AboutKevin Expertise I`m familiar with Windows 95/98/XP problems and will try my best to assist you. I`m also familiar with spyware/virus removal, Web Design, Basic PC Networking, formatting & partitioning hard drives, installing new hard drives or memory (ram), and other little things.
Experience I started using computers about 10 years ago and have grown to both love and hate it to say the least. I have studied computer programming and graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer science.
Expert: Kevin Date: 7/3/2008 Subject: 98SE booting problem
Question QUESTION: My Windows 98SE(Second Edition) turns on but nothing appears on the screen. I had done some cleaning of the dust from inside the frame of the OS. After reassembling, it booted just fine and I was doing my normal hobbies. Later that day I came back for more computer hobbies but the computer turns on and nothing else happens. The screen clicks on by computer command as normal but is black as if nothing is there. I want to know if I possibly reassembled the system in a way to work just the one time after that and if I need to move a cord attached to the motherboard to the appropiate location to be able to boot.
ANSWER: Hi Jeffrey, is there anything on the upper left corner of the screen (blinking underscore perhaps)?
If nothing at all, does the monitor power button go green and then amber?
Did you remove the components inside the computer? Confirm that all the components inside are reseated properly. If the back of your computer has TWO video ports for the monitor, make sure you plugged it into the correct one.
Last thing you can try is use another working monitor and see if anything comes up. Something should show up on your monitor. If nothing, it's either a bad video port or bad monitor.
QUESTION: No, there is no underscore on the screen. The monitor light turns green and stays green as if it were on normally. Also, only one video port is usable because the other is a serial port and therefore, the other is the only one it works in. The same monitor works on my other 98. The same result happens with my back-up monitor. When i did the internal cleaning, i unplugged the cords leading to the motherboard. The concern I have is that I'm not 100% sure where each and every cord leads back to. Is there any possible way i can receive a diagram of where the major cords would lead to connecting on the motherboard ports.
ANSWER: Hi Jeffrey, in terms of the cables going into the motherboard, the main one you should be concerned about is the BIG cable with 20-24 pins on it (you can see them on the bottom). That one should be in already since you are able to turn on the computer (I assume the computer also has a green light). If there is a fan inside, make sure it's connected to a power source on the board as well (usually they have the flat type power cables that goes into the motherboard).
Is the video on-board or on a separate video card (which you can remove)? If it's removable, I suggest reseating it and if it has a fan, make sure to connect it to a power source/cable inside.
Is there any sound/beeps from the computer? How about the light on the computer (solid green, blinking, etc.)?
QUESTION: All fans turn on during start-up, so that shouldn't be a problem. No beeps are heard as they usually were. The hard drive light shows a steady red for about 8 seconds and then the light turns off and doesn't come back on telling me the hard drive is at work loading windows as it usually did. My video card is on-board.
Answer Hi Jeffrey, try using a program like DamnSmallLinux:
Burn it on a cd. Then boot the computer from the CD and see if it can load that Linux program....
Let's see if we can rule out the board as being the problem.
Regarding the cables that go into the motherboard, what do you have plugged into it right now? Did you remove any jumpers (little black switches) on the board?
