Problem installing Windows NT 3.1

[MM-DD-YY]

Trying to install Windows NT 3.10.5098.1 Workstation on a pentium II computer and the system just hangs (blinking cursor) after reboot. Details of installation process and computer specs below.
Computer: Dell Dimension XP D333
Pentium II w/MMX cpu.
256MB Ram.
6.4GB HDD; four partitions. Primary DOS: 2047MB, Extended and Logical: (2) @ 2047MB & one at remainder. All partitions are FAT16 format.
Additional info: I have three different HDD's for this computer, two are 8.4GB and one is the 6.4GB. One of the 8.4GB has Windows98 installed on it which is what I use most of the time. The other 8.4GB has Windows NT 3.10.5098.1 installed on it but unfortunately this hard drive has just about bit the dust....So yes, I've done this installation once before.

Installation procedure:
Copied i386 folder to HDD primary drive of the 6.4GB HDD ('C:').
Created boot disk via Windows98 from DOS prompt....C:\>format A: /s. Also copied Edit.com to the diskette in order to apply pentium II patch.
Formatted two floppy disks needed for Windows NT setup and emergency/repair disk.
Put the 6.4GB HDD in the computer and booted up with the boot disk. Changed directory to C:\i386 and ran Winnt.exe.
Windows NT starts its install and copies the necessary files to the floppy disk and copies/expands the Windows NT files from folder i386 to a temp folder on the HDD.
Then, it asks to reboot with the recently created setup disk in drive A:.
Upon reboot I'm greeted with the usually Setup screen. Then it continues on with the 'Express' or 'Custom' setup stuff (I always choose Express), and the other stuff like, keeping the existing HDD format, location for file installation (default is \winnt which I always except).
Then it gets to the point where you get, "Setup has successfully configured your computer for Windows NT", and your asked to remove any disk from drive A: and reboot with 'control-alt-delete'.
Here's where I reboot with the Windows98 boot disk so I can apply the pentium II patch using Edit.com....I perform the necessary modifications to Initial.inf and Setup.inf.
I remove the floppy disk and reboot....and the system just hangs with a blinking cursor.

I also tried not applying the pentium II patch to see if the installation process would continue, but it ends up the same way with just a blinking cursor.
Also tried modifying Initial.inf and Setup.inf prior to the install process (expand them, modify them, recompress them, and toss them into the i386 folder) to bypass the need for Edit.com, but that ended up the same way with a blinking cursor.

So, any suggestions as to what is going wrong?

[Windows OS]

Hmm. Might be a problem with NTLDR or boot.ini. Check to see if both files exist in the root of your drive.

[MM-DD-YY]

NTLDR and Boot.ini are present in the root drive ('C:'). Also present in the root drive is Ntdetect.com.
All file sizes match those that I have on my other HHD with the same operating system.
The directory tree on the root drive is:
$win_nt$.~ls /** temp folder created by setup **/
i386
winnt

Folder winnt has two subfolders:
system
system32

[louisw3]

Windows 98? Bigger than 2gb disks/partitions?

No doubt fat32.

3.1 wont work with that.

[MM-DD-YY]

Windows 98? Bigger than 2gb disks/partitions?

No doubt fat32.

3.1 wont work with that.

The hard drive that I'm trying to install Windows NT 3.1 on has three 2GB partitions which are formatted in FAT16.

Windows 98 is on a different HDD that I also use with this computer to run legacy software.

[MM-DD-YY]

FWIW, I also tried to load Windows NT 3.10.404 Beta and the end result was the same....Just a blinking cursor after the reboot. So, this eliminates the possiblity of corrurpt source files.

[Windows OS]

FWIW, I also tried to load Windows NT 3.10.404 Beta and the end result was the same....Just a blinking cursor after the reboot. So, this eliminates the possiblity of corrurpt source files.

Try installing 3.50 or 3.51 and see what will happen...

[MM-DD-YY]

Trying to install Windows NT 3.10.612 and it's fighting me every inch of the way. It keeps rejecting all my formatted floppy diskettes except for one or two, and of coarse I need three in order to install Windows. There all new diskettes formatted at the same time so who knows what's going on there. I know when I'm licked so I'm scrapping the ordeal....It's not worth the headache.

[computebrute]

Try installing NT4 to see if the problems persist. If they do, you've got the "NT curse".

[MM-DD-YY]

Try installing NT4 to see if the problems persist. If they do, you've got the "NT curse".

Well it does look like I've got a "NT curse" of some sort. I'll try Windows NT 4.0 when I get out of work. I'll try to prepare myself for another round of punishment..lol.

[LongerHorn]

Some OSes are just too old. Try and fail and try and fail I know what you feel. If Windows NT 4 works, then it could just be a simple fix for 3, but if not, it might just be the computer's hardware. Let us know how that turns out.

[MM-DD-YY]

Ok, tried to install Windows NT 4.0 Build 1381.1 and the same thing happened....So I definately have a "NT curse". Setup went fine all the way to the point where you reboot with no media in any drives (floppy drive or CR-ROM) and once again I'm stuck with a blinking cursor.
The real kicker is that there is a little sticker on the front of the computer that says,
Designed For
Microsoft
Windows NT
Windows 95

@LongerHorn
I know the old OS's can be pain when dealing with more modern hardware. I know in my case the only piece of hardware that could be at issue would be this somewhat newly acquired HDD. I say this because I've installed Windows NT 3.10.404 and Windows NT 3.10.5098.1 before on this computer without any problems. In addition, I haven't changed anything hardware wise for years. Like I mentioned before, I have a HDD that has Windows NT 3.10.5098.1 on it and I ran it in this computer like five days ago. Unfortunately, that HDD has gotten so bad that there's a 30% chance of a STOP:....HARD ERROR C0000221 code everytime you use it.

[Goldfish64]

Ok, tried to install Windows NT 4.0 Build 1381.1 and the same thing happened....So I definately have a "NT curse". Setup went fine all the way to the point where you reboot with no media in any drives (floppy drive or CR-ROM) and once again I'm stuck with a blinking cursor.

I wonder if the MBR boot code is bad. When I reinstalled NT4 on my system after having Linux (and therefore GRUB), GRUB still started even though the disk had been repartitioned. Running fdisk /mbr should fix it if that is the case.

EDIT: Use a Windows 95 boot disk to eliminate any FAT32 problems with using a Windows 98 one.

[yourepicfailure]

@MM-DD-YY

You're pointing yourself in the right direction. In conjunction with what the Goldfish said, I'd first check that disk with an HDD checker. Then, if passed, use gparted to clean it or boot and nuke. Make sure you obviously backup your stuff first, because it looks like the disk is holding you back.
I remember having a similar problem with my Latitude and its disk. Installed Xp, and when it came time for second stage (GUI) I got the same thing as you got.

[MM-DD-YY]

The HDD came to me formatted in FAT16 but with no partitions. I removed the existing and started from scratch using fdisk. After I was done partitioning and formating I ran a surface scan on the disk to see if there were any errors or bad spots. The thing checked out perfect. Therefore, I know the integrity of the HDD is good. I also double checked the partitions using fdisk to make sure they were FAT16 after they were formatted.
I believe fdisk has a /mbr option to re-write the master boot record without affecting the partition table info. Any thought on using that?

[Goldfish64]

I believe fdisk has a /mbr option to re-write the master boot record without affecting the partition table info. Any thought on using that?

That is what I suggested, but I don't know if it affects the partition table or not. I'm guessing your disk has missing boot code that is needed for Windows NT and fdisk /mbr should fix it.

EDIT: It shouldn't affect the partition table. See https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/69013.

[MM-DD-YY]

Jackpot!!! Ran fdisk with the /mbr option and then rebooted the computer and Setup actually continued. So, the problem was with the MBR.....Good call 'Goldfish64'. So, Windows NT 4.0.1381.1 is up and running!

[Windows OS]

Jackpot!!! Ran fdisk with the /mbr option and then rebooted the computer and Setup actually continued. So, the problem was with the MBR.....Good call 'Goldfish64'. So, Windows NT 4.0.1381.1 is up and running!

Nice.
To quote UXWBill, one of my favorite YouTubers:

It's the simplest things that bring a complex machine to it's knees.

Now let's see if NT 3.x will work...

[MM-DD-YY]

Yep! Went back and reinstalled Windows NT 3.10.5098.1 Workstation without a problem.....Life's happy once again. Thanks all!