Trouble setting up computer...

**CKNY13** · 08-24-2000, 09:02 PM

Hey folks. I'm building a computer for my car to play MP3's but I'm having trouble setting it up. It's an old P90 Aptiva. I took the hard drive out and put it in my main computer to put windows 98 on it (since the aptiva doesn't have a cd drive). Anyway, the hard drive will load up my main computer fine but now, when I hook it up to the Aptiva it doesn't work. When I start the computer the BIOS counts the ram and then gives me 2 errors: a "604 Diskette Drive error" and a "662 Configuration Change has occured" When I go into setup I get 2 more errors a "1780 Hard disk error" and a "162 Configuration changed has occured". The 3.5" floppy is hooked up correctly, any idea on what I may try?

Thanks so much!

**Kevin** · 08-24-2000, 09:51 PM

It's now booting to Win98. Does Win98 require a faster processor? Maybe.

**Falcon62Travis** · 08-25-2000, 12:49 AM

You can install Win98 on a 486 if you want to (as long as you have enough memory... I think 16MB is the minimum? not sure) Anyway, you might have to go into BIOS and make sure your HD is set up right. Also are you sure the cable is not on backwards? I once spent 5 days straight pulling hair out just to find out that I had been using a deffective cable! Well, I've rambled long enough!

Trav

**CKNY13** · 08-25-2000, 02:07 AM

Falcon, how can I make sure the HD is set up right in the BIOS? When I go in there it shows that the hard drive isn't installed. What needs to be done? Also what about the floppy, it shows that isn't installed either. Weird.

Chris

**darkwingduck** · 08-25-2000, 08:00 AM

Im not sure that this goes for IBM's but i know that Compaq has an annoying idea about putting the bios information on the harddrive instead of keeping it in the bios chip.

If you have nuked any and all partitions this may very well be the problem.

One question remains, what system were you running before the win 98 and i assumme fat32 ?? The problem may (or may not) be that the bios cannot handle the fat32 (if the bios info was put onto the running partition instead of on its own small partition.

if you know that you didnt kill of the partition(s) then im out of good ideas ...

(remeber to set the partition active if you made one)

**CKNY13** · 08-25-2000, 09:26 AM

Well there was no system running on the computer when I got a hold of it. I guess there was at one time but it didn't come loaded with an operating system.

I'm not sure about partitions, I didn't set one up and to be honest with you, I don't even think I need one because it's a 540 mb drive lol. It's the one the computer came with. I'm just using this one to test it out and such and throw a few songs on to test before I go out and buy a 13.6.

I have everything ready to go with the computer, it's all ready to be put into the car and this is it, the only thing holding me back, ugh! I have no idea what to try!

=(

Chris

**Aaron Cake** · 08-25-2000, 09:52 AM

First off, ANY hard drive that contains an OS needs a partition.

Second, I would guess that your Aptiva is either not seeing the HD, or using the wrong settings. If the number of cylinders, heads, etc. don't match between the two machines, one will not be able to read the drive even though the other can. I would suggest first checking all cables, master/slave jumpers and connections in the Aptiva. Then detect the HD in the BIOS and write down the settings. Then bring it to the other machine, manually enter teh settings from the Aptiva, and install Win98. Then copy the CAB files to the HD, and put it back in the Aptiva. Should work.

------------------
Aaron Cake
London, Ontario, Canada

Player: Cyrix 200, 32MB RAM, 10.2Gig Quantum HD, Onboard EtherNet/Sound/Video, Custom Lexan Case, Arise DC-DC, Win95 Kernal w/Custom Player
Car: '86 Mazda RX-7 w/Basic Performance Upgrades

**CKNY13** · 08-25-2000, 10:04 AM

Aaron: quick question... How do I detect the Hard drive in the bios? When I go into setup it lists, say, 5 hard drives, and next to all of them says "not Installed". It also says my floppy is not installed.

Chris

**Falcon62Travis** · 08-25-2000, 11:52 AM

On some of the older computers you can choose a custom setting for the BIOS. You tell it the heads sectors and cylinders for a harrd drive that it dosen't recognize. Can you change the settings on one of the five 'not installed' hard drives to match your hard drive?