invalid system disk ....please help

[nasic]

Ok here it goes...i had a problem with windows 98 crashing all the time so i decided to format my hard drive...so i used fdisk and format to format my hard drive correctly with all the proper extensions and then it told me to restart for the changes to take effect...so then i alt-ctrl-deleted it to reboot....then hell came...it booted up recognizing all of my peripherals and hard drives but when it verified DMI pool it gave me the error message, "invalid system disk, replace disk and press any key" and so i put in a windows boot disk and it doesn't work...it just displays the same message over...

I have read all of the posts similar to my problem and i have tried most of the solutions posted but to no avail...does anyone know if it is anything else besides it might being a floppy disk problem or how to remedy this?

My setup was: Windows 98, AMD 400 mhz, 128 ram, ati 128 graphics, and sound blaster 512...

any help is appreciated ....thank you

[dale]

You didn't indicate exactly how you fdisk and formatted. I am just guessing that you formatted from the C: drive. But regardless, once you format, you no longer have a bootable disk drive unless you specifically did a format /s.

You should be able to:

1) Go into BIOS and check to make sure it is set to boot from A: first and C: second.
2) Boot from a system disk on drive A:
3) fdisk the C: drive and make sure the primary disk partition is the "active" partition.
4) You might want to format it again once you exist fdisk. Use "format C: /s" to transfer the system files over to it.
5) Eject the floppy from the drive and reboot. It should try to boot from the floppy and then try the C: drive next and it should get you to a C: prompt.
6) Depending on your configuration, it might allow you to access your CD ROM. If not, you will need to find the setup routine/floppies for it and install the driver so you can use the CD ROM to install windows.

dale

[nasic]

dale You didn't indicate exactly how you fdisk and formatted. I am just guessing that you formatted from the C: drive. But regardless, once you format, you no longer have a bootable disk drive unless you specifically did a format /s.
You should be able to:

1) Go into BIOS and check to make sure it is set to boot from A: first and C: second.
2) Boot from a system disk on drive A:
3) fdisk the C: drive and make sure the primary disk partition is the "active" partition.
4) You might want to format it again once you exist fdisk. Use "format C: /s" to transfer the system files over to it.
5) Eject the floppy from the drive and reboot. It should try to boot from the floppy and then try the C: drive next and it should get you to a C: prompt.
6) Depending on your configuration, it might allow you to access your CD ROM. If not, you will need to find the setup routine/floppies for it and install the driver so you can use the CD ROM to install windows.

dale


Ok...you see the problem is that i can not boot from the disk or c: at all ...i've already tried changing the boot sequence and when i formatted i already used format /s. So right now i have no way of booting at all...
it will not accept any bootdisks or boots from the hard disk...so do u think i need a new floppy disk drive? or is it the motherboard floppy controller that is toast? thank you for your time..

[Charles Kozierok]

What's really annoying is when two problems strike at once. If you rarely use your floppy drive it could be that there's an issue with it that is only showing up now.
Have you tried cleaning the drive (blow it out with compressed gas?) Have you tried multiple boot disks? Can you see the light come on, do you hear the drive try to access the floppy?

------------------
Charles M. Kozierok
Webslave, The PC Guide
Comprehensive PC Reference, Troubleshooting, Optimization and Buyer's Guides...
Note: Please reply to my forum postings here on the forums. Thanks.

[nasic]

What's really annoying is when two problems strike at once. If you rarely use your floppy drive it could be that there's an issue with it that is only showing up now.
Have you tried cleaning the drive (blow it out with compressed gas?) Have you tried multiple boot disks? Can you see the light come on, do you hear the drive try to access the floppy?

ixl,
Yes i use it frequently...like 2 to 3 times a day...i haven't tried blowing it with compressed gas..but it wouldnt make sense that it would work for me all the times before but after the format..not work. I also have tried multiple boot disks already...when i put the boot disk in and press any key...the light lights one like im used to seeing but it just doesnt recognize the boot disk....i've tried putting the boot disk in another computer and it worked....man am i in a predicament....

[dale]

If you cannot boot from the floppy on a good boot disk, and you just used your floppy prior to all this happening, then something is definitely flaky. If I were in your shoes:

1) Go back and check the BIOS settings one more time. Not just boot time, but all the other settings to make sure there is nothing flaky. You might even try resetting the BIOS to its defaults.

2) Pop the cover and check the cable and connectors going to the floppy drive.

3) Try another floppy drive. Its possible you might have a fried floppy controller, but that is a rare problem.

dale