:confused: tried cleaning up a bit and only caused problems.when computer boots error message comes up and reads--- invalid system disk-replace the disk, and then press any key.heeeeeellllllppppp!!!!!!running win 98 - 400 mghz -

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First thing to check is whether you have a floppy disk in the floppy drive.... Since that is probably too simple, you need to let us know what you are working with and what troubleshooting you have already done. What are your system specs, Windoze version, what changes did you make and so on... The more you tell us, the more likely we can help...

I have no disks in the drives. system seems to be trying to boot normally intil eror comes up. have run into this before when a floppy is left in drive, but this is not the case. I do not have reboot disk or original win 98 disk---story too long. I do have a borrowed windows 98se disk, but it was for new comp. and recognizes that I already have windows on my comp. I'm stuck because all drives seem to be recognized but won't finish boot.:confused:

Sorry, I need more clues to work with, maybe someone else will be able to give you ideas with the info you are willing to share....

1. Was the puter working before the error came?
2. What do you mean by cleaning?
3. Check all connection are in firm.

yes the computer was workinf fine before. i was just deleting old files that hadn't been used in a long time--or so i thought.
all connections have been checked.let me know what other info will help for you guys to help me and i will try to answer.

Make sure the HD is correctly configured in BIOS.

If that's ok, then press and hold the Ctrl key during startup, select 'Command prompt only', press Enter, at the C:\> prompt type dir, and press Enter.
If you do not see your HD's contents, then either the HD, IDE cable, power cable, or IDE controller may be bad.
Make sure the IDE controller is enabled in BIOS.
If ok, then try a different IDE cable.
If no good, then connect the HD to a different power cable.
If ng, then either the HD or the controller may be bad.

If you see your HD's contents, then make the HD the 1st boot drive in BIOS.
If that works, and the FD was originally the 1st boot drive, then there may be a problem with the FD.

If that does not work, then your HD's boot sector may be infected with a virus.

If there's no virus, then make a boot floppy on another machine, insert it and boot up, select 'Start w/o CD-ROM support', at the A:\> prompt type sys c:, and press Enter.

If no luck, then do the same, at the A:\> prompt type C:, at the C:\> prompt type fdisk /mbr.

If still no good, then the HD may be defective.

I can see my HD components.
The oher machine i have access to has Win ME.
How do I make boot disk from this machine?

You can make a Win 98 boot disk at www.bootdisk.com

Also, shut down the computer, and disconnect the FD.
See if that gets your system booted up.

installed boot disk and now get to windows screen, but stops loading.
here is list---
c:\>SET BLASTER=A220 17 D1 T2
C:\>SET SNDSCAPE=C:\WINDOWS
C:\>FYTETRGYYGHJKGHYTYFJG^%^$#%RTF
BAD COMMAND OR FILE NAME
C:\>SET SNDSCAPE=C:\WINDOWS
C:\>


LAST LINE AND NOTHING ELSE-WHERE CAN I GO FROM HERE?

This looks extremely suspicious to me:

"C:\>FYTETRGYYGHJKGHYTYFJG^%^$#%RTF
BAD COMMAND OR FILE NAME"

You may need to make up a set of copy protected virus scans on floppy disks and run them to make sure you don't have an infection.

At the C:\> prompt, type dir as it says in ski's post to find out if you can read the drive.

As I said in my first response, it would be helpful if you would let us know system specs, what Windoze you are using, what EXACTLY you did in "cleaning" your system and what troubleshooting you have done....

Since you can get to a command prompt - we presume you are running Windows9X so:-

At the C:\> type: scanreg  /restore Press enter

If this works then choose a date before the problems started.

If that doesnt do the trick you may need to restore some other files on the C: drive that it appears you have deleted by accident.

Indeed there are parallels with THIS THREAD (http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25609&highlight=msdos.sys) except that one related to WinME, which uses a different version of msdos.sys

One wonders where C:\>FYTETRGYYGHJKGHYTYFJG^%^$#%RTF came from but since it is producing a "bad command" warning then at least there is no FYTETRGYYGHJKGHYTYFJG^%^$#%RTF.exe or FYTETRGYYGHJKGHYTYFJG^%^$#%RTF.bat or FYTETRGYYGHJKGHYTYFJG^%^$#%RTF.com or other similar executable in the C directory.

it seens to me that command.com was erased. If you can get to a c:\> prompt, copy the file from the c:\windows folder and try to re-boot.

Plkease advise as to what happens.