Restoring an old Packard Bell

**DBH** · 3 Mar 2005, 03:05 AM

I have an old Packard Bell (Win95) at home that my kids use for games. We've been experiencing many problems with the computer (no big surprise, it being a Packard Bell!

). I have restored the hard drive in the past, but can't now. I followed the same steps as I posted below, but to no avail. I checked the drivers on the HD, the autoexec.bat file, and the restore floppy and everything seems to be there. Since the "normal" restore method doesn't work for me (put in floppy, then boot up), here is what I did before:

Quote:

*Booted to DOS and went to the A: prompt.
*With restore floppy in the A: drive, typed DEVICE GSCDROM.SYS /D:MSCD000 /L:E <enter>
*Typed MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD000 <enter>
*Typed E: (cd-rom letter) <enter>
*Typed CD DOSMENU <enter> *Typed DOSRUN <enter>

At this point the CD-ROM starts spinning, so the driver was recognized. The Restore Menu should have appeared, but this time I just get the dreaded blank screen and low pitched beep...nothing happens. If I hit any key I get Unable to create ERROR.LOG.

Very frustrating!

Is there any way to get the restore process started without the floppy? During the initial boot-up, is there any way to stop after the CD-ROM drivers are loaded? I'm not very technical when it comes to computers. It seems that all the floppy is doing is getting DOS to recognize the CD-ROM drivers. Of course, I tried to get the DOSRUN.EXE to run inside Windows, but Windows can't be running during the restore process.

Thanks for any help!

Dave

mister · 4 Mar 2005, 02:29 AM

Press F8 when the computer starts up from there you can choose Safe Mode or Selective start up so you can choose whether or not to load the CD drivers .You can also create a start up log using this option.Good luck your problems are just starting!

**DBH** · 4 Mar 2005, 02:54 AM

Thanks for your reply. I'll try your suggestion. Thank goodness the Packard Bell is not my main computer!

Dave

trew · 4 Mar 2005, 06:07 AM

It is very old. bought 99 and use windows 98 OP and is rather slow. 450 mhz but has at least 128 mb RAM so that is ok.

but the big prolblem is that it seems to be invaded by nasty trojans and dialers and others more knowledgable than me has already failed to clean it.

I need to do a lot of trial and error to get it clean I guess.

Should I stay using wind 98 or use Knoppix Linux Distribution and that would not activate the defence of the nasty bugs and then maybe a Linux antivirus and such could clean it?

Is that workable?

Trew

PS I get it from relatives who upgrade to a brand new computer so they dump it on me. I feel happy about it but soo much frustrating job ahead. So need all good advice I could find.

**DBH** · 4 Mar 2005, 10:10 AM

Unfortunately, I have no experience whatsoever with Dell's, but hopefully someone who does will come along to give you some help.

Dave

gysca · 5 Mar 2005, 03:44 AM

I usually will just format that kind of hard drive (infected with virus, adware, and other weird stuff) and do a clean install. although, before doing the format, make sure that you have the operating system (in this case Win98) and go to dell's website and download the drivers needed. I did that with an old Dell notebook my relative's owned. the old computer has been working wonderfully since

or just get a new hard drive and toss the old one away

trew · 5 Mar 2005, 04:26 AM

You know the versions that install itself in memory and work from there. That would solve any windows problem. But could one use a linux antirojan to look for windows related nasties?

Or could linux start a windows prog?

I am no a geek for sure.

trew

dragon1 · 6 Mar 2005, 06:06 AM

Dave,

I read that when worse comes to worse, the best thing to do is to reformat the hard drive and do a clean install of the OS and all the programs on it, after you back up the files you want to re-install.

I've been trying to find something in the MS Knowledgebase to no avail so far. (I know they don't support W95 anymore, but there are a few articles that pertain to 98 and 95).

**DBH** · 6 Mar 2005, 09:24 AM

Thanks, dragon1! I'll definitely look into that, since I've never reformatted a hard drive before...

dragon1 · 7 Mar 2005, 04:38 AM

You're welcome, DBH

My Micron with Win98 is so messed up I think I need to do the same. But I have a larger hard drive waiting in the wings. I'm not sure if what I think I can do, I can do -- make the old drive the master and the new drive the slave, then copy all the files over to the slave drive and then reformat the old drive. Or maybe just re-partition the old drive. I dunno. I'm kind of stuck in a hold position because I'm afraid I'll mess up everything

I could just pay a technician to do all of this. No headaches for me. But that wouldn't be much fun.

**DBH** · 7 Mar 2005, 08:57 AM

I actually reformatted the hard drive!!

WOO HOO!! Apparently, none of the boot disks I had were any good...I needed an updated driver for my CD-ROM. So I went to bootdisk.com, downloaded a Win95 boot disk, went here for detailed instructions, and it worked without any hitches! What a relief! Now my boys can load their games on the Packard Bell, and they can leave Mommy's and Daddy's HP alone!

Thanks again for your suggestions.

Dave

dragon1 · 7 Mar 2005, 09:09 AM

Yea!

4 Mar 2005, 02:29 AM	#2
mister Essential Contributor Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 387	Safe Mode? Press F8 when the computer starts up from there you can choose Safe Mode or Selective start up so you can choose whether or not to load the CD drivers .You can also create a start up log using this option.Good luck your problems are just starting!

4 Mar 2005, 06:07 AM	#4
trew Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 836	Dave I need advice on an old Dell xps It is very old. bought 99 and use windows 98 OP and is rather slow. 450 mhz but has at least 128 mb RAM so that is ok. but the big prolblem is that it seems to be invaded by nasty trojans and dialers and others more knowledgable than me has already failed to clean it. I need to do a lot of trial and error to get it clean I guess. Should I stay using wind 98 or use Knoppix Linux Distribution and that would not activate the defence of the nasty bugs and then maybe a Linux antivirus and such could clean it? Is that workable? Trew PS I get it from relatives who upgrade to a brand new computer so they dump it on me. I feel happy about it but soo much frustrating job ahead. So need all good advice I could find.

5 Mar 2005, 04:26 AM	#7
trew Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 836	That would work yes, what about linux on CD You know the versions that install itself in memory and work from there. That would solve any windows problem. But could one use a linux antirojan to look for windows related nasties? Or could linux start a windows prog? I am no a geek for sure. trew

4 Mar 2005, 02:54 AM	#3
DBH Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: USA Posts: 1,533	Thanks for your reply. I'll try your suggestion. Thank goodness the Packard Bell is not my main computer! Dave

4 Mar 2005, 10:10 AM	#5
DBH Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: USA Posts: 1,533	Unfortunately, I have no experience whatsoever with Dell's, but hopefully someone who does will come along to give you some help. Dave

5 Mar 2005, 03:44 AM	#6
gysca Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: eastern U.S. Posts: 40	I usually will just format that kind of hard drive (infected with virus, adware, and other weird stuff) and do a clean install. although, before doing the format, make sure that you have the operating system (in this case Win98) and go to dell's website and download the drivers needed. I did that with an old Dell notebook my relative's owned. the old computer has been working wonderfully since or just get a new hard drive and toss the old one away

6 Mar 2005, 06:06 AM	#8
dragon1 Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: California Posts: 674	Dave, I read that when worse comes to worse, the best thing to do is to reformat the hard drive and do a clean install of the OS and all the programs on it, after you back up the files you want to re-install. I've been trying to find something in the MS Knowledgebase to no avail so far. (I know they don't support W95 anymore, but there are a few articles that pertain to 98 and 95).

6 Mar 2005, 09:24 AM	#9
DBH Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: USA Posts: 1,533	Thanks, dragon1! I'll definitely look into that, since I've never reformatted a hard drive before...

7 Mar 2005, 04:38 AM	#10
dragon1 Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: California Posts: 674	You're welcome, DBH My Micron with Win98 is so messed up I think I need to do the same. But I have a larger hard drive waiting in the wings. I'm not sure if what I think I can do, I can do -- make the old drive the master and the new drive the slave, then copy all the files over to the slave drive and then reformat the old drive. Or maybe just re-partition the old drive. I dunno. I'm kind of stuck in a hold position because I'm afraid I'll mess up everything I could just pay a technician to do all of this. No headaches for me. But that wouldn't be much fun.

7 Mar 2005, 08:57 AM	#11
DBH Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: USA Posts: 1,533	I actually reformatted the hard drive!! WOO HOO!! Apparently, none of the boot disks I had were any good...I needed an updated driver for my CD-ROM. So I went to bootdisk.com, downloaded a Win95 boot disk, went here for detailed instructions, and it worked without any hitches! What a relief! Now my boys can load their games on the Packard Bell, and they can leave Mommy's and Daddy's HP alone! Thanks again for your suggestions. Dave

7 Mar 2005, 09:09 AM	#12
dragon1 Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: California Posts: 674	Yea!