PCem Windows98SE fails to boot after initially working

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MintPolo
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri 05 Aug, 2022 7:31 pm

PCem Windows98SE fails to boot after initially working

Post by MintPolo »

Hi all,

Installed Windows98SE on PCem, and it was running absolutely fine.

When I returned to PCem to start up the Win98 VM, it refuses to load.

Here are the various scenarios:

1. Originally it said that there was an operating system error, and to insert the system disk.
2. Now it merely requests that I "PRESS A KEY TO REBOOT".
3. Adjusting the BIOS to boot from the system disk, when I select boot from hard disk, I get the same as bullet point 2.

I don't know enough about starting the computer with "CD-ROM support", and how that's of benefit to me .... with 0 knowledge of commands etc.

My setup is:
[Socket 7] Shuttle HOT-557
Mobile Pentium MMX 266

I currently run an AMD CPU if it matters.

Extremely saddened with this, as I've spent days trying to get a 98 OS working, and having finally does so, it died a death after a few hours.

I'm reluctant to reinstall, for fear that I'm met with the same problems, and no knowledge of how to solve them.

I'm sure I'm missing some information, but I'm very naive when it comes to things of this nature, so if any more information is required to assist with this problem (should you graciously offer to help), please let me know. I'll be sat here desperately trying to get it to work all night.

Thanks for your time.
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leilei
Posts: 1039
Joined: Fri 25 Apr, 2014 4:47 pm

Re: PCem Windows98SE fails to boot after initially working

Post by leilei »

Is there a boot sector virus on the floppy you used to install?
MintPolo
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri 05 Aug, 2022 7:31 pm

Re: PCem Windows98SE fails to boot after initially working

Post by MintPolo »

leilei wrote: Fri 05 Aug, 2022 9:37 pm Is there a boot sector virus on the floppy you used to install?
I'm not aware of a boot sector virus, and I used SE OEM to avoid the need for a floppy

EDIT: I think i'll just reinstall from scratch. The time it takes will probably be significantly less than my potato logic attempting a workaround or fix
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leilei
Posts: 1039
Joined: Fri 25 Apr, 2014 4:47 pm

Re: PCem Windows98SE fails to boot after initially working

Post by leilei »

After your next Win98 install, enable the Virus Warning in the BIOS so you can try to prevent a possible boot infection. For recovery, F-Prot (loaded off a clean boot floppy) should be able to recover the boot sector IIRC.

The only other reason I can think of a spontaneous OS boot failure would be a hard drive type/setting change, but that only matters for the older 486 boards' LBA support.
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Arjen42
Posts: 131
Joined: Fri 11 Jun, 2021 3:15 pm

Re: PCem Windows98SE fails to boot after initially working

Post by Arjen42 »

Also when you decide to reinstall, you don't have to wipe or remove the first emPC, just create a new one. Assuming you have ample diskspace.

PCem doesn't have snapshots like VirtualBox, but you can backup your disk images when the emPC is not in use. So can save the disk image state, to save time when thing go wrong again.

Another way to recover that might work is the following:
1. Boot from Windows 98 cd-rom image.
2. Run fdisk /mbr
3. Run sys a: c:
4. Run fdisk and make sure the correct partition is set to active.
juankax
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu 13 Apr, 2023 9:00 am

Re: PCem Windows98SE fails to boot after initially working

Post by juankax »

Arjen, thanks for sharing your steps.

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Last edited by juankax on Tue 18 Apr, 2023 12:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Arjen42
Posts: 131
Joined: Fri 11 Jun, 2021 3:15 pm

Re: PCem Windows98SE fails to boot after initially working

Post by Arjen42 »

You're welcome!
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