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Thread ID: 42661 2004-02-18 08:13:00 Setting up a 2nd hand computer... Bobble (3142) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
216464 2004-02-18 23:22:00 > ... You
> could confirm that the drive is functioning correctly
> by booting from a floppy and seeing if the C: drive
> is available.
>

This is the first step I'll do. 		bk T (215)
216465 2004-02-19 00:03:00 Umm, guys, there is no FDD in this computer. Try a CD instead and set the Bios to boot to CD.

Cheers Murray P 		Murray P (44)
216466 2004-02-19 00:13:00 Anyway, that error message means that the BIOS has tried to load the boot sector from any disks it can find. There isn't a boot sector for any OS there. Graham L (2)
216467 2004-02-19 00:21:00 > Umm, guys, there is no FDD in this computer. Try a CD
> instead and set the Bios to boot to CD.
>
> Cheers Murray P

With an OS that has good cli tools I might add ;) 		mark.p (383)
216468 2004-02-19 00:54:00 CLI tools = ?

That's right, there's no floppy drive. I'm about to try using the fdd from my computer in it... crossed fingers.

I now know the HD was formatted with the /s command. It's a command I never use so it stumped me for a while. I *think* that once I get a floppy going in it I might be able to load windows... again, crossed fingers!

I don't think there'd be any problems with the jumpers as this computer was working fine before it was formatted so I'd expect them to work the same now.

Thanks for all your help so far everyone - keep your ideas coming, I may need them!

bobble :D 		Bobble (3142)
216469 2004-02-19 10:50:00 Wrong Graham

That error message is in the Master Boot Record indicating that POST has detected a MBR on a hard drive . The HDD may not be partitioned and/or initialised .

The error message indicates (usually) a software problem though hardware damage may also cause the error .




Men are four:
He who knows not and knows not he knows not, he is a fool -- shun him;
He who knows not and knows he knows not, he is simple -- teach him;
He who knows and knows not he knows, he is asleep -- wake him;
He who knows and knows he knows, he is wise -- follow him!
- Lady Burton (wife of Sir Richard Francis Burton), given as an Arabian proverb 		Merlin (503)
216470 2004-02-19 23:27:00 :D YEEHAAA! WAAAHOOOO! :D

I now have windows loading on that &%$@# of a computer .

In the end I had to track down a bootable win98 cd and load straight from there . Sounds simple enough - but it wasn't! I was hoping to avoid that because I really wanted the floppy set up *sigh* .

Every time I plugged my good floppy drive into the PII it ate the disk . I didn't realise until this morning when I tried using two of my boot disks in the good computer - both were dead, both had 'disk error track ## head # floppy error' . I thought it had eaten my floppy drive so I'm quite relieved it's only the disks - even though it's a pain in the wotsit to have lost 2 floppies . Does anyone know how or why this computer could be killing floppies?

I know the floppy drive is ok, it runs fine with no issues on my good computer . I know it's not the disks, they're fine too until they've been in the pII . I know it's not the cable have tried 2 cables with the same problem . My only suspect is the actual 'port' (is that what you'd call it?) on the motherboard . But I wouldn't expect any problems with that to be able to eat up a floppy disk . *shrug*

I hope I can sort out the floppy issue as I'm fixing up this computer for my sister to use, she uses floppies a lot - and ya do kinda need them if you don't have a cdwriter . However at the moment I'm just so exstatic that the bloomin thing is finally loading windows I couldn't really give a stuff if it never accepts a floppy :P I know that attitude will change tho when my sister calls me every few days to ask if she can email me endless files to put on floppies!

I'm probably far too excited about windows loading . . . not finished yet huh, plenty of room for more things to go wrong :P But I'm smilin' anyways :D Thanks so much for all your help everyone!

Bobble 		Bobble (3142)
216471 2004-02-20 00:40:00 The message is from the dos loader rather than the BIOS. If the partition/floppy was formatted by OS/2 you get a differently worded version. And a linux floppy says nothing.

A fairly common cause of the message is when IO.SYS (the dos kernel) is deleted.


For anyone curious and has linux handy, try running:
# strings /dev/hda1 | head 		bmason (508)
216472 2004-02-20 01:51:00 Booble if the mobo fdd controller is Kaput and you need a fdd you can get a card
with a fdd controller on it and fits into a spare pci or isa slot if needed. 		mark.p (383)
216473 2004-02-24 00:38:00 Thanks Mark

I didn't know there was such a thing until you mentioned it, I've managed to find a card and will try that out - for now I'm just going to wait a while because I spent days working on the beast and need a break. Also because I'm scared of doing anything that will stuff it up now that it's running so perfectly ;)

And thanks again to all of you for your ideas :)

Bobble 		Bobble (3142)
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