MSDOS is all thats left please help

[WillyW]

Some machines are set up to use CS. No problem there as long as you set both drives to CS and are familiar with how that works. The device on the farthest point of the cable is effectively the master.

Is it possible that the cable is not the original, and not a CS cable?
How would georgia go about id'ing the cable?

They used to have a twist in them, didn't they?   I'm not very familiar with them,  so it is best if you or someone that is covers this.

[glowery]

the cable is the orginal.. i have tried both ways, setting to CS on both, as per Compaq instructions, and Master/Slave as per Lite-on instructions.. neither works.  

when i try to boot with ME, the first thing that happens is the cdrom driver is listed, then "Device Driver not found, aborting installation"

when i try to boot with 98se, i get the message "error on config.sys line one" which i assume means the same thing...

if i bought an external cdrom would i be able to reinstall an operating system that way?

i am still hopeful but not much  

[WillyW]

the cable is the orginal..

I wonder if maybe the cable is bad.

when i try to boot with 98se,

This is with the boot floppy that you made with by using the program you downloaded from bootdisk.com -  right?

i get the message "error on config.sys line one"

hmmm...
Can you put that floppy with that config.sys on it in your working computer.   Don't boot with it -  have the computer already up and running.
Launch Notepad.  
Using Notepad,  open that config.sys.
Highlight and copy the text within that config.sys
Post it here, so we can all see it.
Don't make any changes to config.sys with Notepad.   Do not "save" when exiting Notepad.

if i bought an external cdrom would i be able to reinstall an operating system that way?

I suspect you would then be getting into USB, and discussion of its drivers with your job is beyond me.   I have the feeling it is not simple, therefore not the way to go.  
Let's see what others say about it.

[glowery]

Hi, i feel completely blonde, but when i opened the boot disk in notepad, there is no config.sys listed, but i did find the following in HIMEM... i didnt copy everything, just the bottom, it doesnt look pretty...please advise




Ç è     ; p œ À ì Sd …¬&¸Extended Error %1Parse Error %1{
Windows XMS Driver  Version 3.95
Extended Memory Specification (XMS) Version 3.0
Copyright 1988-1995 Microsoft Corp.
$
Shadow RAM disabled.$<
WARNING: Shadow RAM disable not supported on this system.$7
WARNING: Shadow RAM is in use and can"t be disabled.$3
ERROR: HIMEM.SYS requires MS-DOS 3.00 or higher.$:
ERROR: An Extended Memory Manager is already installed.$4
ERROR: HIMEM.SYS requires an 80x86-based machine.$1
ERROR: No available extended memory was found.$%
ERROR: Unable to control A20 line!$3
ERROR: VDISK memory allocator already installed.$(
      XMS Driver not installed.

$
$$ extended memory handles available.$
Minimum HMA size set to $K.$
Installed A20 handler number $.$"
Installed external A20 handler.$8
WARNING: The High Memory Area (HMA) is unavailable.
$/
WARNING: The A20 Line was already enabled.
$'
WARNING: Invalid parameter ignored: $/
64K High Memory Area (HMA) is available.

$&
HIMEM is testing extended memory...$done.
$B
ERROR: HIMEM.SYS has detected unreliable XMS memory at address $5To continue starting your computer, press ENTER.

$6This program is the property of Microsoft Corporation.4½ïþ              ?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

[WillyW]

Hi, i feel completely blonde, but when i opened the boot disk in notepad, there is no config.sys listed,

Don't worry about, or fiddle with HIMEM.


You have some sort of       Find        or     Search     within Windows.
If I knew what version of Windows you are using on the working computer,  I've forgotten... sorry.

Click on Start.   Look for it.
You want to  find or search for files or folders.

Use that Find/Search function to seach the    A:     drive,  with your boot disk inserted there.
Be sure to search the whole A: drive.    There may be an option to include subfolders, or some such language as that.   Do that.
Start from    A:\
Not , for example,  from   A:\name_here\

Look for      config.sys


See if you can find it doing it this way.





p.s.  You may be able to get to the  Find/Search function through Windows Explorer, if you are familiar with using it.    

[glowery]

im lost, it finds no config.sys anywhere on the boot disk...  :-?

[WillyW]

This is with the boot floppy that you made with by using the program you downloaded from bootdisk.com -  right?

And what version is it from bootdisk.com?  
Please be specific.   Win98,  WinME,  or.... ?

[glowery]

i tried Window ME, 98, and out of desparation 95a, none of them have config.sys in any folder or file on them. i used the advanced search.

how do i edit (look at ) the config.sys in C:  or  (autoexe.)after the boot in the broken computor ? i can get to C: and dir, and i can see them there.

[WillyW]

Maybe this will help:

I just went to www.bootdisk.com.    
Clicked on link  'bootdisks' link and was taken to:
   http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

Used link labeled:
" Windows 98 SE OEM "  
 which is    http://files.frashii.com/~bootdisk/alabama/boot98se.exe

and downloaded file named      boot98se.exe
It is 843 KB


Next,   clicked on link labeled:
" Windows Me OEM "
which is       http://spock.uccs.edu/pub/bootdisks/bootme.exe

and downloaded file named      bootme.exe
It is  818 KB



I wanted to try both of them.



Next,  inserted a blank floppy in my A: drive
Double clicked on  boot98se.exe
It made a boot floppy.

Next,  removed that floppy and inserted another blank floppy.
Double clicked on     bootme.exe
It made a boot floppy.

Next,  removed that floppy.
Inserted the new Win98SE boot floppy.
Restarted computer.

It began boot process.
Presented me with a menu.   I chose to boot with CD-ROM support.
I could see it load the OAK  CD-ROM driver.
I could see it create a RAM drive.    We won't go into the specifics of what that is right now,  but suffice it to say that it uses a drive letter.
Eventually, the boot process completed, and I was presented with
the    A:   prompt.

Inserted a CD that I had laying around.

My computer has 2 hard drives.    C:   and   D:
The above mentioned RAM drive became  E:  during the boot process.
Thus,  my CD-ROM drive became   F:

I typed   F:   and hit   enter.
I was presented with the    F:   prompt.
In other words,  I got onto the  CD just fine.
Ran a simple dos program that was saved on the CD, just to be sure.
It ran fine.

Next,  removed that Win98SE boot floppy.
Inserted the WinME boot floppy.
Restarted computer.

Booted the same as with the Win98SE floppy.   All looked normal.
I did notice that at the end of the boot process, it was nice enough to put a line of text on the screen,  telling me that my CD-ROM drive  is the  F:   drive.

Again,  tested.   I could get on the F: drive and run a dos program that was saved on the CD.

All appeared normal with this quick and brief test of the files found at bootdisk.com

Note:    On both the boot floppies I made,   config.sys  is located
A:\config.sys
This is normal.

Config.sys is a text file.    That is why you can open, view, and edit it - with Notepad.
It begins like this:

Code: [Select]

[menu]
menuitem=HELP, Help
menuitem=CD, Start computer with CD-ROM support.
menuitem=NOCD, Start computer without CD-ROM support.
There is a lot more to it than that, but maybe that will help you identify it.

Remember -  when you launch Notepad,   it may default to only showing files of type   *.txt    only.     You may have to tell it to show all files,  else it will not show files with names like   *.sys   .



I hope this helps.

[WillyW]

- - -

how do i edit (look at ) the config.sys in C:

There is a big difference between    "edit"  and  "look at"  !

I strongly suggest that you do not edit  - in other words,  make changes to  -   the config.sys  that is located on your C:  drive.

If you open a text file like config.sys is,  with an editor like Notepad,  you CAN make changes to it.   Unless you are sure of what you are doing,  you should not make changes.
This is why I said in an earlier post to be sure to NOT save with Notepad.   Just exit without saving.

or  (autoexe.)

autoexec.bat  is also a text file.    Same as with config.sys -  don't make changes unless you are sure of what you are doing.

after the boot in the broken computor ? i can get to C: and dir, and i can see them there.

Why?    
What do you want to / need to   do  ?


I am under the impression that your goal is to re-install some version of Windows -  that you have an install CD for.
To do that, you need to boot the computer from a floppy, with CD-ROM support.
That is what we've been steering you towards.  
Not fiddling with config.sys or autoexec.bat that is found on the C:  drive.

[glowery]

I could see it load the OAK  CD-ROM driver.
I could see it create a RAM drive.    We won't go into the specifics of what that is right now,  but suffice it to say that it uses a drive letter.


[/quote]
  this is where it stops... i can also see it load the driver, this is what the screen looks like:

CD-ROM Device Driver for IDE (Four Channels Supported)
Copyright for Oak Technology Inc 1991-1996
Driver Version  :V340
Device Name : Banana
No Drives Found, aborting installation

Device driver not found : 'BANANA'
no valid CDROM device drivers selected
A:\>

 :-?

[street1 (RIP)]

Okay you have a hard drive and a Optical drive ie..(CD-rom )of
some sort. It seems that your motherboard is not working on
both IDE ports.Do you have a ribbon cable with 2 connectors?
So your hard drive and 1 of your CD-roms could be on the working
IDE port?

[WillyW]

I could see it load the OAK  CD-ROM driver.
I could see it create a RAM drive.    We won't go into the specifics of what that is right now,  but suffice it to say that it uses a drive letter.

 this is where it stops... i can also see it load the driver, this is what the screen looks like:

CD-ROM Device Driver for IDE (Four Channels Supported)
Copyright for Oak Technology Inc 1991-1996
Driver Version  :V340
Device Name : Banana
No Drives Found, aborting installation

Device driver not found : 'BANANA'
no valid CDROM device drivers selected
A:\>

 :-?[/quote]


Now we are back on that?   ok....
Earlier, you'd said,  "when i try to boot with 98se, i get the message "error on config.sys line one" which i assume means the same thing.."

And we were then trying to find and see what was wrong with your config.sys  .    You'd said you could not find it at all.
Since you are seeing it attempt to load the driver, obviously there is a config.sys .

I believe someone earlier had said that, at this point, if the driver would not load,  then it was likely that it is a hardware problem.
You can review the posts here to see if that is correct.

By the way,   why is the driver named "Banana" ?
You forgot to say which boot disk is reporting that... '98 or ME.
If you are using either of the boot disks that I downloaded and tried from bootdisk.com,  I don't think it would be named that without some editing.     (I've already put away the boot disks I made, else I'd check).

 

[street1 (RIP)]

I did everything WillyW instructed you to do with
a Win98Se bootdisk and a WinMe bootdisk and got
the same results as WillyW got.

This makes me think you have not yet created a
bootdisk correctly.

I get a feeling your booting with a win95 bootdisk,
are you?

The first thing the proper bootdisk will stop on is a
choice.  1 is boot with cdrom support.Have you really
did this?

[glowery]

i have tried both ME and 98se and they both have same results, i think the 98sc calls it tomatoe, and in the course of downloading bootdisks, i had one that said about the error on config.sys line one.(possible it was 98)....yesterday i got a very detailed message concerning the problem and had came to the conclusion it is a hardware issue...

inside the computor there are 2 ide ribbons... one has the cdrom, then the adapti cd underneath, hence the master/slave issue... the hard drive has its own ribbon...

i have tried to find the configur.sys on both ME and 98se boot disks..i open notepad and have looked at almost all the programs on the disk and i cant find it.. i have used advance search...

wouldnt the error be in the computor and not on the bootdisk?