My new P4B266 ...

nunozzy · Post by **nunozzy** » Mon Mar 04, 2002 10:31 am

Hi everyboby,

First, thank for this forum that help me a lot to select my PC config for my new Creamware hardware.

I baught the following hardware: P4B266 - P4 1.8 Gz Northwood - 512 Mo DDR - une Matrox G550 (thanks subhuman for your advices)

In addition, there are my "old" stuff: Ibm 40 Go HDD, Quantum 8 Go HDD, Plextor CD Writer, Toshiba CD Rom. Power Supply is 300 W.

Here is my problem: I am not able to install correctly windows 98 SE.

I hope that one of you will be able to help me on this subject as I am little bit lost. I do not know what to do, where to search ...

Here is the description of what is happening:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

-Start is OK
-Bios acces is OK
-Disc boot is OK
-Hard Drive format is OK

-Then, I begin the Window 98SE installation:

-Everything is going smouthly until the last sequence, when W98SE is updating personal parameters.

-Then, the program is hanging.

-Manual Reboot

-The installation continue. The W98 window appear but with the following message:
(I translate from french to english):Windows found an error when accessing to the system registry.Windows will restart the computer and repair the problem for you.

- Manual reboot

-Then I have the following warning:
Reparing ofc:windowssystem.dat
Looking for valid registry keys
Result of the registry repairing
Winfows found an error in the file system that he was not able to correct.

-The process continue. Windows appear but I have the warning:

Windows found an error when accessing to the system registry.Windows will restart the computer and repair the problem for you.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thanks for your help !

sandrob · Post by **sandrob** » Mon Mar 04, 2002 11:08 am

i had big anyoing with win98se instalation. almost like you. errors, errors and bluescreans..... problem was because i use more than 512mega ram!
you say that you use 512mb?
anyway, i solve problem on this way:

1. go to windows/system.ini and find [vcache]
2. add:
[vcache]
MinFileCache=16384
MaxFileCache=16384
3. save changes

sorry if this can't help.
try, you can't do nothing wrong!

_________________
"without deviating from the norm, progress
is not possible" - frank zappa

[ This Message was edited by: sandrob on 2002-03-04 13:56 ]

nunozzy · Post by **nunozzy** » Mon Mar 04, 2002 3:05 pm

Thank you Sandrod.Your post gave me the idea of taking out 256 Mo of DDR ... and it works !

I will now followyour advice in order to put back those 256 Mo.

Thanks again

sandrob · Post by **sandrob** » Tue Mar 05, 2002 1:14 am

i don't have computer's knowledge - i just following sugestions and instructions from others.
so, maybe 16384 isn't optimal value. cw have diferent formula for vcache seting.
in your case:
512/4x1024=131072
i don't know what is right or what is better.
i use 16384 for 1gb and system works nice.

nunozzy · Post by **nunozzy** » Wed Mar 06, 2002 8:28 am

I try it but it does not work ...

I tested the two DDR 256 Mo. both are working properly but I am not able to run W98SE with 512 Mo installed.

Does somebody have any idea of what I should do ?

Neutron · Post by **Neutron** » Wed Mar 06, 2002 8:58 am

so you are saying windows works fine with 256 MB Ram (by the way it is MB and GB not Mo and Go)

Either stick works but not both?

well win98se works fine with 512 RAM just need to do the Vcache thing if you go OVER 512.

you can try increasing the voltage for the RAM in the BIOS, because may be the powersupply is outputing slightly low voltage for both sticks.

It could also be that your power supply is weak, you could be just straining it that much more by adding the second RAM stick. Try taking out a PCI card or something and see if it works.

I have P4B266 and when i used an old power supply even for testing, (using the hard drive type plug) it was unreliable. i had to use a proper P4 power supply. (enermax)

[ This Message was edited by: defex on 2002-03-06 09:08 ]

nunozzy · Post by **nunozzy** » Thu Mar 07, 2002 2:23 am

Yes Win98SE is working perfectly with one stick of 256 Mb. When I install the second stick I am not able to launch Win98SE.

I installed Win XP and it is working perfectly with the two sticks ... So I think that I do not have any problem of hardware (mobo should be ok )

I checked with Tweakall the exact amount of RAM: it gives me 261 Mb. So the total is > than 512 Mb when thetwo stick are used. Could it be this ?

Immanuel · Post by **Immanuel** » Thu Mar 07, 2002 3:40 am

No. That could not be it, because it is not so. The reason for the odd number (261) is, that there are different ways of measuring KB, MB, GB and so on.

One way is:
1000B = 1KB
1000KB = 1MB
1000MB = 1GB

Another way is:
1024B = 1KB
1024KB = 1MB
1024KB = 1GB

The number 1024 commes from 2^10 and is a *computer logical* way of measuring, while 1000 is a *human logical* way of measuring.

So 256 *computer* MB equals 268.435.456 *human* Bytes. the program you use, utilizes a strange aproach by mixing *human* and *computer* logic, and thus creating an ulogical result:

268.435.456B = 262.144KB (268.435.456/1024)
262.144KB = 262MB (262.144/1000)
And for some reason, it turns out 261?

It would be very new to me, that RAM modules are made with a capacity-margin. In other words: I am quite possitive, your RAM modules are exactly 256*computer*MB. And your OS supports up to 512*computer*MB of RAM. So that should not be the problem.

Immauel

Neutron · Post by **Neutron** » Thu Mar 07, 2002 8:04 am

This is very strange! win98 should not care if you have 512 Ram even without vcache settings.

have you another computer you can try the ram in, or try some different ram in yours? there could be a problem with it only affecting win98 because it has different way it uses memory than XP.