Now everytime i start windows it says "insufficient memory to initialize windows. (then it goes on to tell me to end utilities from config.sys etc.)" This is weird because in boot up screen it says it has detected the memory and that it is dual channal, and it goes through and tests all the memory (2g of it) and it takes like 30 secs to test it all. Anyone have any suggestions? I checked the memory in the mobo moved it to different slots... although it doedsn't really matter since the comps detects it. Windows is just being annoying probably. But then again the memory was probably what caused the freezing... Anyways could anyone provide me with some insight?

lol you will not beleive this... windows 98 can't support/read 2 gigs of ram... so i took one out and so far it is working!! Now just to get win 98 set up and then try and upgrade it to xp... I am going to sleep now i will find my product key in the morning and tell you guys how it is going.

i am wondering it is a 64 bit processor... and everything on it supports em64... does that mean i have to use windows xp pro x64??

No just becuase it is a 64 bit cpu does not mean you have to use XP 64 bit edition. Just mean's it is ready for 64 bit apps. let me read through this again and see if I cant come up with somthing, sorry about the delay had a bad migraine last 2 day's was not able to think much

ok. What brand motherboard do you have? And is the memory new hard drive new? Hate to ask this but is the XP cd scracthed up? Take a soft cloth to it maybe it is somthing on it? And do you have an extra dvd/cd rom you can plug into another IDE cable?

Okay everything is new. xp cd i chose the one that is the lest scratched (not scratched at all) i have a dvd rom x8 plugged in a dvd-burner 16x8x16 plugged in and a floppy disk plugged in.

The mobo is an al-8 from a-bit. http://www.abit-usa.com/products/mb/...es=1&model=281
The only things on this comp that are not brand new are the floppy drivce and the dvd-rom x8.

So basically here is my current situation.. Win 98 installed can't run in normal mode because of processor being above 2.2 ghz, have 1 of the 2 1 gig sticks plugged in because win 98 doesn't like to much memory. When i try and install win xp it loads all the files get to "setup is starting windows" goes one screen beyond that and freezes (sometimes it restarts). Both partision i have made are formatted (by using fdisk). As a side note when i install windows xp it doesn't detect that win 98 is installed. I am going to download the trial of win xp pro x64 and try and install that see how it goes.

The computer is
intel 630 3.0 ghz 800 mb fsb EM64 enabled HT enabled
2 gigs of ddr2 ram (pc 4200 / 533 mhz) dual channal enabled (only one stick is in now)
dvd rom x8
dvd-burner 16x8x16
floppy drive
250 gig sata drive (250 gig manufacturers terms, about 203 gigs microsofts terms i think), split up into 2 partision each one turns out to be about 98 gigs
Ati radeon x800 with 256mb of gddr3 memory PCI express

That is all the information i beleive that i have for you, ask any more questions if you think i have missed something and if it will help please. Oh ya and the screen turning off but the rest staying on stopped now it is just straight up freezing or retarting.