win98 won't start up

i'm trying to help a friend, so i don't have all the
details. but this is what i know-when trying to start her
pc, the computer gets through the logo screen and then,
well, nothing. the next thing is a blank screen with a
blinking underline in the top left-hand corner. cntrl-alt-
del does nothing nor does pressing any other keys. the
only way out is pressing the on-off button. i've tried to
start in safe mode-doesn't work. i've tried to use the
startup disk-same thing happens (blank screen). i tried
removing the non-essential cards-nothing but blank screen.
her story is that this just started to happen out of the
blue; no hardware or software changes. initially, after a
few tries, win98 would kick in. but not anymore. any help
would be appreciated...alot!

her story is that this just started to happen out of the
blue; no hardware or software changes. initially, after a
few tries, win98 would kick in. but not anymore.

As you describe the situation, I would say that some part of the
hardware has failed. Worse, since you cannot even start the computer
with Windows Startup Disk in drive A:, you cannot make backups of the
information on the harddisk.

Your friend should contact tech support at the company that
manufactured the computer. If they have to replace the harddisk,
she'll lose anything that is on this harddisk. However, you could ask
them to give her this harddisk back on the off-chance that you might
be able to install it as a second harddisk in the repaired computer.

Bill Starbuck (MVP)