HELP Boot disk?!?!

[zskillz]

I think that i'm retarded. i don't remember how to make a bootable floppy with fdisk included. someone please refresh my memory!

OK, now I don't feel quite so retarded... I tried the first suggestion, but for some reason, I get "invalid system disk (and it says something else I can't remember)" I think that perhaps the reason that this is happening is because this is a TOTALLY bare drive, meaning that I just received it in the mail from mwave.com, and it has nothing on it... so if anyone has a suggestion about how to deal with it, PL-PL-PL-PL-PLLLEEEAAASSSEEE help me, cause I'm just dying to get my new sys up and running...
thx Z

[This message has been edited by zskillz (edited 08-06-99).]

[Steve R Jones]

Click on Start->Settings->Control Panel->Add/Remove Programs->Startup Disk.

[CMonster]

and if you go here you can get one with CDROM support

www.bootdisk.com (http://www.bootdisk.com)

[zskillz]

abit BP6 with 1 c366 @ stock (until everything is running.. hehe)
Viper V550 PCI (from my old system for now)
128 MB Corsair pc100
no sound yet...
IBM 14.4GB DTTA-371440 ULTRA-ATA4 9.5MS 7200RPM BARE DRIVE....

I plan on installing win98se and use that to oc each chip seperately, then I'll partition at 7gig, and put NT 4.0 with botch chips for SMP on after i've got everything stable...
I'm going for simplicity until i'm positive everything is stable...

I'm not really sure what you mean about how I post.. plz explain
-Z

[Mike H.]

You need a computer to post to this forum. If you are going to install Win98, you should use fat32. If the computer you are using to post with is capable of using fat32 then I will tell you how to make a boot disk with this computer. If it doesn't, then you will have to split the drive up in 2 gig partions which is a different method and I would not care to explain both.

Mike H

[zskillz]

hahah.. i'm retarded... I didn't know that you meant post as in post to this forum... I though you were asking if the system I'm building would POST (as if I were oc'ing it).

I'm at work now, so that's what I'm using to post during the day... at night, I still have a fully functional pII 233 that I use to post at this site... The problems that I'm encountering are a result of me deciding to build a new system for no reason other than curiosity...

The work comp (the one i'm using now) is FAT32, but I think my home comp is running fat16 (under win95b)...

does that help?
I can make a disk here at work, and then take it home with no prob...

[Mike H.]

Do as either Steve R Jones or Cmonster suggested on the computer at work to get a boot disk with cd-rom support. Now copy FDISK.EXE and FORMAT.COM
from the X:\windows\command folder to the boot disk. X being the drive windows is installed to.

When you get home. Boot the computer with the floppy you made at work. At the A: prompt type "fdisk" when promted if you would like to enable large disk support press Y. select create dos partition and when it asks you if you would like to use all available space and make it active press Y. When finished exit fdisk and reboot using the floppy you made at work. At the A: prompt type "format c:" when it gets done formating reboot with the floppy you made at work and run setup on the Win98SE CD.

Mike H.

P.S. Win 98's startup disk creates a ram drive that will be drive C: until you create a partition on your harddrive that contain fdisk and format. I would still copy them to the floppy while at work just incase.

[zskillz]

To all:..
thanks so much, I haven't tried it yet, (**** job!! http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif), but I'm pretty sure that it'll work once I get home tonight.
I'll let you know
-Z

[Bleep]

Dont forget to make the drive bootable using format C/S

[CMonster]

Well done Mike H.!

And Zskillz - never mind installing DOS, just boot with CDROM support and after you successfully fdisk and format the drive install Windows directly from the CDROM.

[Nutcase]

Did you try to go to dos?
If you didnt then do so..
go and type
format a: /s
a: being the drive

[zskillz]

The hdd has absolutely nothing on it... no DOS, no nothing because it is brand new and totally bare and not formatted, and I have no idea how to format a new bare hdd.. once I do that I can set an active partition, then I can actually install dos... and then I'm in business
suggestions??

[Mike H.]

What are you using to post with & what OS do you plan to install on your new HD.

Mike H.

Watercooled AMD K6-3 450 @ 500 (100*5) Epox EP-MVP3G Rev. 1.0 Bios 7-16-99 128 Meg PC100 Matrox Marvel G-200 TV 16MB 5.15 Drivers SB Live! Full Retail Western Digital Caviar AC313000RTL

[Mntsnow]

Zskill,

I'm kinda suprised that no one mentioned the fact that if you are planning on duel booting your system YOU MUST HAVE A FAT16 PARTION that the NT boot sector is installed to (you can have both fat16 fat32 and ntfs partitions on the same harddrive but must have FAT16 as the "primary" partition)

good luck

Mntsnow

[GB]

.

[This message has been edited by GB (edited 08-19-99).]

[BBA]

To make any disk bootable, from Windows, all you need to do is open Windows explorer, insert your disk, right click the "A" drive, select 'FORMAT' and check the box that says "Copy system files". After the disk is formatted, the floppy is now bootable. At this point just copy any other files you may need to it and go from there.

Note: If you make the disk from Win98 or Win95b, it will be compatible with both FAT16 and FAT32 drives partitions so you shouldn't even worry about that issue.

BBA