Uncreative Labs

Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 8:22 am

When installing Windows 95 or 98, it usually took 3 reboots to get the computer to a stable state.

Anyone have any odd behavior "rules" like this they'd care to share?

Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 594 Location: Western NC

I'd first start checking the HDD for errors, then defrag the drive afterwards.

Check the RAM with Memtest86 or some similar utility.

If a no go, then I'd start suspecting some funky power-supply problem, where the voltages aren't quite clean or stable. Just my 2¢ worth...

Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 3:26 am

It's not a system problem, it's just that it usually took 3 reboots after the installation program was finished for everything to be finally installed and updated. Windows would find a device or two via plug-n-play and require a reboot.

Here's another one: 3 copies is usually permanent. The ideal is one local copy, one off-system (stored on disk or cd), and one off-site. The strange thing about this one is that it seems to apply to non-computer stuff as well. Maybe that's why the military likes things in triplicate.

Joined: 03 Feb 2006 Posts: 488 Location: pennsylvanai

The cd copied the files to the hard drive. it rewrites config.sys and autoexec.bat and other files.
these files / commands do not take effect until after the comuter is reboored ( restarted) that si why they are called startup files)
there are likely registy commands that are inplemented at this time.
before the reboot there was no registry.

Plug and play- sort of slaky in 95
( mny 95 installs often left me without a cd0 even when the OS was installed from a cd. often after several reboots
or even a few days later., it would FIND the cd.
I had a similar experience with 98.
but in this case it totally refued to see the cd. System would see it.
a boot floppy would see it.

I realize this is noit what you asked. but "finding and installing things"
is part of the process.

W2000 was better
w xp is even better
connect the network cable before you begin. It will find a network somehow.
This will not stop so many reboots. but will make things go smoother

Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 10:45 pm

I reinstalled Windows 7 on my grandpa's new PC, and it took several days to finally get all the updates and restarts done. I didn't count the reboots, but I'm guessing it was somewhere around 10 from the point where installation finished to the point that there were no new updates left.

Sure wouldn't mind a mode where it would install all available updates, reboot, check for updates and install them, and loop until there were no new updates left. (Optional updates not included.) Thing is, it would only be used by someone who was reinstalling Windows, which is less common than it once was. (Used to be kinda like changing the coolant in the car... Every so often you must drain everything and refill.)

Maybe another weird computing rule:
The mousepad is not necessary for good control of the mouse; rather it is there to reserve space for the mouse.