invalid system disk

[Grassman]

http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/mad.gif HELP!!!!!
I picked up a used pc cheap..I was going to reformat the c drive and install win 98 se..Should have typed formatC:\s...forgot the\s now cannot get into system how do I get dos back so I can install windows tried copying config sys frm other pc no luck what can I do?

[Rick]

Just create a boot disk using your other pc and use that to start the system.

It should start from the Floppy

[Grassman]

tried that as well as trying to use several that i downloaded from vaious sites...also tried adjusting BIOS settings nothing seems to be working

[Grassman]

Floppy drive may not be working...how can I tell?

[tjaymadison]

Put any diskette in the drive, turn the PC on, and if the light on the floppy comes on and you hear a slight grinding noise, the drive is probably alive. Does the new/used system meet the minimum system requirements for 98SE? Do you know what was on it -- DOS, Windows, or something else like Linux? There may also be a drive overlay installed, depending on the size of the drive and any BIOS limitations. You really should FDISK the drive before formatting, just in case it has been partitioned in a way you don't want. BTW, how did you do the Format C: (from a Windows DOS box, or the C: prompt?)and did it complete? In general, transferring start-up files like config.sys and/or autoexec.bat from one machine to another is a bad idea. There may be references to directories or files that don't exist, or attempts to install drivers for hardware that isn't even there. Oh yeah, not to nit-pick, http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif but your "\" should be a "/".

[Grassman]

1. I think the drive is dead. 2 the machine was running win98. It had a suite of MS office stuff like word, power point excell etc that someone had deleted but left the directeries and shortcuts partially intact with blind links and dead ends all over as well as a lot of useles data that I wanted to lose with a clean install...3. ran format from DOS prompt...ran just fine except I forgot to /s or\s. I have done it properly many times before...just not this time ( 300 Celeron, 3.0 gig HD, 48mg RAM)

[This message has been edited by Grassman (edited 04-09-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Grassman (edited 04-09-2001).]

[Paleo Pete]

1. Set BIOS Defaults or Optimum defaults, if you did any tinkering in BIOS and don't remember what you changed, and set hard drives to autodetect. If hard drive settings were all you changed, just reset that to autodetect. Make sure the boot sequence is A;C and floppy parameters are correct. Swap Floppy Drive and Floppy 3 Mode Support should both be disabled.

2. See if fdisk recognizes the drive. No need to repartition, from what it looks like, just run fdisk and see if it does see the drive. If you get the message "No hard disks found" then the drive could be dead.

3. Boot to a Win 98 Start Up disk, with or without CD ROM support, either way will work, and at the A:\> prompt type:
sys_c: using a space in place of the underscore ( _ ) used here. That will transfer the system files to the hard drive, and make it bootable. fdisk_/mbr will repair the Master Boot Record. Then reboot, choosing "Start Computer with CD ROM Support" and try installing win98.

4. While you're running fdisk, (see #2) check the partition information, Option 4 I think, and see if it is running FAT32. If it's FAT16 you may want to repartition and enable FAT32, it's usually faster with win98 as long as you don't want to install DOS. If you do want to install DOS as well, leave it FAT16. If you do need to or decide to repartition, then you'll need to format again before the drive will be usable. Remember the /s this time http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif Format from the A:\> prompt, and to clear up any confusion, it is a forward slash: format_c:_/s is the proper command line.

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So many idiots, and only six bullets...
Note: Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[Randy_tx]

If you cant "see" the drive using FDISK then you may have a dead hard drive. Often when you "work" an older hard drive as hard as it works to install an OS, the weakness shows up and it dies. Try fdisk with a bootable floppy ......If it finds the drive.....keep going ......if not, consider an new Hard Drive.

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I'm putting a new Fat32 partition in my Head Drive...hope it speeds me up.......

[Grassman]

Thanks for all the info..that is what I thought I needed to do....however before I can even try....the drive I was refering to as dead in the floppy..,,so it says my cd-rom has invalid system disk and it is not reading the boot disk in the 3.5 I just haven't been able to find out if it is the drive, the ribbon cable or a problem in the board itself tried reversing the cable (as seen in another thread) and the light stays on all the time...new drive is about $20 but how do I know that will help?

[Paleo Pete]

1. Try a couple of different Start Up disks, and ALWAYS write protect your boot disks. When you turn off the computer it can write garbage on the disk, and you get an "Invalid System Disk" error next time you use it. So make a clean one on another computer, (run a virus scan too, make sure it's clean) and try that one. Try one made on a friend's computer too.

2. Try a different ribbon cable, and check to be sure the connections are good, and correctly oriented. When the LED stays on all the time the ribbon cable is backwards on one end. Make sure neither end is one pin off.

3. Try the problem floppy on a different machine, and a known good one on this machine. If the good one works and the old one doesn't, you can bet the old drive is bad.

4. Check BIOS, make sure Swap Floppy Drive and Floppy Mode 3 Support are both turned off, and the correct floppy parameters are shown. Boot Up Floppy Seek can be turned on, but it's actually redundant. If the boot sequence is set to A;C it will try to access the floppy anyway, so it actually accesses it twice, slowing down boot time. For troubleshooting purposes, turn Floppy Seek on, then off after you have it fixed up.

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So many idiots, and only six bullets...
Note: Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[Grassman]

OK!!!! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/mad.gif
Changed bad floppy drive
booted to startup disk
Ran FDISK..FORMAT C:
ready to install WIN98.....but....

CD-ROM is installed as scci device but does not have a drive letter designation...can't access cd fro A/: prompt

Tried to "boot from CD-rom" Lots of beeping and code flying by very fast...then just returned to A/: prompt

how to I run setup..or install or whatever I need to install the OS??????

[Randy_tx]

If you are able, open the computer and determine what KIND of CD rom you have. A win98 startup disk (with CD support) should allow you to type D: enter.. and you would reach the CD rom drive......then you SHOULD be able to type "setup" ........and the machine will run Scandisk and then start loading Win98. If you CANT DO IT WITH A WIN98 STARTUP DISK, your cd rom in that unit is not an IDE compatible drive and the only way you could use it in dos is with the correct DOS drivers that came with the CD unit. If you are trying to start the system with anything OTHER than a Win98 Startup disk......you are going to have problems!!

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Will XP save Me ?

[tjaymadison]

If the CD-ROM drive is SCSI, you may have termination and/or device ID problems to resolve. Also, remember Win98 creates a ramdrive for install purposes, so your CD drive may be temporarily "bumped up" one letter.

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"When I nod my head, hit it with the hammer."
(Moe, holding nail, to Curly, holding hammer)

[Grassman]

well..thanks for all the help...I got her up and running....did a step by step boot an confirmed each step....the CDROM drive stated as the Z and kept bumping up through the alphabet I hit y all the way until it hit D; and then began hitting N..this kept it as the D drive and the windows install went smoothly...hope I don't have any more problems but if I do I will post them here..you guys (girls?) have been a great help