Author Topic: Santa needs your help!!! (Read 597 times)

Raubvogel · « **on:** December 21, 2001, 02:29:00 AM »

Hi all. I'm building a PC for my kids for X-mas. I tried to load WinXP on the HD, but it keeps giving me error codes. So now it's like 1/2 installed but not worth a chit. I really just want to remove it and install 98SE instead. The trouble is I can't boot off a 98 startup disk, and the WinXP startup floppy I have boots the machine into WinME? Once in ME I have no idea how to reformat the drive so I can start over. The normal 'format c:' and 'fdisk.exe' commands don't work. Anyone got any ideas?

1776 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 21, 2001, 05:41:00 AM »

Buy another HD?

batdog · « **Reply #2 on:** December 21, 2001, 06:09:00 AM »

Here are 3 possiable options I can think of while half asleep at work.

1: Does your BIOs allow you to boot into a C prompt mode? If you do 3 below it might as well... then you can format it then install win98

2: OHHHH.... do still have a disk for your HD? They often have a "format" option on them.

3:Oh..and you could also go into your BIOs and have the PC boot off your CD. Then use the win98 CD to format/install I think.

xBAT

[ 12-21-2001: Message edited by: batdog ]

Broes · « **Reply #3 on:** December 21, 2001, 06:13:00 AM »

win xp uses another file system and makes partitions which win98 doesnt recognise. You can remove it with a Win98 boot flop with fdisk on it. In Fdisk you have to select "remove partition" and then "non FAT partition". Earlier version of fdisk
(those from w95) can do this.

That ought to do the trick.

Broes

AKSWulfe · « **Reply #4 on:** December 21, 2001, 07:38:00 AM »

Is your drive partitioned at all? If so, you need partition magic or something equivelant (delpart.exe- I have this particular file on a floppy here at work. Easy to use, just delete the partitions, reboot, fdisk, and format).

Stay away from XP is my advice, stick to 98SE. Security holes in XP.

Can you still "somewhat" bootup 98? If so, press "F8" just before the Windows 98 splash screen pops up. I usually hit it a couple dozen times just after it says "updating ESCD" just to be safe.

This will bring up a list of options to boot from, select "command prompt only", you should be able to format from there. Type in format.exe when it gets to the C prompt. If it says "file not found", change you directory "cd windows\command" and in that directory is format.bat.

After that, you can just boot off the 98 CD to reinstall it.

Hope this helps.
-SW

[ 12-21-2001: Message edited by: SWulfe ]

capt. apathy · « **Reply #5 on:** December 21, 2001, 10:33:00 AM »

goto the IBM sight and look for "drive fitness test" it will create a boot disk that alows you to load all 0's to your drive. that will elimanate everything on it and give you a blank drive, just like fresh out of the box.

Tumor · « **Reply #6 on:** December 21, 2001, 12:30:00 PM »

http://www.bootdisk.com/
http://www.allcentex.com/ce/pc/sw/win95cdromdisk.htm

This stuff should fix you up. If you have/ make a Win98 boot disk with cdrom support, you should be able to boot with not problem. The problem with WinME is they've removed the DOS from the boot disks, same for XP I would imagine. No matter what OS I happen to be installing, I always use a Win98 boot disk and never have had a problem.

Tumor

LePaul · « **Reply #7 on:** December 21, 2001, 02:22:00 PM »

I've got a great program called Slate that wipes the partition tables right off the map. Follow up with a fdisk /mbr and reboot and that drive should be cleaned off.

Email me if you'd like me to zipped it up to you. Its a simple com file. My email is webmaster@checksix.net

[ 12-21-2001: Message edited by: LePaul ]

Tac · « **Reply #8 on:** December 21, 2001, 03:53:00 PM »

Hi all. I'm building a PC for my kids for X-mas."

Kids.. yeah, right

"I tried to load WinXP on the HD, but it keeps giving me error codes. So now it's like 1/2 installed but not worth a chit."

Any error code while installing an OS on a new HDD usually means the HDD is defective. Of course, I am asuming that you did FDISK, erased all partitions, created a primary partition and set it to ACTIVE, then formatted the HDD.

"I really just want to remove it and install 98SE instead. The trouble is I can't boot off a 98 startup disk, and the WinXP startup floppy I have boots the machine into WinME?"

Make sure your BOOT sequence in bios is : CD-ROM - Floppy - Hard Disk.

"Once in ME I have no idea how to reformat the drive so I can start over. The normal 'format c:' and 'fdisk.exe' commands don't work. Anyone got any ideas?"

Yes. Throw ME into the trash. Now. Before it destroys you.

Make sure of your boot sequence in BIOS, then make sure you format that hard disk. Try to install XP again. If you get the same errors, its the Hard disk that's kapput. Also, check to see if the HDD is making "click" sounds, if it is, return it and get a new one.

If your new PC is 1ghz or more, be sure the HDD is 7200 RPM, otherwise you screwing your system speed.

Raubvogel · « **Reply #9 on:** December 21, 2001, 08:45:00 PM »

Hehe, yes it was for my kids. It's a 800mhz Duron system with a GF2 GTS...mostly hand-me-down parts from my old systems.

Anyways...finally got it going by dnloading a new boot disk from bootdisk.com. Apparently the 3 boot disks I have at the house all went bad at once?! The system was telling me they were invalid media when I tried to boot off them.

I have XP on my gaming system (1.4 Athlon) and it runs great! I love it. It just wouldnt load on theirs. I wiped the HD, loaded Win98, and everythings fine now. Santa thanks you all!