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Calling all old computer experts!

JoeCoke
By JoeCoke
in Troubleshooting
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Once again, I need the help of someone who is good with old computers.

 

I have a badass Pentium II 400MHZ MMX PC that I want to install Windows on so I can goof around with it.

 

I've tried installing 98, ME and XP, all of which of failed. 98 and ME get pretty far, but past a certain point they just shit the bed. They constantly say setup files are missing, even though they aren't. The discs I'm using to install with have been sucessful with other older PCs.

 

XP gives me the "unmountable_boot_volume" BSOD before the WIndows installer starts.

 

I've tried using different CD drives, HDDs and IDE cables. The HDD is set to master/single on the jumpers on the back too.

 

Anyone have any ideas? It's a AOpen PC.

i7 2600k @ 5GHz 1.49v - EVGA GTX 1070 ACX 3.0 - 16GB DDR3 2000MHz Corsair Vengence

Asus p8z77-v lk - 480GB Samsung 870 EVO w/ W10 LTSC - 2x1TB HDD storage - 240GB SATA SSD w/ W7 - EVGA 650w 80+G G2

3x 1080p 60hz Viewsonic LCDs, 1 glorious Dell CRT running at anywhere from 60hz to 120hz

Model M w/ Soarer's adapter - Logitch g502 - Audio-Techinca M20X - Cambridge SoundWorks speakers w/ woofer

 

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It could very well be messed up BIOS config, bad RAM, or a bad video card. All of those have given me issues in the past with my PIII Slot 1 board.

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Intel Core i5 11400 w/ Shadow Rock LP, 2x16GB SP GAMING 3200MHz CL16, ASUS PRIME Z590-A, 2x LSI 9211-8i, Fractal Define 7, 256GB Team MP33, 3x 6TB WD Red Pro (general storage), 5x 8TB WD White Label/Red (Plex) (both arrays in their respective Windows Parity storage spaces), 1TB Teamgroup MP33 (dumping ground) Corsair RM750x, TrueNAS Scale

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Consoles: Steam Deck LCD (512GB), Softmodded 1.4 Xbox w/ 500GB HDD, Xbox 360 Elite 120GB Falcon, XB1X w/2TB MX500, Xbox Series X, PS1 1001, PS2 Slim 70000 w/ FreeMcBoot, PS4 Pro 7015B 1TB, PS5 Digital, Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo Wii RVL-001 (black)

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6 minutes ago, 2Buck said:

Once again, I need the help of someone who is good with old computers.

 

I have a badass Pentium II 400MHZ MMX PC that I want to install Windows on so I can goof around with it.

 

I've tried installing 98, ME and XP, all of which of failed. 98 and ME get pretty far, but past a certain point they just shit the bed. They constantly say setup files are missing, even though they aren't. The discs I'm using to install with have been sucessful with other older PCs.

 

XP gives me the "unmountable_boot_volume" BSOD before the WIndows installer starts.

 

I've tried using different CD drives, HDDs and IDE cables. The HDD is set to master/single on the jumpers on the back too.

 

Anyone have any ideas? It's a AOpen PC.

Make sure all your RAM is good with Memtest32. I had a very similar issue when installing Windows on my modern rig, turns out there was a dead stick of RAM

ASU

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13 minutes ago, Hackentosher said:

Make sure all your RAM is good with Memtest32. I had a very similar issue when installing Windows on my modern rig, turns out there was a dead stick of RAM

 

15 minutes ago, tmcclelland455 said:

It could very well be messed up BIOS config, bad RAM, or a bad video card. All of those have given me issues in the past with my PIII Slot 1 board.

Thanks for replying guys! I have tested the memory in the past, in face I pulled it from a PC I know works well. The GPU is good also. I'm thinking it's something I'm not doing right in the BIOS. Anything I should check? The BIOS does detect my 20GB HDD and CD drive. At the moment I'm trying a new CD drive, I'll see where that gets me.

i7 2600k @ 5GHz 1.49v - EVGA GTX 1070 ACX 3.0 - 16GB DDR3 2000MHz Corsair Vengence

Asus p8z77-v lk - 480GB Samsung 870 EVO w/ W10 LTSC - 2x1TB HDD storage - 240GB SATA SSD w/ W7 - EVGA 650w 80+G G2

3x 1080p 60hz Viewsonic LCDs, 1 glorious Dell CRT running at anywhere from 60hz to 120hz

Model M w/ Soarer's adapter - Logitch g502 - Audio-Techinca M20X - Cambridge SoundWorks speakers w/ woofer

 

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4 minutes ago, Moonzy said:

iirc pentium 2 is from the era of windows 95?

Lol I've used XP and 98 on many PIIs. That's not an issue.

i7 2600k @ 5GHz 1.49v - EVGA GTX 1070 ACX 3.0 - 16GB DDR3 2000MHz Corsair Vengence

Asus p8z77-v lk - 480GB Samsung 870 EVO w/ W10 LTSC - 2x1TB HDD storage - 240GB SATA SSD w/ W7 - EVGA 650w 80+G G2

3x 1080p 60hz Viewsonic LCDs, 1 glorious Dell CRT running at anywhere from 60hz to 120hz

Model M w/ Soarer's adapter - Logitch g502 - Audio-Techinca M20X - Cambridge SoundWorks speakers w/ woofer

 

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4 minutes ago, Hackentosher said:

Lol, double check the memory, I killed a stick when swapping motherboards.

Will do, well, if this CD drive doesn't fix the problem.

i7 2600k @ 5GHz 1.49v - EVGA GTX 1070 ACX 3.0 - 16GB DDR3 2000MHz Corsair Vengence

Asus p8z77-v lk - 480GB Samsung 870 EVO w/ W10 LTSC - 2x1TB HDD storage - 240GB SATA SSD w/ W7 - EVGA 650w 80+G G2

3x 1080p 60hz Viewsonic LCDs, 1 glorious Dell CRT running at anywhere from 60hz to 120hz

Model M w/ Soarer's adapter - Logitch g502 - Audio-Techinca M20X - Cambridge SoundWorks speakers w/ woofer

 

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4 minutes ago, Ben Potter said:

I would suggest using UltimateBootCD to do advanced diagnostics. It is powered by Linux and works very well!

Hirens BootCD > UltimateBootCD

 

http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/

Shot through the heart and you're to blame, 30fps and i'll pirate your game - Bon Jovi

Take me down to the console city where the games are blurry and the frames are thirty - Guns N' Roses

Arguing with religious people is like explaining to your mother that online games can't be paused...

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4 minutes ago, Fulgrim said:

Hirens BootCD > UltimateBootCD

 

http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/

I use Hirens BootCD, helped me a bunch of times in the past.

i7 2600k @ 5GHz 1.49v - EVGA GTX 1070 ACX 3.0 - 16GB DDR3 2000MHz Corsair Vengence

Asus p8z77-v lk - 480GB Samsung 870 EVO w/ W10 LTSC - 2x1TB HDD storage - 240GB SATA SSD w/ W7 - EVGA 650w 80+G G2

3x 1080p 60hz Viewsonic LCDs, 1 glorious Dell CRT running at anywhere from 60hz to 120hz

Model M w/ Soarer's adapter - Logitch g502 - Audio-Techinca M20X - Cambridge SoundWorks speakers w/ woofer

 

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Alright everyone, the CD drive fixed it. Strange, but I'll take it. I made it into the Windows XP setup! Thanks everyone. :D

i7 2600k @ 5GHz 1.49v - EVGA GTX 1070 ACX 3.0 - 16GB DDR3 2000MHz Corsair Vengence

Asus p8z77-v lk - 480GB Samsung 870 EVO w/ W10 LTSC - 2x1TB HDD storage - 240GB SATA SSD w/ W7 - EVGA 650w 80+G G2

3x 1080p 60hz Viewsonic LCDs, 1 glorious Dell CRT running at anywhere from 60hz to 120hz

Model M w/ Soarer's adapter - Logitch g502 - Audio-Techinca M20X - Cambridge SoundWorks speakers w/ woofer

 

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24 minutes ago, Hackentosher said:

? I don't understand how a CD drive would be an issue.

Well it was.. I just installed a new CD drive and it fixed it. Strange I know, but I'll take it!

i7 2600k @ 5GHz 1.49v - EVGA GTX 1070 ACX 3.0 - 16GB DDR3 2000MHz Corsair Vengence

Asus p8z77-v lk - 480GB Samsung 870 EVO w/ W10 LTSC - 2x1TB HDD storage - 240GB SATA SSD w/ W7 - EVGA 650w 80+G G2

3x 1080p 60hz Viewsonic LCDs, 1 glorious Dell CRT running at anywhere from 60hz to 120hz

Model M w/ Soarer's adapter - Logitch g502 - Audio-Techinca M20X - Cambridge SoundWorks speakers w/ woofer

 

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