What did i do to this thing to make it not want to boot now..??

[jason.b.c]

My brother asked me the other day if i would have a look at his computer and try to fix it up , So i said sure..

So here's what it's got ( i think )

Intel pentium 3 440 mhz

128 mb's ram

Intel M.O.B.O. ( not sure what part number )

3dfx VooDoo 3d add-in graphics ( no on-board graphics at all )

Sound Blaster Audigy sound card ( no on-board sound either )

12 GB hdd

Windows XP Pro service pack 2 ( damn odd huh...?? )

CD burner drive but NO Floppy..!

OK , So here's the story...

I got this home and got to work , I soon discovered he had NO Anti-Virus in this thing of any kind , Nor did it have anything else nessacery to remove harmfull threats ..

I thought no big deal i'll just download some free stuff for it.. This is what i installed in it..

Avast Anti-Virus

Spybot Search and destroy..

Crap Cleaner

HiJackthis

( i want to put more in it )

I scanned with all the scanners and found viruses and spyware ( not that i thought i wouldn't , DUH.! )

( Obviously i found viruses you know , No suprise there )

I removed all the viruses as well as spyware ( i had to do a boot time scan to remove them all )

The computer immedietly started running much much better.! But it was still rather slow , so i pulled an 128 mb stick out of one of my junkers ( still a good stick though ) and stuck it in his computer , But now it refuses to boot up at all..!

The error i get is as follows:

windows could not boot because the following file(s) are either missing or corrupt:

c:\windows\system32\drivers\ntfs.sys is missing or corrupted.

And then something about needing the original install CD-Rom and using the "R" Option for a repair..

As described here --- http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555531 and here --- http://www.gidforums.com/t-748.html

So my question is , Did the other ram stick i put in it cause this to happen..??? What could be causing this..???

I really don't want to have to tell my brother that his computer is boned..!

Any help would be appreciated..

[-pops-]

I think the computer is trying to run on the minimum required for XP to operate successfully.

Some M/Bs require RAM to be in pairs to function.

Does the machine boot if you remove the new RAM stick?

A re-install of the O/S would be the best option if you have the disk(s). I realise this seems like defeat after all the work you have done on it.

[jason.b.c]

I think the computer is trying to run on the minimum required for XP to operate successfully.

Some M/Bs require RAM to be in pairs to function.

Does the machine boot if you remove the new RAM stick?

A re-install of the O/S would be the best option if you have the disk(s). I realise this seems like defeat after all the work you have done on it.

Alright , Now for some more strange stuff..

I somehow managed to get this thing to boot up with the extra ram still in , It started up - I installed a few more things - Started playing a game on it and then it crashed ( blue screen of death )..

So i shut it off and opened the case , Pulled out the one ram stick i put in earlier - Turned the power back on and pressed the power button..

When the computer started back up again i got a B.I.O.S error message ( no big deal ) , I just went in to the B.I.O.S setup menu and reset the advanced configuration and then restarted..

Viola .! It runs again.

But my question now is , If i shutdown again and put the ram stick back in "then" Reset the advanced configuration again "Can i keep the ram stick in there.?"

Or Should i not bother and get two numbers matching sticks to put in it.??

[trackrat]

As you have allready had problems with the extra ram, it would be advisable to get a matched pair.

[jason.b.c]

As you have allready had problems with the extra ram, it would be advisable to get a matched pair.

Let me ask this , How much ram do you ( anyone ) think this thing can handle..???

Like i said before , I'm not really sure "what" this thing really is , The motherboard is an Intel , The board has three ram slots on it..

The computer is about ten years old ( i think )... :lol:

It only has the one stick in it right now but i'm wondering how much it could have..

[-pops-]

Be practical about this, Jason.

A computer that old and with that low spec is never going to win any prizes. Is it worth spending money and your time trying to get it into a workable condition?

[jason.b.c]

Be practical about this, Jason.

A computer that old and with that low spec is never going to win any prizes. Is it worth spending money and your time trying to get it into a workable condition?

:0 Be Practical..??? Be Practical.? Huh.?

Well what would you suggest he do then? , Go out and buy a whole new one.?, just because this one is a little on the slow side.

When he got this one given to him for nothing. I'm just trying to do what i can...

As far as spending money goes , I hardly think it's going to cost much at all to get this thing into better shape.. Let's put it this way , I can get a couple of 128 mb ram sticks right now for like ten dollars...Maybe less if i can talk the guy down a bit.. Thats worth it..

[-pops-]

This machine wasn't built for Windows XP, was it? That is the main reason why the performance is not as good as you would normally expect from this operating system.

It is not just on the slow side. It is short on HDD space, CPU speed and RAM to be able to make XP run in the way it was intended.

By all means do what you can to improve performance by re-installations, clean-ups and whatever but there comes a point in upgrading/updating/improving where cost (in money and time) overtakes any benefits that might come out of doing the improvements.

I've done a fair amount of tinkering about with people's computers over the years and have even been known to build a few (150+). In that time I've learned a few things, in particular:

Upgrading a computer intended for a particular operating system to a more recent one is rarely as successful as having a computer specifically intended for the new system. If the computer involved in the upgrade only just meets the minimum specifications for running the new system, it will not run to the best performance of either the hardware of the machine or the new software installed on it. I will then advise that the old system is kept with a re-install and clean-up carried out to get the machine back to peak performance.

[jason.b.c]

This machine wasn't built for Windows XP, was it? That is the main reason why the performance is not as good as you would normally expect from this operating system.

XP Pro System Requirements

It is not just on the slow side. It is short on HDD space, CPU speed and RAM to be able to make XP run in the way it was intended.

I don't see how..?

Here's What You Need to Use Windows XP Professional

PC with 300 megahertz or higher processor clock speed recommended; 233 MHz minimum required (single or dual processor system);* Intel Pentium/Celeron family, or AMD K6/Athlon/Duron family, or compatible processor recommended

P3 440 mhz

128 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher recommended (64 MB minimum supported; may limit performance and some features)

128 mb's ( going for more )

1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available hard disk space*

12 gb's

Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution video adapter and monitor

VooDoo 3D - 1024 x 768 res - 15 'in monitor

CD-ROM or DVD drive

Acer 40x CD Burner

Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device

Yup.. :D

So..???

[rong]

I had a laptop given me (Compac Presario 1685/1690) with about that speck that the owner had, had XP put on, it took ages to boot up and do anything, so I used the CD that was with it and reinstalled 98 and it is now a usable machine for my 7 year old Granddaughter, with XP it was go and cook dinner before using.

[-pops-]

I don't see any purpose in me continuing this as you fail to take on board anything I suggest to try and save you an unfruitful venture.

Just one final point. If the machine is ten years old then it wasn't even intended to Windows 98. That aside, though, the computer wasn't intended for XP and XP won't perform at its best on a machine of that spec - even though it may be somewhat above the minimum requirements for operation.

[Alan2273]

Just had a look on the American E-Bay site and they have lots of 168 pin PC100 & 133 memory, which you could use to upgrade.

[CurlyWhirly]

A couple of years ago I saw a friend's PC running XP on similar specs except he was running a P3 500 Mhz processor so slightly faster than what was mentioned in Jason's post.

It was like wading through treacle until he doubled his RAM to 256 Mb as this made a significant difference to the performance in XP.

In the end he upgraded his PC as he was fed up of waiting for things to happen when a lot was going on (even with the extra RAM).

[jason.b.c]

I don't see any purpose in me continuing this as you fail to take on board anything I suggest to try and save you an unfruitful venture.

Just one final point. If the machine is ten years old then it wasn't even intended to Windows 98.

Well it does have one of those case stickers on the front of it kind of like this: Only that it say's: "Designed for microsoft windows 98" ...

That aside, though, the computer wasn't intended for XP and XP won't perform at its best on a machine of that spec

I agree , I already knew that..

- even though it may be somewhat above the minimum requirements for operation.

Then it's Microsoft that is wrong in this case..?! There web page is wrong..?

[becu55]

you cant just whip out a stick of ram, the timings of the sticks all have to be the same. when u described the game crashing i had the same problem the first time i installed new ram and the problem was the timing and the size of the stick. i would suggest trying new ram that comes in packs of 2 or if u can just swap out some stuff from other computers i dunno how much different ram is on the p3 mobo (regarding speed and type)

[jason.b.c]

*Update*

Well i put the one 128 mb ram stick back in ( total of 256 mb's ) , So far it's working out..

?? I dunno..?