I've loaded Winrar 350 and 351. As expected they're not very different.

Open the zip file using Winrar. Click on the Extract To button. In the new window, at the top, it should show the current directory (highlighted). Type in c:\install. (As the current was highlighted it should clear as soon as you type.) C:\install will be automatically created.

Close Winrar once the extraction is complete. (A second or two.) Insert a formatted floppy in your floppy drive. Using My Computer or Windows Explorer, navigate to c:\install and click on the install file within the c:\install directory. It will create the Memtest86 program on your floppy. (A second or two.) Boot the problem machine with this floppy.

Hi Dan, Winrar 3.51, but it says it is on a 40 day free promotion but i'm sure this has been on the computer since we bought it?

Hi Dan, got it on floppy disk but when i boot computer with it in it says on the screen "remove all disks and press any key to continue"

Did you do this?;

"Insert a formatted floppy in your floppy drive. Using My Computer or Windows Explorer, navigate to c:\install and click on the install file within the c:\install directory. It will create the Memtest86 program on your floppy. (A second or two.)"

Hi Dan, yes it says on the if i go into "my computer, floppy, explore, on the wifes computer it says "memtest
BINFile
93kb

Check the system bios and ensure the floppy drive is set as the first boot device. The settings will most likely be under Advanced Options or BOOT.

Hi Dan, in ADVANCED BIOS FEATURE, it says

first boot - floppy
second boot - cdrom
third boot - hdd-o

there are all sorts in this section including something called "recovery genius" which is disabled

So floppy as first boot is verified.

I just reread your post;
"if i go into "my computer, floppy, explore, on the wifes computer it says "memtest BINFile 93kb"

In Win 9x you shouldn't be getting any files listed.

In Win2K or XP it should tell you;
"The disk in drive A: is not formatted. Do you want to format it now?"

Retrace the steps I outlined in my #14.

told you i am braindead with computers, in xp pro i go to c:\install i have the file memtest, on the left hand side i have 3 boxes entitled:-
files and folder tasks
make a new folder
publish this folder to the web
share this folder

[/U]other places
ibm preload (c)
my documents
shared documents
my computer
my network places

details[U]
install
file folder

It sounds as though only one file was extracted as opposed to all files. There should be four files extracted to C:\Install;

install.bat
memtest.bin
rawrite.exe
readme.txt
If there's not four files in that directory (Folder), perform the zip file extraction again.

Once the four files are extracted, format a floppy disk (no system files, just a plain format), and click on the Install(.bat) file which is in the c:\install directory. It will ask you the drive to use, type in an A (just a plain letter a, no colon) and hit Enter. It takes only a few seconds to create the disk. Boot the troubled machine with this floppy and let it run.