HP Pavilion PC a6142n Fastest CPU

[CraigInAlex]

@TheOldMan

@old_geekster

@Paul_Tikkanen

Can someone please tell me why Win95 and 98SE will install on this PC on both a SATA and an IDE HDD, but not will boot to complete installation, giving the error noted above?  If not one of you, please tag someone else who might know.  Installation never completes because First Boot Setup does not complete.  I posted an image of all the Folders and Files that are on the IDE HDD.  No Programs Folder, so Setup has not completed.  Also, CONFIG. SYS and AUTOEXEC. BAT are not in the Root Folder, so the error message directions  are impossible to complete.

I had Win98SE installed on a 250GB IDE HDD in an old HP Pavilion 6640C with all drivers loaded and the ProbeScope program installed.  The built-in Serial Port worked with the ProbeScope and the program displayed its results.  I took the IDE HDD out of that PC and installed in this one with it connected to a Promise Ultra100 dual IDE port PCI card, expecting it may need drivers, but it gave the error message above.

I will delete the Volume again, put it back in the HP Pavilion 6640C and install Win98SE again, install the drivers and PerobeScope program, test it again, and then try it in this PC again and tell you exactly what happens when a working fully working Win98SE HDD in installed in this PC.

Do you think it may be an issue with the Promise Ultra100 dual IDE port PCI card, even though Win98SE installs?  But then, why would Win98SE install on the SATA HDD and not complete installation?

Please help me.

[CraigInAlex]

Instead of deleting the Volume, I installed the IDE HDD in the HP Pavilion 6640C and let installation finish.  I installed the SiS 530/5595 Driver package which made all components live, installed the ProbeScope software and the ProbeScope works fine.  Then I removed the HDD and installed it HP Pavilion a6142a PC and got the error message again.

I'm beginning to think that an 8GB RAM Max is a BIOS Whitelist thing and so is not allowing Windows 95 and 98.  If it's not on the Whitelist, it cannot be installed or used.  That's why 2x 4GB RAM sticks worked.  It's an 8GB Max limit, not a 4GB stick blockage.

I'll see if BIOS v5.29 makes anything better, but I have to install Vista again.  What a PITA this project has become, especially with no advanced help.  @NonSequitur777 has done what he could, but why won't anyone else try to help?

[NonSequitur777]

@DGroves,

Sorry to bother you, but please take a look at @CraigInAlex's conundrum, as perchance you could shed some light on his issue.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[CraigInAlex]

NonSequitur777  Thanks for tagging DGroves!

I installed Windows Vista on another IDE HDD with it installed on the integrated IDE port with a 2-drive ribbon cable so the CD drive also works.  It installed and completed installation, then I installed all the drivers.  Apparently, the BIOS v5.29 I found is not compatible, or maybe not with 64 bit Vista.  The ProbeScope software would not install, I guess because Vista is 64 bit.  I just thought about connecting it to the Promise Ultra150 dual IDE card (not Ultra100 like I've been saying) to see if it will boot from that.  I'll do that tomorrow.

[DGroves]

this is rather old hardware by today's standards so unless you simply want to learn fixing hardware and obsolete OS systems i would move to a much newer system

if you want to take the time, then based on your problems i suspect the issue is a driver issue  or possibly a hardware issue

your AMD X2 cpu is vista 64bit capable

are you using a "generic" x64 vista install disk or a customised OEM one? if it's not a MS retail generic or a OEM vistal installer that's configured specifically for your model that can cause issues

to rule out hardware, try a Linux based "Live" Os that runs from USB Key or CD if that works then try some of the older windows XP based utility disks if these run the hardware is most likely fine so we move on to a issue with the windows install failing on configuring found hardware which is done as part of the last stages of the OS install to start what do the windows setup log files show? (google how to read them)

Linux full install that works on your older hardware

https://lubuntu.me/downloads/

[CraigInAlex]

@DGrives  Thank you for the reply. Windows XP Pro 32 bit and 64 bit, and Vista 64 bit have installed and worked perfectly, though XP 64 bit did not have all the drivers, but it booted and ran. I have official AMD drivers for both XP 32 bit and Vista 64 bit installed and the PCI Serial card has a drivers CD from StarTech for Windows 9x, XP, Vista, 7 and others, plus a newer drivers download package from StarTech.

The issue is that Windows 95 and 98 will install, but will not boot to the HDD to complete installation.  Yes, the installation CD is still in the drive, but setup will not complete. I have an old Radio Shack ProbeScope oscilloscope that displays results on a computer screen through a Windows 3.x/95 program and the probe connects with a Serial port.

The program installs on XP 32 bit, but the probe will not connect to the PCI Serial port.  Windows versions newer than XP do not work with the ProbeScope, either.  The software was released for Windows 3.x/95, but it works in Windows 98. I learned this by using an old HP Pavilion 6640C PC with Windows 98SE installed. It has a built-in Serial port and the program and probe work perfectly in Win98SE.

I am restoring this Pavilion a6142n PC as a Work Bench test computer for malware on HDDs/SSDs and to use the ProbeScope. I want a dual boot Win98SE/Win10 so I can use this PC for both applications.

Windows 98SE will install on the SATA HDD installed and also when I connect an IDE HDD to the IDE port with a dual drive ribbon cable so the CD Drive also works. However, once the PC goes to boot for Win98SE First Boot Setup, I get an error message:

Insufficient memory to initialize Windows.

Quit one or more memory-resident programs or remove unnecessary utilities from your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files, and restart.

Press any key to continue...

Since Setup has not completed, there are no CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT in the Root Folder to edit.  Windows 95 does the same thing.  I want to know why Win95 and 98 will not complete installation on this Pavilion a6142n PC, please.  Is it a BIOS Whitelist thing or what?  If so, are you aware of a HP BIOS newer tha v5.27 that may help, or an Unlocked BIOS that will work on this MCP61PM-HM, Rev 1.0B, HP Part Number 5189-0929 motherboard?

The latest BIOS from HP, v5.27, still does not allow Windows 95 or 98, if my guess is correct, which I'm fairly convinced of.  An Unlocked BIOS may also allow 4x 4GB RAM cards to work properly.  2x 4GB cards work in slots 1&2 or 3&4, but all 4 slots filled with 4GB cards will not boot, even though they are recognized on the pre-BIOS testing screen, and I cannot get into BIOS.  So it's not a 4GB card issue, it's a BIOS 8GB Max Cap.  I am not trying to use a HP Recovery disc set, so an Unlocked BIOS will not be an issue there.

Any and all help will be appreciated!

[DGroves]

ok, so it appears to be a software based issue with this systems hardware

Two versions of Windows 98 were released: the original release in 1998,

known simply as "Windows 98" and sometimes called "First Edition",

and the later updated "Windows 98 Second Edition" in 1999 or windows 98SE

try running the windows 98 setup.exe with this switch  [  /nm ] bypasses the minimum system hardware requirement test

or [ /na 3 ] - No Windows-based or MS-DOS-based program check

{ /nh ] Bypass running the hwinfo.exe program during the os install

[CraigInAlex]

Thank you!  I need Windows 98 for the ProbeScope and Windows 7 or 10 for HDD/SSD malware scanning/removal and/or to save off files, so DOS will not do.  I'll have to get a Windows 98 1st Ed. disc, but all I know how to do is to boot from the disc to install.  How to I  run Windows 98 setup.exe with switch  [  /nm ] to bypass the minimum system hardware requirement test?  May I run "setup.exe /nm" on the disc from within Win98SE or what?  Could I not run this same command in Command Prompt on the Win98SE disc from within Win989SE that's installed and just overwrite that Win98SE installation?  Will setup of either 98 or 98SE give me the option to delete partitions and format with either 98 version?  If I run it from Command Prompt within Windows, I could try the Win98SE disc to see if it works with the switch.  If that doesn't work, I'll get a Windows 98 1st Ed. disc.  I just need to know the procedure, please.

I see there are 3 switches to try.