FINIKY COMPUTER

[wayne384]

Hi
I have several computers. The problem child is a ASUS P4B running a 1.6 GHz Intel P4. The computer basically runs fine but when loading a DOS other than MS DOS into a virtual drive I am having problems.

MS DOS Emergency Boot Disks (EBD) load just fine (those created by Win ME and Win98SE), but those created with any other DOS, say Western Digital's LifeGuard running Caldera DOS, or IBM Utilities, running DR DOS, or even the Acronis Hex Editor running their own thing, WILL NOT LOAD. I get an error, like "unable to load DOS" or with the Acronis "Not a system disk" BUT right next to this ASUS are three other computers (Compaq, IBM Clone, and a MSI mobo clone) and the floppys work just fine.

What's up with this? Is this a common problem?

Thanks for any assistance!
Wayne

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Wayne
wgplumtr@lasd.org

[BigBlue66]

Which OS are you running on problem child?

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[wayne384]

Hi BigBlue66

Sorry for the late response, but I really did try to post yesterday, but obviously it didn't make it. Sooo here goes again.

The operating system can be Win98SE or Windows 2000. The hard drives(s) are mounted in racks and I can interchange as desired. But this boot should occur after the boot from the floppy; more properly stated, the box should boot from the floppy and not from the HDD.

The problem the way I see is the box should boot-up from the floppy regardless of the OS, even regardless of whether or not a HDD is present.

Emergency Boot Disks created from Windows 98SE and ME behave properly, it is Caldera DOS and DR DOS bootable floppys and Acronis, (whatever it is using-and it is not a DOS) that will not load.

Basically the problem must be occurring after the POST and right after the BIOS looks for the device to boot from, which is set for the floppy first, HDD second. When it sees the floppy and starts to load, something doesn't go together. Remember the same floppys work just fine on 3 other computers, both before and after trying them on the ASUS box.

Thanks again for the interest. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

Wayne

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Wayne
wgplumtr@lasd.org

[Rick]

Have you tried to use one of the hard drives from another system with Dr Dos on it to boot the problem child?
Then use the drive in the system to create the boot disk?

Or swap the floppy drive from another system to problem child system

It may be nothing more than a problem child A drive.
I have seen a number of systems that refused to boot from a disk created with my old compaq

[wayne384]

Rick,

I guess great minds think alike, I just replaced the floppy drive... But, unfortunately, that wasn't the problem.

You suggestion of putting Caldera DOS on a HDD... I don't have that DOS available. The program that uses Caldera DOS is Western Digital's EZ Install program (available off their site for free). This bad computer will NOT boot from the WD floppy (but three other computers will, on command), but it will boot just fine from MS DOS EBD.

The Caldera DOS will not load off the floppy.

Wayne



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Wayne
wgplumtr@lasd.org

[Rick]

Are you attempting to create a boot disk Just to use WD ez?
If so Just create a standard boot disk using the(create Boot disk/add system files) from the format box in explorer
it will create a boot disk with the needed files (IO.sys Msdos.sys command.com)
Or format a floppy disk and run the sys a: command from a dos prompt

[wayne384]

Rick,

I want to be able to run Western Digital EZ (which usees Caldera DOS) or IBM's equilivant (which uses DR DOS or Acronis Hex Editor (which uses their own way of creating a virtual drive) on this problem ASUS box. I have the floppies from above, but can not use them on this problem computer.

In other words the money spent on the Acronis floppy is wasted as I can not look at my hard drives using the floppy (Acronis).

I also have MS Emergency Boot Disks (win98SE flavor) that work just fine on Mr. ASUS.

Thanks

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Wayne
wgplumtr@lasd.org

[mjc]

What happens if ther are no hdds connected?

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[wayne384]

mjc,

The computer behaves the same with and without hard drives, that is it fails to boot from the Western Digital, IBM and Arcronis floppy disks, but boots from the Win98SE Emergency Boot Disk.

Thanks.

Wayne

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Wayne
wgplumtr@lasd.org

[mjc]

Ok...so we can eliminate the possibility of the hard drive having any influence on the boot process.

Boot order is set to floppy first, so it should work...that is, boot from the floppy regardless of what is on th hard drive, or even if the drive is not present. You have swapped out the floppy drives...so uless there is a tracking problem (on both drives) then the disks them selves are suspect (even though they do work on the other machines...some machines are less tolerant than others)...so have you tried making the disks on the suspect machine?


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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[wayne384]

mjc,

That is something I can do, and will give it a try.

Wayne

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Wayne
wgplumtr@lasd.org