Installing Windows on a formatted drive

[AirborneJoe324]

I have on my hands a computer that I formatted, because of massive computer errors that scandisk couldn't fix and I didn't know what else to do.

I'm trying to install Windows 98 SE ENG on it, but now when I turn on the computer I get this error.


Checking for Boot record from CDROM...

Invalid system disk


I've tried it with the put the "Windows 98 SE eng bootable ISO disk" in and with no disk and I still get the same response.

Can someone help me out please?

 

[StormBringer]

You'll continue to get that until you fix the disk. You likely have bad sectors on that drive and will need to either repair it or write them out. You can either try an app called HDD Regenerator, which fixes bad sectors, or you can use a HDD diagnostic utility from the HDD manufacturer which can scan the drive for errors and writ out the bad sectors so they are not used. The latter is free, but I'd recommend the former. I'd also not recommend using the drive for anything but storage after repairing it even though all of the drives I've ever repaired with it are still working.

For more info: https://www.techspot.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7602

 

[AirborneJoe324]

But how can I run any applications if I keep getting that error?


Before I formatted the C: drive the computer wasn't recognizing the D: either, I don't know if it is now or not.

If I can get into Dos, can I run defrag and do the same thing as far as writing the bad sectors out?


P.S. on that HDD Regenerator link in the other thread, I don't see anything about a free diagnostic utility. Have any other links?

 

[StormBringer]

HDD regen is not free, the others are.

As for running programs, these apps all run directly from a floppy. You just follow the particular utility's instructions and copy it to a floppy. Most of these come packed as a self extractor that will prompt you to insert a floppy and copy automatically. You can do this on any computer. Then just insert the floppy in the computer you want to check and reboot. Follow the prompts and the utility will do its thing.
Might want to read a book or something because these things take a while, a long while.

 

[AirborneJoe324]

Ok, I ran that program and it didn't say it found any bad sectors, but after it was done it brought me to the DOS command prompt.

As before though, the D: is invalid... how can I get it to recognize the D: again? (CD ROM Drive)

 

[RealBlackStuff]

Start your PC from your Win98 startup-floppy (with CD-Rom support).
Insert your W98-CD and type: D:\setup

 

[AirborneJoe324]

Ok, I made two boot disks from this site ( http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm ), which are supposed to have universal cd rom drivers, but apparently neither of them work, as the computer still won't recognize the cd rom drive.

About the only thing they seem to be good for is getting me into DOS. It recognizes the A & B drives (which appear to be the same drive with two labels) and it also recognizes the C drive too.

The first bootdisk I made did the 'ram drive' thing, whatever the heck that is and bumped the cd rom drive to drive e, but still wouldn't recognize it. (That seemed to switch back to D: after the computer was turned off.)

The second one was w/o ramdrive, but did little but get me into DOS.

I don't know who the manufacturer of the CD ROM drive is and I don't have any software for it, the only thing written on the face plate is :

"Compact Disk Rewritable High Speed" and "RW 8 - 8 - 32"

Any ideas folks?

 

[poertner_1274]

You are selecting boot with CD-Rom support, correct?