Win95 giving protection error message at boot.

[Callas]

Trying to upgrade a neighbor's Compaq 486 to Win95. Everything's installed, but I can only open Windows in safe mode. Keep getting protection error message at boot. Says: you must restart your computer... then starts in safe mode. ... Can't find any conflicts in control panel/systems. Had a message during install that said something about wrong compression app. ?????

[Donkey]

I've been having the same problem intermitently. Have you tried booting it into normal mode instead os safe when it gives you the option. I do this and it all loads fine. YOu should check your autoexec and config.sys just incase there and any funnynesses going on. Try checking the registry aswell. Is there anything in your Bootlog.txt file that might shed any light.
I still haven't found the answer to my problem and no-one came up with any inspirational causes so if you find the answer please post it here for all to share

[Joel Kleppinger]

Doing any overclocking? That's the easiest answer for it - you need more cooling and maybe a bit of a voltage bump. I was getting it at 577 on my C366 until I cleaned out my watercooler to get optimum flow again. Now I'm back at 577 and no protection error. [img]/forum/smile.gif[/img]

[Callas]

Joel, Joel...
Watchuwtawk'n 'bout boy? ...oberclock'n? Pay tention. We're talkin 486 cpu. No upgrades... just Win 3.1 to 95. Clean install. This is an old Compaq. All the cpu has is a static heatsink. Are you say'n a fan would fix it? I'll try anything.

[Joel Kleppinger]

Never overclocked a 486? awwwww [img]/forum/smile.gif[/img]

If you have nothing on it, and it is at least a 33 MHz CPU, you should drop a heatsink and grease the bottom at least, if not shell out for a heatsink/fan.

Try clocking it back, if you can. I have had a Compaq 486SX/33, and I could jumper it for 25 MHz operation if I wanted.

Otherwise, your only real hope is to reformat/reinstall.

[bjfelger]

I had the same problem a week ago on my
P166. Here's how I fixed the problem:
In Windows Safe Mode, remove all non-
essential drivers (i.e. sound cards, video
cards, CD-ROM drivers, modems, etc.).
Then, one-by-one, enable each of these
again until you get the Windows Protection
Error again. Then remove the offending
piece of hardware. For me, I had to remove
two of my three sound cards... [img]/forum/smile.gif[/img]

[Callas]

bjfelger ... That's what it was, the driver for the sound card I was trying to put in. I removed the driver, and then it wouldn't boot (blue screen). So I did a clean install of Windows. Maybe because it's a PCI card. I don't know. Anyway, I put an ISA card in it, and it's doing fine. ............. Does this all make sense Joel? Would this little Compaq make a fuss over a PCI sound card?
Anyway... the rewards are waiting at: http://nexad.com/wholesale.html http://nexad.com/freestuff.html