IOS Error Question for Win98SE...

I'm working on a P3 machine that had two identical Win98 partitions. Both worked fine for months. Started receiving an IOS error within two weeks after an ATI video card was installed that resulted in a boot only to safe mode, a scandisk that says the partition is corrupt, and then finally no boot after post.

When the user could no longer boot, switched to the second Win98 partition. It worked for a while and then started throwing the same IOS error until finally resulting in the no boot situation as the other.

Scanning for viruses using the latest updates showed no viruses while the first partition was still booting-up. The second partition was the original for the first.

I can use a boot disk to get into DOS.
I can access FDISK and change the active partitions from one to the other, and read all info.
The drive has two additional logical partitions, which I can access and read and write to just fine from DOS.
However, even though i can read any non-hidden file from either partition, I was not able to do a SYS or to change registrys for either of the boot partitions because the partitions could not be written to. I could not unhide the registry files.
Don't know if FDISK /MBR was successful since there is no return message for that operation. No improvement after doing that.

In any case, the hard drive was removed and replaced, and WinXP was installed without a glitch. It runs perfectly, and all other hardware and peripherals work properly.

I still want to determine if the old hard drive is usable.
I have checked all the documentation from MS about IOS errors, and have narrowed the cause of this down to two possibilities: Video drivers, or a boot sector virus.
Reading the bootlog and IOS log will probably tell me more whenever I can access them.

It doesn't seem likely to be a bad disk to me, because I can write to the other partitions.
It's not likely that any of the other hardware (memory, etc) was causing this because it is all working perfectly with WinXP.

But that's not my question.
I have researched this problem extensively and cannot find a reason that explains why I can't write to either of the active partitions.

Is this just a common result of the IOS error? Or something else causing this?

Suggestions welcomed. Or should I take up Rave Dancing and abandon computers completely?

If you can get into the DOS prompt, go to one of the WIN.exe (or WIN.com) and rename it OLD_WIN.exe (or com).
Even though you have them on different partitions, it may be in a loop trying to figure out which to use-even if you point it to a good one.

Post back results.

Hope this helps

Thanks Ralph,
This has got to be one of the biggest puzzles I've ever run up against. The problem is that currently no changes can occur on either of the bootable partitions. Not even in DOS.

The user wants to recover data from the drive, but this may have some risk if there is a virus on the drive. This and the possibility of the hard drive/partitions being bad, or just some bad drivers, I would like to determine just what exactly is causing the lock-up before attempting any data recovery.

Fortunately I'm not confined to using only the original computer to attempt access again, but then, the risks of a possible virus being present can spread to any computer used for this. We have an old Pentium computer that is ready for the recycle bin anyway.

There is a possibility that an initial boot will be successful using this computer, at least until it then begins to show the affects by whatever is causing all this. While still running (probably in Safe Mode), I might have a chance to make the changes that turn this condition around.

Just as I figured, when I put the hard drive into a different computer, it was entirely accessible using a boot disk. Somewhat convinced that a virus was not causing this condition, I booted it to Safe Mode, got rid of all the drivers that didn't match the new computer, and then booted to Windows. Performed without a glitch. It took all the Via drivers, and recognized all components of the computer. Predictably Norton AV became inoperable, and will be replaced with Microsoft's one year freebie.

What caused the IOS error? The logs were not complete and of no help. My only clue is old ATI drivers. Bootup defaulted to the first partition. After deleting the second partition, I had to do a SYS. It runs perfectly.

A pure case of two hard drives becoming ill-content with their associated systems. The AMD hard drive is now running XP on a Pentium machine, and the Pentium hard drive is now configured as an AMD system.

The computers are happy. The owner is happy, and I'm confused. But such can be expected in this wacky and wonderful world of computing. (sigh...)