response to prompt

[infoseeker]

I have the following: "UNIVERSAL BOOT DISK"; Microsoft Office xp Professional; the HelpSpot!;Gateway System Restoration CD; Microsoft Office2000 Small Business;Microsoft virtual machine; Microsoft Windows98;--they are all legal copies and I have the certificates for each

i think your messing your pc
dont mix

[Fed]

A clean Windows 98 install would fix everything for you.
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000186.htm

[confusedbycomputer]

I typed A:[enter] then typed sys c [enter]

I received the message : required parameter missing

so then I typed cd\[enter] and typed autoexec.bat

Now my screen reads:
"Preparing to start your computer.
This may take a few minutes. Please wait..."      I did wait and now I also have the following also:

The diagnostic tools were successfully loaded to drive D.

To get help, type HELP and press ENTER.

A:\>

[Rob Pomeroy]

sys c [enter]

sys c:

Don't miss off the colon.

[confusedbycomputer]

Ok. I redid that part again. I typed "sys c:" after the A: prompt and now the screen reads: "System transferred" and the "A:\>" is appearing.
What now?

[GX1_Man]

format c:/u/s  and press enter

fdisk/mbr  and press enter

e:\setup  and press enter

[confusedbycomputer]

Ok.
I did the c:/u/s and the fdisk/mbr---the computer ran something (I heard it running), then I typed e:\setup and I get the following message : "Invalid drive specification"...should that be c, instead of e?
I dare not try anything on my own!  This is all Greek to  me!

[GX1_Man]

Did you get a message when the machine started about the CDROM drive? If not, download a free bootdisk from www.bootdisk.com  which will load the CDROM drivers so you can install from the CD. you only need to use thte final command, substituting what ever drive letter gets assigned for the e in

e:\setup

[confusedbycomputer]

I cannot download a thing. The ONLY thing that shows up on my screen is what I have typed in this forum! I can't get to the desktop screen or start menu or anything... I am contacting you by using my laptop.

[confusedbycomputer]

I just now retyped: "fdisk/mbr" after the "C:\>" and it says to "Insert diskette for drive A: and press any key when ready"
--what diskette could that be?

[confusedbycomputer]

I just reread our dialog, to see if I have missed something. Even though I cannot use the internet on the computer w/problems, is it possible I could save something to cd on this laptop and install it on the "problem" computer? Like, reply #16, from yesterday--"A clean Windows 98 install would fix everthing for you." : http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch00186.htm...

[Rob Pomeroy]

Okay; at this stage you are definitely going to have to reinstall Windows.  You have wiped your hard drive.

Lets first of all find out if your PC can boot from the CDROM; that makes the installation of Windows more straightforward.  Do you know how to enter the BIOS and check/set to boot from CDROM?  If so, set this up, put the Win98 CDROM in the drive, remove anythg from the floppy dirve, reboot and reinstall Windows.  Don't use any of the other disks until you have sorted that bit out first.

Do not connect that PC to the internet until you are ready to install antivirus software, etc.

[GX1_Man]

I just now retyped: "fdisk/mbr" after the "C:\>" and it says to "Insert diskette for drive A: and press any key when ready"
--what diskette could that be?

You don't have to do that again. look at my previous post  above.  

e:\setup and press enter (or substitute whatever drive letter it show is the CDROM).

[confusedbycomputer]

I tried the  setup up command and used the e, the a, the d...nothing works.  
New message now! Current drive is no longer valid ...and Not ready reading drive A Abort, Retry, Fail?

Am I just better off dragging this to a computer repair business or investing in a new machine?

[GX1_Man]

When the boot disk you downloaded started the machine did you see on screen which drive letter was ssigned to CDROM? If you didn't, reboot the machine and look closely. Some of these actually use Y for some reason. You're almost there.....