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Windows 95/98 forum: Is this machine dead?

by: webmasterj July 10, 2009 7:29 PM PDT

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Is this machine dead?

by webmasterj - 7/10/09 7:29 PM

My sister's Dell Dimension 8400 is not booting up, not even with the CD. I receive the following DOS Message: "Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: window/system 32/config/system".

I also attempted to reinstall Windows 98 and got error messages informing me of System Memory Failure of all kinds.

How do I proceed? Is this a fixable problem?


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Sounds like the HD has failed . . .

by Coryphaeus - 7/11/09 5:12 AM

In Reply to: Is this machine dead? by webmasterj

If you have a spare HD, swap the old and try to boot with the W98 CD.


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That System32 message

by R. Proffitt Moderator - 7/11/09 6:45 AM

In Reply to: Is this machine dead? by webmasterj

Makes me think it was running XP. If your XP CD does not boot then check the boot order in the bios (sorry but as this is documented widely I will not tell how) then and if the XP CD does not boot try a new DVDRW drive (cheap at under 30 bucks vs. new machine!)

The hard disk may have failed but I don't think so since xp booted enough to spew that error.
Bob


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suggestion

by GODhack - 7/12/09 10:35 PM

In Reply to: Is this machine dead? by webmasterj

Move (connect) hdd to other Linux computer.
Follow this:
http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1035799.html

Quite difficult, but possible to make hdd partition to behave like CD and boot Linux OS then move hdd to original computer and install Linux to other partition.
As in Ubuntu forums for more details if those post not clear enough.


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