PCCHIPS M571 - major instability problems. Please help!

[yee_har]

Mobo PCCHIPS M571 v3.2a
W98 4.10.1998

Ever since my failed attempt to get a K6/2 500MHz 2.2v processor working on this board - I think during the many processor swaps I must have fried it by accidentally having it at the 2.9v (for my Cyrix) setting - I've had SERIOUS instability problems.

Every now and again the PC will attempt to reboot, fail and give me various errors.
Sometimes it just sits at the "Loading W98" msg.
Sometimes it fails with messages - including HIMEM.SYS not found, DBLBUFF.SYS not found, ISHHLP.SYS not found.

On one occasion I got a msg. "You can rest now" - I kid you not!

The only way I can get anything going is to boot to a W98 Startup floppy to the "Safe Mode" menu, then select "Step by Step" mode, refuse the DBLSPACE option*, confirm all other load steps - including loading the OAK CD driver....and reload W98.
In the last 3 days I've had to do this 5 times!

* if I don't refuse DBLSPACE then I can't subsequently run W98 Setup.exe as there is insufficent space

Can anyone please tell me from the above if my instability (PC not "mental"!) is likely to be processor, mobo, power supply, HDD or "what" -related.

Serious gratitude awaits!

[MADMAC]

Hi Yee_har.
Couple of things to try, Make a note of your BIOS settings first..

boot up with Insert pressed this will completely reset you Bios and force the system to check NVRAM. you will need to reset all you Bios settings afterwards.
boot up with END pressed this will again reset your BIOS without check NVRAM.
I had this problem for a short while after overclocking My K6 2 450, on a 598 LMR board, and it took a while to get it back but it has worked ever since.

just remember that after each rebuild of the BIOS to do a hard power down,(switch off power) and leave to rest for a minute or so... before rebooting. the same with setting the CPU speed, power of and wait.

[yee_har]

Hi. Thanks for that.

It's currently behaving itself....recently done a BIOS update....but will bear that in mind (touches wood) IF (/touches wood) it happens again.

Thanks again