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Error after reformatting C:

post #1 of 9
9/19/03 at 12:56am
Thread Starter 
After reformatting the C:/ drive of a friend's (Dell Inspiron 7000, running Windows 98) laptop, an error comes up when the computer is booting.

It's the standard "non-system disk" error, but there's no disk in the floppy drive, and a Windows 98 install disk in the CD-ROM. Even after removing the CD, the error is the same.

Any idea of what's going on?

Thanks!
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post #2 of 9
9/19/03 at 1:02am
Pull out the floppy drive. I know its pretty easy on my 8200. Hard to say what prob might be. I havent done a 98 install in awhile. /me likes xp pro lol.
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post #3 of 9
9/19/03 at 3:06am
the harddisk isnt bootable
i.e. no os

put in a bootable floppy boot the computer
do a A:/>sys C:
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post #4 of 9
9/19/03 at 3:48am
is the 98 cd not bootable?
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post #5 of 9
9/19/03 at 11:24am
Boot from a DOS disk and SYS C:, then copy the install files from the CD-ROM (if it even sees the CD at this point) - that way you can install from HD.

OR... get a Win2000 CD and see if that boots/installs. Get off Win9x, if you can!

If you want some quick and easy boot disks, you can head over to www.bootdisk.com and grab some old MS-DOS or other ones.

Windows 98 is NOT a bootable CD. Maybe 98SE was (can't recall), but 95 and 98 were not bootable (everyone was supposed to have DOS back then).

-myrkat
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post #6 of 9
9/19/03 at 11:33am
The problem is that the computer is set to boot from the hard drive before it boots from the CD. Goto Bios and look for something that is labeled "Boot order". Change it so that CDROM is before the hard drive (Or IDE-1 or something like that).
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post #7 of 9
9/19/03 at 11:34am
Well here's the story.

DOS cannot see the CD drive without appropriate drivers.

98 first edition CD's are not bootable, whereas 98 second edition CD's and all versions of Windows thereafter are.

What you'll want is a floppy with generic CD ROM drivers setup, or the appropriate DOS disk which can put system files on the C drive and then the knowhow and the generic driver to get the CD ROM working.

Bootdisk.com should have what you're looking for.


What also would work is using a 98SE bootable CD, boot into DOS /w CDROM support and then pop out the 98SE disk and put in the 98FE disk and go from there.
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post #8 of 9
9/19/03 at 11:44am
Quote:
Originally posted by BlackBeard
The problem is that the computer is set to boot from the hard drive before it boots from the CD. Goto Bios and look for something that is labeled "Boot order". Change it so that CDROM is before the hard drive (Or IDE-1 or something like that).
I was gonna reply to this, but JeffL beat me to it (in an indirect way)...

DOS/Win98 cannot see CD-ROM's (at least until PC-DOS 7 and 98SE came about... and maybe one of the later DR-DOS's).

However, the boot order SHOULD be reviewed in case you may want to boot from a CD (i.e. like Knoppix)... so that was sound advice.

-myrkat
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post #9 of 9
9/19/03 at 11:49am
Quote:
Originally posted by gr8gatzby
is the 98 cd not bootable?
Windows 98 CD's that were bought OFF THE SHELF in a retail store typically WERE bootable (especially the later SE versions); however, CD's that shipped with computers ("for sale with New PC only") were NOT bootable.

One can MAKE one bootable, by creating the boot disks, then going into their CD-burning program and creating a bootable disc...

-myrkat
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