A: Drive Error press <ESC> to resume

okay... i'm lost...
my computer(from 1999) has run perfectly since to day i got it. now its giving me odd error messeges before i can do anything with it.
it starts from about 2 seconds after i turn it on. i see the black screen with the big gateway logo on it, then it just suddenly goes all black, beeps twice and shows the message 'A: Drive Error
press <ESC> to resume'

so i press ESC. then it thinks for about half a minute and gives me another error message 'Boot Failure
Insert Boot disk in diskette A:
Press any key when ready'

and here is where i need help. i have no clue what its asking. please help! any pointers would be useful!

The first message appears to be stop because the floppy drive is faulty. you could try disconnecting the cable and power from the floppy. you might also have ot enter the bio and remove the floppy from the list of boot devices. ( or if yuo have another floppy drive you know works, you could replace the floppy.

also make sure there is no floppy diskin the drive.

okay, well at least i tried it. it didnt get me anywhere, just the same thing. oh well. maybe its time for my computer to retire... thank you!