Win98 Keeps Locking up, HELP!!!!

[MrEd]

Okay, here's my problem: I install Win98, restart, and 2 min. in it keeps locking up my system. Can't even use ctrl>alt>del to shut anything down. I think it might be compatability problem with processor and ram.
System:
Celeron 333Mhz (66)
PC-100 32mb Ram
Abit BH-6
Sound Blaster Live Value
ATI Rage 32MB AGP
>Havn't installed modem yet, mb won't recognize it<different problem.
Maxtor 8.4Gig HD

I've exhausted all my knowledge, and can only think it's the RAM and Processor conflicting.
Don't get any error on post, boot fine, just locks up in Windows before I can make any changes to my system setup. I have been able to install the drivers for agp and sound.
Anybody ever have or heard of this problem with my configuration? Please help.

Much thanks in advance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nathan]

I'm not to fimiliar with that board, but I'm wondering if you've having a problem between the 333 MHZ at 66 and your memory is at 100? That may be causing your problem.

Is this a newly built system? The board may not like the brand of memory.

Did it work before?

We need more history of the situation please.


www.helponthe.net/nathan/ (http://www.helponthe.net/nathan/)

[This message has been edited by Nathan (edited 04-01-99).]

[Stan]

Hi,

Maybe your PC needs more cooling...
If you have built this PS yourself, make sure that you have enough cooling. Maybe, add an extra fan.
Or boot up the PC without the case and see if it crashes again.

Let us know...

Stan

[Stan]

Hi, me again...

This has nothing to do with your problem but: I like the spec of your system but I would definitely add an other 32Mb RAM...

Stan

[ANTONIO E GUERRA]

I used a pc 100 memory with a Celeron 333mhz and there was no problem.The motherboard will default to 66mhz. Eventually I moved to P2-350 and I did not need to change the memory modules.
In my humble opinion, it could be the AGP video card. Some motherboards are very picky with video cards and you need to install an agp driver that is included in the motherboard installation cd-rom. It is called the AGP patch. Make sure that the motherboard bios reads AGP instead of Pci. From what have heard, Abit motherboards have some problems with the AGP slot.
In addition, SB live is a card that will take a lot of Irq. Boot the system without the soundblaster card and wait. If it does not lockup, it was your sndlive. Hope it helps you!

[This message has been edited by ANTONIO E GUERRA (edited 04-01-99).]

[This message has been edited by ANTONIO E GUERRA (edited 04-01-99).]

[MudMan]

You didn't say if the setup is new or not. I couldn't install Windows on my new BM6/300A system. It would freeze during scandisk. I put memory PC100 in different system and it works. It can only be chip or MB so I am returning MB. ABIT seems to have had a problem lately with QC. If you can, you need to test the chip, memory or MB in another system that you know that works. It could be either the memory or MB.

[MrEd]

This is a new system I built myself. Started it up, booted fine, loaded Dos7, set up my cd-rom, installed Windows98, installed drivers, -system locked- Rebooted, IRQ was sharing sblive with modem. Changed IRQ assignment, and mb didn't save changes. Removed modem and sblive, system started still had lock up. Reformated hd, used win98 rescue disk to find cdrom, fresh install of windows98 only, everything fine untill I reinstalled sblive and ati rage drivers. still locks up.

Anyone else have a clue, I could use all of the input you can share.
thanks again.

To Stan: Thanks, this is just basic stuff to get it running, I'm getting a PIII-500 with 128MB PC-100 Ram, eventually.
I don't think its the cooling, all this is happening with the case off, and thermo clock shows cpu is running around 89-91 degrees.

To Antonio: I think it may be the combination of my agp and sb live. What do you think???

I'm at work now guys, so when I get home tonight, I'm going to try it without sound at all, and see it that helps.

[Jin Vitas]

Hello MrED

try going into SAFE MODE.. if it works in safe mode therefore you have an application on startup or in registry.. loading.. use msconfig to uncheck the running services

if it DONT WORK in SAFE MODE then .. your screwed..

[CrashMan79]

Is your hard drive UDMA/33? I recently bought a UDMA drive (4.3GB) for my computer (with PC100 RAM and AGP Video) and I experienced something like what you decribe. Try turning off UDMA (UltraDMA) in your BIOS setup. That solved the problem for me. I think that some of these new technologies don't like each other in certain configurations... It's hard to say.
Hope this helps.

[gerbz]

if it doesn't lock up with the sblive removed, try reinstalling the sblive through custom install, and don't let it install the sblive dos drivers.

[MrEd]

Okay everyone thanks for the replies. I found the fix, and posted it under the title:
Update to Win98 lockup.
Thanks again for all the help.

-Ed