error and freeze win 98

i tried updating graphics drivers for my wifes OLD machine and i am now getting both a "protection error" message, and in safe mode it hangs. what info do i need to know how to fix it?

urm, install XP

What Lee said

You can google the graphics card + win 98 and see if there are other drivers available online. But first prize = entering the 21st C and throwing XP there, one tarm shoe sharn. Noone supports Win 98, not even Bafana Bafana fans are that desperate.

i took out the HDD all the good stuff over, put it back, and tried to install windows XP.
hardly get very far when the INSTALL crashed.
on the second try it gave me dashes across the screen:
like so:
==========
==========
==========

and it is crashed.

tried brand new HDD, no difference.
Paul recons it is the GPU, but could that be possible because o the crashes in win 98?

do you have onboard graphics?...if yes...unplug the card and install windows...then install the card

it doesnt, or if it does it is a connection so old it belongs in the ark

sounds more like the hard drive controller, where exactly does it do this interesting ===== thing you are talking about?\

Try identify exactly where this all happens:

1. Machine starts, switches on display counting memory.
2. Machine then tries to identify hard drives
3. Goes to boot screen, tries to access CDROM
4. Displays message: Hit any key to install XP
5. Loads the Blue install screen and starts loading XP install files to start the install proceedure
6. Gets to a "Starting Windows" part of the install where you can select which hard drive to install onto.
7. Copies the basic install files needed for the GUI install
8. reboots and does step 1, 2, 3 and 4 again
9. Loads Gui and detects hardware
10. Install files and then prompts to select Regional Settings and keyboard settings.
11. Finishes the install and reboots doing step 1, 2, 3 and 4 again
12. Loads XP and prompts to enter license key
13. Completes the install and loads desktop prompting to activate.
14. Makes you a cup of coffee and feeds the dogs....

hi lee:

1 check
2 check
3 check
4 check - (the first time) didnt ask me again ??
5 check uncheck - dosnt get past this/hung on the first question (was only one hdd)
didnt get to 6

edit - soz mega forgot your Q:

the screen is FULL f the '='

like so:

|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|=====================================|
|=====================================|
|=====================================|
etc etc

where "|" and "-" are the frame of the screen

try connecting 380volt to the bitch

Are these dash actual characters or is it part of the screen i.e. like an overlay. When my card went the lines were an overlay and not actual characters

Does it at least start displaying that it is loading some drivers for the install [at the bottome of the screen] before it goes all double-dashy on yer ass?

YES

ok then I'm assuming it's finished loading the drivers and you get the weird screen after it displays
[starting windows] which loads just after those drivers.

It's at this point it's interigating the hard drive and looking if there is a windows installation.

If it completely freaks out at this point then you have 3 possible causes

1. Poke GFX card - the XP Vesa Standard drive freaks out when initializing the card - bad result - coz it's a poked card
2. Hard drive read error - The XP install system tries to locate windows and has a problem with some system files and freaks out
This aint such a bad thing, best thing to do in this scenario is to actually take the hard drive out and do a format on it, on
another machine.
3. Hard drive controller freak out - this is bad, that means the motherboard IDE controller chip died, there aint no commin back
from the dead. Unless you come back as a zombie, which aint so great either, if you've seen L4d or L4D2 .. . *sigh

i did try a new HDD, and it did exactly the same

but how much would changing the thermal paste on the GPU make any difference?

Could work, shot in the dark though.