[triadtechtalk] Re: Old Pentium won't boot to Windows
- From: "Howard" <bint@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <triadtechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 22:20:58 -0400
Hi Robert ... are you trying to save the contents of the hard disk or do you
just want to clean it and format for a new install of win98 or something like
that?
Assuming you want to clean it and format, boot up to A using the boot disk.
Type Fdisk at the A prompt and when given the options (as shown below)
choose #3 and then #4 (delete non DOS partition) It will ask you if your sure
and of course you are. After deleting the partition, click ESC to go back to
the menu. Choose #1 (create DOS partition) and when the next page opens, it
will ask if you want to use 100% of the disk for this partition. As you have
about a 1.6 gig drive, choose yes. It will then verify that your disk is OK
after it's done, click ESC to return to the menu. Click #2 (set active
partition) and when the next page opens, there is just one partition to choose
to make active. Do that and then ESC again. Now you will need to press ESC
again to return to the A prompt. Reboot your computer back to the A prompt with
your boot floppy. This time, type format C /s and it will ask if your sure
again because your going to lose everything on the hard drive. OK that and it
will check the disk again (if there are any bad sectors, it will tell you so).
Once you have started the format, it will take some time to complete and will
finish by transferring the system files to your hard drive. It will ask if you
want to name the volume label ... if yes, type in up to 11 characters and then
press ENTER or if not, just press Enter and continue. As you are
entering to do the format, it will ask if you want to use large files (or
similar)... choose yes and continue. That instruction should be right after you
type format C /s and press enter ... when the question pops up.
After the format completes, Press ESC back to the A prompt and then shut down
or reboot to install win98 or win98se. Anything else will be to large to run
efficiently on that small of a drive.
Goood luck!!
Howard
----- Original Message -----
From: RobertHenr@xxxxxxx
To: triadtechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, July 26, 2004 8:26 PM
Subject: [triadtechtalk] Old Pentium won't boot to Windows
Hi,
I was given an old Pentium computer (A-Open) with no info. Using one of my
old boot disk I can get to the A prompt. But then it is a "no go" when I type
in Win 3.1, Win98, etc. I get 6 lines of "Invalid drive in search path" and
then "Bad command or File Name". My old 486 computer was set up so that the A
prompt showed and then I would type Win 31 to get to Windows or some other
combination (like WH for World History) to get to different programs. I
checked the connections and everything was tight. Someone suggest that I use
Fdksk. I have never used Fdisk but this is what I get when I use it.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Fdisk.exe gives me:
1. Create DOS partition or logical DOS drive
2. Set active partition
3.Delete partition or logical DOS drive
4. Display partition info
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
When I click on number 4, I get:
Partition Status Type Mbytes usage
1 A Non-DOS 1624 100%
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Clicking on number1, I get:
Current fixed disk drive 1
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Clicking on number 2, I get:
The same as clicking on number 4 with the addition of:
"The only startable partition on drive 1 is already set active"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Clicking on number 3, I get:
1. Delete Primary DOS partition
2. Delete extended DOS partition
3. delete Logical DOS drive(s) in the extended DOS partition
4. Delete Non-DOS partition
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
I assume that I should delete number 4, the non-DOS partition, but am a leary
of deleting anything when I don't know what I am doing. :-)
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Robert in NE PA
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