Maybe bad ram, clean ram contacts and memtest.

Hoping wrote on 2021-06-06, 11:58:

Maybe bad ram, clean ram contacts and memtest.

I pulled them out and put them back in to ensure they're seated correctly but still not working.

Is the machine overclocked?

paradigital wrote on 2021-06-06, 12:42:

Is the machine overclocked?

I don't think so. I did some BIOS messing around but I didn't try to overclock really it seemed too complicated for me.

Tyrant wrote on 2021-06-06, 11:46:

I decided to wipe and reinstall 98se with a different graphics card but my BIOS is all corrupted now

If I do manage to access the BIOS there's "&" symbols all over the screen and all the words are misspelled.

My suspicion is your new graphics card has faulty video RAM. The symptoms you describe fit this perfectly.
Switch back to the old card. If the problems go away you have confirmed the problem is related to your graphics card .

Doornkaat wrote on 2021-06-06, 13:44:

My suspicion is your new graphics card has faulty video RAM. The symptoms you describe fit this perfectly. Switch back to the ol […]
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Tyrant wrote on 2021-06-06, 11:46:

I decided to wipe and reinstall 98se with a different graphics card but my BIOS is all corrupted now

If I do manage to access the BIOS there's "&" symbols all over the screen and all the words are misspelled.

My suspicion is your new graphics card has faulty video RAM. The symptoms you describe fit this perfectly.
Switch back to the old card. If the problems go away you have confirmed the problem is related to your graphics card .

I have changed the card man I thought so too but it hasn't fixed it. It says "BIOS update data incorrect. CPUID-00000F29". I did update the BIOS to put in a new processor but going to the old one doesn't fix the issue.

Maybe it would help to know which motherboard we're talking about here, which video cards you've tried and exactly which RAM (chip codes) you're using.

dionb wrote on 2021-06-06, 14:07:

Maybe it would help to know which motherboard we're talking about here, which video cards you've tried and exactly which RAM (chip codes) you're using.

I'm using a P4BM and someone in a forum suggested it could be bad RAM causing the fault so I took one stick out and the computer wouldn't show anything, so I swapped the one I took out for the one that I tried and it seems to run quite smoothly. I started the Windows 98se boot up disk and got this message during the file copying stage "SUWIN caused a general protection fault in module setupx.dll at 0019:4B59".

Try memtest, also try cleaning the memory module contacts with a rubber eraser and check the cpu temp.
Edit: link to downloads of memtes86 https://www.memtest86.com/download.htm

Troubleshooting 101:
When you have this sort of issue, remove as much as possible from the system and work your way up from there. That includes starting with only one DIMM, a video card (unless there's integrated VGA, if so use that), CPU and nothing else attached except PSU.

Assuming you tested both DIMMs in the same slot you've already discovered that one of your DIMMs is bad (if not, it might just be that the board needs DIMM1 to be populated to boot). In that case the question is whether you were trying to continue an existing (and probably borked) install, or a completely new one. If the latter, that second DIMM might also not be too hot, so I'd suggest running Memtest86+ overnight to be sure.

That said, I'm grasping at straws here trying to guess what's going on based on very vague and incomplete information. Possibly I'm missing the point entirely. Once again, being accurate and complete really helps people help you.

Could also be the power supply. The IDE cable or drive could also be flakey. Same for the CD drive or even the CD itself.

dionb wrote on 2021-06-06, 17:05:

Troubleshooting 101:

Ok I've just looked up what both DIMMs are and Memtest but I don't see how I can run Memtest if the computer isn't working. I ran Scandisk which showed no errors? Just assume I no nothing and ask me exactly what you need to help you help me. In response to your first paragraph I need to use a PCI VGA slot to be able to see anything to begin with, then using my memory I navigate through the BIOS and all it's insanely jumbled symbols and select the AGP VGA as my primary VIOS. Other than that I'm not quite sure what to do.

You said that the windows 98 boot disk started and then the setup throw errors, so I understand that the computer is able to boot, but I guess that it doesn't boot always, but if it boots it can run memtest. Apart from that, like someone already said, it can be anything, bad PSU, bad CPU, bad motherboard,even the floppy drive if you have one, you already tried more than one vga so is unlikely that the problem is the vga.
Another suggestion, take the motherboard out a test it outside the case if you didn't do it already. Only the motherboard, the psu, one dimm, the vga card and something to boot, a floppy, cdrom, or usb if the board can boot from usb.
For me, it's the ram, the cpu, or the motherboard.

I tried the older CPU and the problem still persists. I've tried installing separately to each hard drive and they both have odd errors. I've tried having the RAM in each DIMM slot and nothing is different. I've tried the original BIOS update and the newest, and the second newest and nothing changed.

In PCI configuration in the BIOS if I select the primary VGA BIOS to PCI card that's when it looks really weird and boots to nothing. If I have the Primary VGA BIOS set to AGP instead of PCI that's when it doesn't look weird but I still get the "BIOS update data incorrect. CPUID-00000F29" message. I've just switched out the AGP card for the one I had when all these issues started popping up and ran installation and when I get the copying stage I get a SUWIN error that causes a general protection fault in module SETUPX.DLL at 0019:4870.

One thing I have noticed too since all these issues is the CPU speed is running higher than I remember.

Well, if everything is corrupted in the BIOS, then my guess is either a bad video card or power supply. It could be RAM as well.

You said you already tried another video card and it didn't help.

How old and what brand / model is the power supply?

Double check jumper settings.

What are the exact specs of you system? Brands / models included.

Well, this process is always the same, swap components one by one using known god ones always using the minimum components needed and test until you find the faulty one. The main problem is having spares.
If you suspect the cpu, try undercloking, decrease the fsb if you can.

cyclone3d wrote on 2021-06-06, 18:21:

Well, if everything is corrupted in the BIOS, then my guess is either a bad video card or power supply. It could be RAM as well. […]
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Well, if everything is corrupted in the BIOS, then my guess is either a bad video card or power supply. It could be RAM as well.

You said you already tried another video card and it didn't help.

How old and what brand / model is the power supply?

Double check jumper settings.

What are the exact specs of you system? Brands / models included.

I've never touched the jumpers, I'm not even sure how to identify them or what to do to them. The BIOS does not *appear* corrupted when I set it to use either of the two AGP cards I've tried so far. In terms of specs I'll have a look after I wake up as it's late now where I am and I need sleep. I'll find out

Hard drives:
CD Drives:
Floppy Drive:
Power Supply:
RAM:
Motherboard: P4b-M
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2.6GHz SL6PP

Anything else you'd like to know?

You should check the jumpers or post a picture and the mother board name here and get help. Once I accidently picked out jumper and got similar issues.

Hoping wrote on 2021-06-06, 18:28:

Well, this process is always the same, swap components one by one using known god ones always using the minimum components needed and test until you find the faulty one. The main problem is having spares.
If you suspect the cpu, try undercloking, decrease the fsb if you can.

As far as swapping parts goes I only have spare hard drives, cd drives, floppy drives, RAM and video cards. I only have one motherbaord for what I want to do (gaming) and two CPU's and both are showing the same issues. Unfortunately I suspect the motherboard now. I will try changing RAM and power supply.