can't install windows 98 SE

[realdealgman]

I have a completely erased harddrive i am trying to install windows 98 SE on. However when i get into MS DOS there is only the A drive and C drive available. NO CD ROM and I can not start the PC with a Win 98 Start up disk. The hardrive light stays on constantly. I am getting fed uyp with this junk. The Hard drive is a 15 GB HDD that was formatted com[pletely through DOS. I got this HDD from a Compaq PC that had Win XP inccorectly installed on it. Any help PLEASE???

RDGM

[mjc]

NO CD ROM and I can not start the PC with a Win 98 Start up disk. The hardrive light stays on constantly.

90+% of the time that is becasue the floppy drive cable is not correctly connected.

Try reversing one end of the cable.

[alanr]

quote: I can not start the PC with a Win 98 Start up disk.

Is the BIOS set up to try to boot from the floppy disk drive first? If not this is probably the reason you cannot start the PC with a Win 98 Start up disk.

If you are booting to DOS with the Win 98 Start up disk but cannot choose the option to boot up DOS with CD ROM support then you need a different Win 98 Start up disk. See http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm and try "Windows 98SE OEM" or create a new boot disk from another computer running Win98SE.

If you have tried this and MJC's recommendation and it still does not please POST back with more detail on exactly what you are doing and the response that you are getting.

[alanr]

One other thing. Can you boot to DOS using the Win 98 start up disk with the hard disk drive ribbon cable disconnected. And to you then get CD ROM support?

[Variable]

Usually if the floppy light stays on the connector is on backwards, never heard of the HD light staying on because of it. I think you need to make sure you have the devices set correctly on the back of them (not two set to master on same cable for instance) then use a windows boot disk that has CD Rom support like alanr said.