options. I am also a bit concerned that it sees my 3 1/2 floppy drive as a 5 1/4 one.

 One thing I tried was open for the plpbt.img file, which caused a list of 3 txt files and one plpbt bin file to list in the program. clicking write to disk or format and write to disk causes the same error message- "the current image format is not supported by the disk drive"

[Elmar]

you can use the dos solution with my diskimg.com too

[TruePurple]

You mean

Download the current boot manager plpbt-5.0.7.zip. Extract it to get the install program. In the install directory there are 2 install programs (plpinst.com and plpinstc.com) for using under DOS.

plpinst.com creates a backup file plpback.bin for a complete boot manager uninstall. plpinstc.bin makes no backup. Use plpinstc.com for write protected media like CD's.

The only instructions I see in that are download and extract. No program works just by downloading and extracting, especially not one like this.

And no information what purpose these instructions are to be used for.

Ok I got my floppy to show as a 3.5 drive. But I have no idea how to use winimage with it after that.

Please help! Dig in a little further then single sentence replies please!

I need to know what options I have with this program to accomplish what I am trying to accomplish, and how to use those options, since the instructions on that page don't have enough information.

[Elmar]

i mean

http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager.html#runflp

Run from Floppy with a disk image

A floppy disk image is a file that contains every sector of the floppy disk. You cannot copy the image file on a floppy disk like a common file. It's required to use a special program that writes sector per sector of the image file to the floppy disk sectors. There are many programs available to do this.

Download the current boot manager plpbt-5.0.7.zip. Extract it to get the floppy disk image plpbt.img.

DOS: You can use diskimg.com with diskimg -d a -w plpbt.img

what do you don't understand?

[TruePurple]

what do you don't understand?

This

you can use the dos solution with my diskimg.com too

As far as the floppy disk image thing, I already explained the troubles I was having with that earlier in the thread.

[Elmar]

if you do not understand the following, then please do not use the boot manager. any further troubles are may be an unsolvable problem for you

at the plop homepage, green underlined texts are links. you can click on it to download files

download http://download.plop.at/files/bootmngr/plpbt-5.0.7.zip
download http://download.plop.at/files/DISKIMG.COM

extract plpbt-5.0.7.zip with a zip program
zip: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZIP_(file_format)
a free zip program http://www.7zip.org

copy the file plpbt.img from the zip file to c:\
copy the downloaded file diskimg.com to c:\

insert a 1.44mb floppy disk. format the floppy disk.

open a dos window.
then enter

Code: [Select]

cd \
diskimg -d a -w plpbt.img

if you don't understand this, then i assume you are trolling and i do not answer again

[TruePurple]

Ok, I followed your instructions and made a disk. I then shut down my computer. When loading up my computer again some time latter I went into bios and set my computer to boot from floppy and saved.

I was looking at something else while waiting for my computer to reload (for a minute or two) When I looked back, the monitor lights for both monitor on and standby were glowing. I force restarted my pc by holding down the power button since regular pushing of it didn't work. Then my monitor just showed standby. My PC fans run but I hear none of the usual post activity or see/hear any hard drive activity and the monitor still remained in standby mode. 

I disconnected just about every nonessential thing in my computer, (include HDD and FDD) even replacing the video card with a old PCI one I had and pulling out one of my two sticks of ram, hoping that if any of them were responsible then it would run and I would know the culprit. As well as pushing on cards/cables etc to make sure everything was firmly in place. None of it worked. Every time I pulled something I restarted my PC using the hard turn off and back on again after a moments wait. I am now on a PC I borrowed from a neighbor.

Is there any way your program could have causes this? Normally I wouldn't ever figure it would be at fault, but the timing of my PC coma and setting my PC to boot from your floppy program is too exact to just be ignored.

What ever the cause and fault is, can you recommend a good tech support forum that might be able to help? Could you help?

[Elmar]

hmmm, i don't know what i should say.

do a cmos reset
remove pc power cable
remove all hardware except cpu
insert only one ram
insert graphics card

turn power on, what do you see?

[TruePurple]

Remove graphics card? How am I suppose to see anything without a graphics card? Anyway I told you I tried it with a different graphics card (and then put back the original one and no dice)

Remove PC power cable? You mean to put it back in again? You mean the external one or the MoBO one?

Cmos reset, you do that by pulling out the battery and putting it back in right? Would that kill my MoBo firmware upgrades? Its been so long, not even sure I could find that firmware again for such a old board.

As I said, I pulled out(or disconnected, with no cable, its as good as not in as far as the PC is concerned) just about everything, including all but 1 ram. The monitor just sites in standby mod and the PC makes none of the normal indications of loading. For example, normally when my PC is in post or bios/cmos, I can press the power button once and turn it off, I don't normally need to hold it down for a few seconds to turn off my PC.

[Elmar]

Remove graphics card? How am I suppose to see anything without a graphics card? Anyway I told you I tried it with a different graphics card (and then put back the original one and no dice)

i know, and one point of my answer was insert graphic card.

Remove PC power cable? You mean to put it back in again? You mean the external one or the MoBO one?

external

Cmos reset, you do that by pulling out the battery and putting it back in right? Would that kill my MoBo firmware upgrades? Its been so long, not even sure I could find that firmware again for such a old board.

no, removing battery has no effect. take your motherboard manual and look how you make a cmos reset. use the manual of your motherboard and not from any other board. if you do it wrong, you can damage your board. a cmos reset does not affect the firmware.

[TruePurple]

I stll don't understand what your suggesting about the graphics card. With the measures I have taken so far, I would think that would be sufficient.

So you want me to remove the power cable and push it back in?

Once I find out how to reset my bios, you want me to pull all but the basics out again? (I put cards back in so that they would be out of the way and kept track of, since I figured I already eliminated them as suspects) Such would be a real pain in the ass, and since I already pulled em once, doesn't that mean they are not at fault?

P.S. Please keep in mind to do any work on my computer I have to pull it off the shelf, put this borrowed PC with built in monitor away, put PC and monitor on desk, pull modem cables etc. Then to log back in and tell you what happened, I have to do that all again in reverse. Its alot of manual labor each time.

[Elmar]

ok, again

remove all hardware except cpu, one ram and the graphic card. do you understand? this is to have only the minimum for your needs and look that the pc starts again. then do the cmos reset exactly described in the motherboard manual.

i really suggest, if you know anybody with more experience in this kind of work then take the pc and bring it to this person!

[TruePurple]

remove all hardware except cpu, one ram and the graphic card. do you understand?

And I told you at least twice already, that I have already done that.(then put some cards back so that they would be out of the way and kept track of) So it baffles me that you are giving me instructions to do something I have told you I have already done.

Ok I have found the online manual for this MoBo. There is a cmos clear pin setting, is that reseting the cmos? Do I move the pin over to clear, then back again, without needing to load inbetween? (the manual just tells me the pin position for clear, not how to actually do the clear)

[Elmar]

And I told you at least twice already, that I have already done that.(then put some cards back so that they would be out of the way and kept track of) So it baffles me that you are giving me instructions to do something I have told you I have already done.

yes, and you said that you put hardware back into the pc. but i want to have a defined status without any additional hardware in the pc. its much more pain for all if you don't make what i say.

Ok I have found the online manual for this MoBo. There is a cmos clear pin setting, is that reseting the cmos? Do I move the pin over to clear, then back again, without needing to load inbetween? (the manual just tells me the pin position for clear, not how to actually do the clear)

tell me the name of the motherboard

[TruePurple]

Thats why I asked if you really needed me to pull everything out again, considering from my point of view those pieces were already vetted for culpability, it would have been simpler to say yes.  (or if you in the earlier post said you wanted me to pull them out again, that would have let me know we were on the same page)

My MoBo is a ga-7ixe.

[Elmar]

how to clear the cmos:

remove external power
set the cmos jumper to pin 1-2 (clear cmos)
wait 20 seconds
set the jumper back to 2-3
reconnect power

i hope this works

[TruePurple]

Ok the jumper-pin was actually missing from my MoBo in that spot. But I scavaged a jumper off a old computer part and tried reseting the jumper. No effect. (had all but the video card, CPU, and one ram removed- well the power supply was still connected to the floppy drive, since its really stuck in there)

Got any other suggestions? Or know of a good tech support forum I can go to for something like this?

Can you think of any theoretical situations where booting off the PLoP floppy could have caused this?

[Elmar]

hmm,
i think there are not many options left.

• swap the ram with the other one
• do you hear any beep when only cpu and 1 ram is in the pc (no graphic card)
• reflashing the bios chip

you wrote

When loading up my computer again some time latter I went into bios and set my computer to boot from floppy and saved.

and

Cmos reset, you do that by pulling out the battery and putting it back in right? Would that kill my MoBo firmware upgrades? Its been so long, not even sure I could find that firmware again for such a old board.

when did you the firmware update and was it an original one? did you ever change bios settings with this firmware?

Is there any way your program could have causes this? Normally I wouldn't ever figure it would be at fault, but the timing of my PC coma and setting my PC to boot from your floppy program is too exact to just be ignored.

the timing is really bad for my program.

Got any other suggestions? Or know of a good tech support forum I can go to for something like this?

no, i was always able to solve the problems by my self.

Can you think of any theoretical situations where booting off the PLoP floppy could have caused this?

i can't remember any report to me that my program destroyed a computer and i have no idea what part of my software should be able to do something like that. there are only standard procedures used. no dirty hacks or so.

[TruePurple]

Hi, I haven't given up on this, I just took a break from it for awhile.

Right now I am trying to figure out if my boards internal speakers are even active, and how to hook up the external board speaker. For this I am consulting the motherboard manual. The thing is the board is not exactly the same as the diagram in the manual depicts.

So maybe I am wrong about the exact model of my MoBo, how does one determine such a thing?

Here is something else, http://www.focalprice.com/CN055G/2Digit_Desktop_Motherboard_Diagnostic_Debug_Post_Card_Green.html

Have you ever heard of such a item/can you tell me anything about it?

Is there a tech support forum you can recommend for such a issue?

[dukenukeme]

hi
i think that older boards may fail while under stress
it is unfortunate and included as calculated risk while experimenting
(it's not really possible that program it self has caused mallfunction)
http://www.giga-byte.com/Products/Motherboard/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=1416

Is this board have been in storage for little/some/long time?
(when board is not powered electrolytes looses capacity, litium batery discharges .etc.)

ususally there is white marking on gigabytes boards with exact name of the board , im not really sure.

is it stil 'no life signs' or have you able to get it to POST (if you hear beep after poweron)?

~~~~~~~~
on original problem in first thread , can you just burn cd-r at friends burner,
using low speed and try booting from cd , to cut the long story short
*make two cd/s , one using plpbt.iso and other using noemulation .iso plpbtnoemul.iso

it is also possible to instal xP from DOS
-first copy h:/i386 folder onto c: (this should be FAT32 ) from w98 via usb or network (presuming that w98 is working system)
-reboot to real DOS (somehow , not explicitly usb)
-launch setup using winnt32.exe from c:/i386
http://www.softwaretipsandtricks.com/windowsxp/articles/362/1/Install-XP-from-DOS

~~~~~~
if  rawrite not working on 98 try this one (which is taken from mandrake/mandriva cd) not sure will it work
has allso DOS only version , i think

~~~~~~~~
if not sure what to do please contact a friend with more technical expertise

[TruePurple]

this board have been in storage for little/some/long time?
(when board is not powered electrolytes looses capacity, litium batery discharges .etc.)

I thought I made it clear that I was using it regularly up to the time it stopped working. And I have been using this board since I got it some time ago, no storage.

I have not been able to get post, the only think that tells me my computer is on is the case, cpu, and power supply fans run.

I don't know if my MoBo has on-board speakers, and I am unsure how to connect the little speaker meant to plug into the motherboard. I have tried a few ways of connecting it, but I get no beeping anyway.

That install from dos allows me to install from a flash drive or hard drive? If not, I don't see the point. Of course with my PC not working, it's immaterial anyway.

What do you think of that product I linked to?  Know anything about such a product?

[dukenukeme]

it appears that you have intermitent problems up to a point where all stoped working

that is to suggest failure due to old age of hardware

since you have taken out PCI cards and things you may have one more option
try to clean CPU contacts . Please note and take *ANTISTATIC PRECAUTION*.
clean it using antistatic cloth , or just take it out and reinsert it (microscratches may improve this
contact surface for  a while)
*ANTISTATIC PRECAUTION* is allways nessecary 

do you have 'slot 1' , this connector ? (i meen cleaning ot this contacts)

sometimes may help to POST if memory is insterted of exactly PC100 type
(i dont expect there is PC100 easy available these days)

in case of  old capacitors there is procedure of recapping the boards only it is not economical.

EDIT
perhaps it's better to take it to more qualified person
- you dont know exact type of motherboard
- you are tweaking speaker connectors that are more-less irelevant
that would suggest more repairment actions from your side may end up worse
please dont misunderstand me

[dukenukeme]

Is there any way your program could have causes this?

in case of main CPU fan failure , the grapics in this program (or any oter DOS program for that matter) may heat up CPU up to a burnout.
need long time at least 30 minutes from cold computer
(are there dust on main cpu fan?)
windows has methods of sending sleep cycles and reduces temperature.

also multiple force shutdowns as i understand was hapening , succesfuly in short time periods
not doing good for electronics

[TruePurple]

it appears that you have intermittent problems

Where did you get this idea?

in case of main CPU fan failure , the graphics in this program (or any other DOS program for that matter) may heat up CPU up to a burnout.
need long time at least 30 minutes from cold computer

Dos graphics heat up CPU's? This sounds dubious, anyway I had just come up and turned on my computer to try out the disk.

Has anyone tried a product like I linked you guys to earlier, before?

Can anyone refer me to a good tech support site?

[dukenukeme]

hi
try to replace cmos litium batery (3v ,it costs about 1euro or lesser price, cr2032 )
as stated HERE

it is difficult to provide online help in such situations like this one

i am just trying to suggest non-destructive steps to a possible solution

[TruePurple]

And about that product?

[Elmar]

search the web for infos about this product. and search for a forum about this product to find people with experience with this card.

[TruePurple]

Can anyone recommend a good tech forum for this issue?

[TruePurple]

BTW, I did try replacing the cmos battery, I have tried so many things, no joy on any of it.