Hard drive wont start.

[Nadiral]

I was trying to reinstall Windows ME after a failed attempt to use my modem with Windows 2000; I formated the whole C partition and then received a message that read I couldn't make a clean install, then I got an error message stating that no operation system was found. Suddenly everything went black, the light of the start button was on, but nothing happened, couldn't even reach the BIOS, had to unplug my machine. (Won't read any floppy or CD). My data is all backed up, but I dunno if I have lost my hard drive.

The computer is a Compaq Presario 5BW353.

 

[patio]

Travel to bootdisk and DLoad a WinME bootdisk. You will need to extract the file to a floppy.
Boot with the floppy in and choose "Start with CDRom support and hit enter.
At the A: prompt type fdisk and hit enter...you will be given 4 choices. Take #4 which is show drive information...and post the info here.

patio.

 

[Nadiral]

Thanks, patio.

When I did it, it told me that I had a partition C: with a few MB, and a partition D: with several hundred GB! (63 MB and 472 aprox.). BTW, ther order of the partitions seems reversed.

Since I posted my reply, my computer stopped telling me that didnt found any OS, but still can't install Windows ME. It's final message is about needing, at least, a certain amount of disk space.

Best wishes.

 

[zephead]

windows ME will NOT interface with any NTFS partitions you had under windows 2000. can you reinstall 2000? windows 2000 is way way better than windows me and you should avoid me/95/98.

 

[Nadiral]

Thanks, Zephead...

That was my problem, I installed Windows 2000, but couldn't use my modem, neither could I see my D: partition.

Now, finally, I was able to re-install Windows Me, but now I have only one C: partition with only 2 GB. I wonder, where did the other 38 GBs went?

Best wishes.

 

[IronDuke]

The missing 38GB is most likely, as Zephead said, formatted in NTFS. Me is blind to it.

 

[tdeg]

Make a Startup Disk in ME. Boot with it and run FDISK. Delete all extended partitions. After that make a new partition. Make a new logical drive out of it. After that format it. Windows ME will see it then.

 

[zephead]

fat32 hits a limit around the capacity of said drive, so you might have some trouble. in that case, you'll have to split the drive into partitions so that each one is accessible.

 

[Nadiral]

IronDuke, tdeg, zephead; thank you all...

I tried with fdisk without any succes, then I used a copy of Mandrake 8.1 and after some trial and error had my diskspace back. Reinstalled Windows ME (I'm still a little afraid from my Windows 2000 experience). Somehow, I think I was just lucky.

Best wishes.