Shit I Messed Up My Com Big Time

[FlamingYob]

I didn't read the replys so don't flame if this has been said...

Try making your PC boot like this

Hard disk
Drive A
CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive

[Grim]

I know this won't solve your problem immediatly but for future reference bye a cheep secondhand drive, anything over a couple a hundred mb & install windows on that for emergencies such as the 1 your havin right now. Do not leeve it plugged into your system when not in use, this way the drive is safe from viri. For folk usin the ntfs file system win98 does not read ntfs disk's. I found this out the hard way.

[Nobody1234]

First of all it seems most of you are missing the point. He cannot get to access his harddrive. So stop telling him to boot his Windows (even in safe mode.)

He is using Windows 98. So he is using a FAT32 file system.

1. Make a 'Startup Diskette' from your mothers computer.(Start>settings>control panel>add remove programs>Startup disk tab.)
2. Bootup with that diskette and you will be able to get to a DOS prompt. (A:>)
3. At that prompt type C: and press return.
4. Do you get a C:> Prompt? If yes type dir and press return. Do you get a list of files? Your hardrive is ok and you probably need to rewrite a new master boot record.
5. If you can't get a C:> then from the A:> type fdisk and see if you can access your harddirve. If not then you have a hardware failure and that needs to be further diagnosed.

[Benno]

I had the same problem about 6 months ago.
I couldnt reinstall my os because windows kept telling me that there's a disk in drive a: it then aborted the installation.

It worked for me after I got new ram.

I don't have any idea why but that was the only thing that worked for me.

[CornerPocket]

You could always use a Win98SE bootdisk to re-install. Checking the cables is not a bad suggestions either, unplug and replug.



My guess as others suggest, you fouled up the OS system files....

[ooo]

okay i still havent fixed my com.... imma try some of these suggestionz... im up to reading page 4... sigh*.... umm boot diskes didnt work n neither did win98se cd...

tried manually unpluging cdrom n floppy drive... didnt work... soon im goign to take out my hard drive n check it out...

[ooo]

Originally posted by Nobody1234@10 February 2003 - 16:31
First of all it seems most of you are missing the point. He cannot get to access his harddrive. So stop telling him to boot his Windows (even in safe mode.)

He is using Windows 98. So he is using a FAT32 file system.

1. Make a 'Startup Diskette' from your mothers computer.(Start>settings>control panel>add remove programs>Startup disk tab.)
2. Bootup with that diskette and you will be able to get to a DOS prompt. (A:>)
3. At that prompt type C: and press return.
4. Do you get a C:> Prompt? If yes type dir and press return. Do you get a list of files? Your hardrive is ok and you probably need to rewrite a new master boot record.
5. If you can't get a C:> then from the A:> type fdisk and see if you can access your harddirve. If not then you have a hardware failure and that needs to be further diagnosed.

tried dat... made a startup n boot up disk neither one worked... i still cant get to command prompt*... i tried mostly ever1z suggestion... now im going to try holding the CTRL button as sum1 advised...

[imported_computerfreak76]

dude its time to reinstall

[Nobody1234]

If you made a boot diskette and you booted your system with it what happened?

And please don't answer it didn't work. Be specific.

If you can't get to the command prompt with a diskette I would say for sure you have a problem with hardware.

dude its time to reinstall

You won't be able to reinstall anything until you get to a command prompt.

[ooo]

boot up disk didnt work n neither did i start up disk
ummm the same error showed up

"INVALID SYSTEM DISK
PLEASE REPLACE DISK AND TRY AGAIN"

-- i dink w/ out the please lol...

this happened w/ both the start up disk n boot up disk...
------------------------------------------------------
now... okay i just spent a few mins switching hard drives...

my com is a pentium I, sigh* n itz win98se...

my mom has a pentium III, n itz win2000...

i switched hard drives.... n my hard drive ran on her com w/ the same error...
den i tried running her hard drive on my com n it didnt even run....

is it possible that the newer computers can run older hard drive but older ones cant run newer ones?

my bro has a pentium II, win98se... but hez not lettin me take apart his com since hez afraid i'll mess it up... sigh*...