different fdisk/format problem

[astro]

I am trying to get my second personly built PC going. I can't figure the problem out, so I'm asking for your help. I got to the "A" prompt and saw my directory. Next I typed "fdisk" and partitioned the HD. I rebooted as it said to format "C". Upon bootup it said there was no op. sys. I could not get back to the "A" prompt. I went into cmos and changed the "1st boot device" to floppy. At that point I can get the "A" prompt, but want read any commands, but "dir". Maybe the BIOS setup is not correct. It was like this when I partitioned the HD.
1st Boot Device -----IDE-0
2nd boot Device------Floppy
I changed it to get the "A" prompt the second time to:
1st Boot Device---Floppy
2nd Boot Device---disabled
Upon bootup it say's gives the size of the HD of 13.6 GB and other numbers. I hope you can understand what I'm trying to say.
Thanks

[Rat]

Leave your floppy as the first to boot. Turn off the computer, put the setup floppy in the drive, turn on the computer. It should boot to an A:/ propmt. Type in FORMAT C: /s
, let it format and then install your OS. Also at the A:/ prompt, type in HELP and it will give a guide on using that setup floppy.

Rat...

[This message has been edited by Rat (edited 11-28-2000).]

[justy]

Boot up using your floppy, at the A:\ prompt type " sys c: " without the quotation marks, then hit enter. This will transfer system files to your HD making it bootable.
Remove your floppy and ensure the Bios is set to let it boot up on the hard drive.

All the best, Justy.

[astro]

I did as both of you advised. I typed "FORMAT C:" and I tryed "SYS C: and I typed "HELP". All I got was "bad command or file name. Each without quotation. "DIR" is the only command it will take. I also noticed
under standard CMOS setup it is saying: Pri. master---"user". I think at one time it said "HDD". Slave master--- "CDROM".

[This message has been edited by astro (edited 11-28-2000).]

[This message has been edited by astro (edited 11-28-2000).]

[justy]

What files are on the floppy your using. You will need to see;

Command.com
Format.com or sys.com.

when you type " dir " at the a: prompt to run what we recommended.

Also run fdisk and make sure the primary partition is set to active. ( option 4 - status with "a" below it ).

All the best, you'll get there in the end, don't worry, Justy.

[astro]

Let me try that again. Under standard CMOS setup it say's.:
Pri master---"user" (I was thimking it once said. "HDD"
Pri Slave----"CDROM"

[lec169]

here is what you do.
on a good working pc running win98 or 95.

1. open a dos window and put a floppy in the a: drive.
2. on the working pc, go to the windows\command directory.

3. format a:/s

4. copy these files from the c:\windows\command directory.
format.com
fdisk.exe

5. or create a startup disk and copy fdisk.exe and format.com to that startup floppy.

then fdisk disk the drive:
make a primary partition and or extended partition.

set that partition active using fdisk.

reboot and format the first partition. it should be the primary partition.

use the command format c:/s/u

then is should be a bootable disk.

Hope this helps

[justy]

If you can, change the cmos to auto for the primary master, primary slave,( "user" just means user definable, i.e. you enter the drive's parameters ). Don't enter them unless you know them. If you can't set it to auto look for an auto detect HDD option in your Bios, and accept what it suggest's.

All the best, Justy.

P.S. you will still need to check for the files in the above post, if you want to manually format and install the system files.

[astro]

I have the above files in the dir. When I type "fdisk" at the A:\ prompt I still get this reading. "General failure reading drive "A". It has nothing to do with this, but I don't feel that I made the partition active when I ran the fdisk orginally.

[Ed_S]

Let me see if I've got this right up to this point:

You WERE able to run fdisk from floppy originally. Done correctly or not, it did run, right?
So the drive works, or did.

Now, you can boot to A:\, and the command "DIR" works, therefore it IS loading the command interpreter, "COMMAND.COM"
So the bios boot sequence is OK.

But typing either "fdisk" or "format" returns an error message.

Make a NEW boot disk, this one's bad!
Either bad disk or corrupt files.

lec169's instructions are good, just make another one - or two, just in case!!

[astro]

OK ED-S. I'll give that a try after work today. Thanks.

[astro]

Bingo!!!The boot disk was corrupt. I used it to reformat this PC I'm on about 2 months ago. I made a new disk and was up in no time.
You guy's are something. Thanks very much.

[Ed_S]

GREAT! Glad to help. And thanks for posting the result!! We ALL appreciate knowing if a "fix" worked, and you'd be surprised how many folks never tell us.

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