Hey i got a computer from my college for $20. It was like two years ago when they got all new computers and sold all the old ones real cheap.

Anyways, my girlfriends computer is broke, i have a thread for that too if you would like to help me with that problem. Ok, so i decide to just give her this Pentium 2 Windows 98 computer so she can use Word and such for school

I cracked it open and transfered her hard drive over to the new comp & added some RAM

Everything is hooked up fine, but when i turn the comp on, right after the boot screen it says that the keyboard is not functioning or something, but i know the keyboard is fine. But the major problem is it says the case was previously opened press F1 for something and F2 for set-up.

I just wanted to see if this is some security feature the school had on the computer or if i can easily get around it if i get the keyboard functioning.

Someone one told me older Dell's dont like other companies parts, so do i need to use the old dell keyboard that came with the comp. Well, any suggestions would help a lot thanks.

Ok i figured out the whole cover thing is a security measure and how to turn it off. Problem is to do so i need the keyboard to work. But the computer says Keyboard not recognized, do i need to be using a dell keyboard, this is an older Optiplex, or is it something else?

Ok nevermind again, got a working keyboard now. Now the comp wants to know how i would like to boot up. If i choose last known good or boot normally the progress bar goes on the bottom then the computer just stays like that forever. If i choose safe mode the computer runs down a list and freezes at mup.?? something and doesnt go any further, what is the problem?

Hi,

I know that you don't need another problem, but you have one. when one changes a hard drive from one computer to another, then that hard drive won't work because it is looking for the loaded chipset drivers from the original motherboard that was used to load the Operating System.

The best solution is to partition and format that drive if you can. Otherwise, you can try a repair install. The best solution if you didn't want to clean the hard drive off would have been to prepare the disk before you changed it. However, if that computer tanked, you don't have that option.

Another great solution that I could suggest is that you either put a new OS on this with another drive and then put her drive in there as a slave drive so she can get all her data off.

The way I see it, those are your options.

Yes, i actually tried the old drive today and realized that started booting into windows 98, so i am going to try making the XP drive a slave. Have any idea why her comp wont start????

Ok, couldnt get the comp to recognize the XP drive so i got a hold of a XP reinstallation disc and erased everything from the 98 HD and installed windows XP. SO now the comp is up and running and recognizes both drives.

Anyone know why a computer just will not recognize a mouse??? Even after XP was installed the comp still wont recognize the mouse.

Thank you everyone for your help.

Have you installed all available Microsoft updates JDUB2002?
There are a lot of drivers in the updates. If that still doesn't work you might have to go to the mouse manufacturer's website and download the drivers manually

Is it a USB or PS/2 mouse? Check your drivers to make sure the mouse driver is there, and of course make sure you update.

What kind of mouse is it? Check you connection and make sure the mouse is plugged fully in.

You may have also loosened an internal connection while moving the HDs.