My computer will only start in DOS...?

[113WR]

Hello!

I have done some searching/lurking and i think i need some help. I dont really know what the problem is because i have forgotten what i deleted on my computer to cause the current state its in, but in short i tried to clear my hardrive using a recovery disc and now when i turn on the computer two screens load up, both telling me my computers systems specs and at the bottom of the second the C:\> thing. so effectively i cant do crap. If this seems like something you know something about please read on otherwise thanks for your time.

System specs:
TIME computer, ATHLON  800mhz
External Cache 512KB, Enabled
Windows 98
not sure of others but can check.

Now some details..

I recently tried to clear the hardrive of my computer (i think the term is ''nuking'') to its original factory settings because it was running really slow due to im sure loads of viruses or something - i dont know. Its an old TIME computer which i got many many years ago but its still very useful - when its works. On previous occasions i had simply inserted the recovery floppy disc and ran the 6/7 options and everything i had on the computer would be deleted which was fine. The world was working as it should..

However on the last time i attempted to clear my hardrive i think i may have deleted something i shouldnt have or done something in the wrong order because i have not had a problem such as this before. I think i have all the necessary discs that i recieved when i bought the computer, so in theory this should be relatively simple to fix.

Again i appreciate anyone reading this post and would like to extend any thanks to anyone who helps. You shall recieve my goodwill in time for christmas!

Feel free to ask me to explain anything/everything.

[Neil]

If you don't mind losing your data, a reformat is the best option. You'll need a Windows 98 disk. Do you have one? And the disks for your drivers etc. If you have a recovery *CD* do you know what it contains? You'll need more than a floppy disk to install Windows.

In the future take more care with your computer to avoid problems again. A virus scanner is less than minimum today.

[patio]

There is a non-destructive method for recovery with Win98...if this is what you want to do post back...

[113WR]

Hey, thanks for reading the post. I thought my days of kamikaze use of computers was behind me, i figured i could just delete whatever and then start with a clean slate regardless..

I found my windows 98 disc yesterday and my original driver cds and also this green cd that claims to be a recovery disc cd and the original floppy. Im pretty sure i have the others too, microsoft works etc.

Im happy to start with all my data on the computer wiped, i saved all that was useful, so a reformat sounds perfect. im also gonna make sure i get some virus protection from somes sites that i found on another thread, which kinda makes me think this ''might''   have been avoidable. Live and learn.

[GX1_Man]

You were not running any kind of virus protection?  

Have a read here then:

http://www.computerhope.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?num=1149948530

[113WR]

I did have some good virus protection but then one day it kind of 'ran out'   certainly will be careful in future/present.

One question though, could anyone tell me how i can go about reformating my computer from the current position its in, because im not sure how to go about it. Is it via BIOS?

Thanks in advance.

[dl65]

 113WR......  This will tell you how to do it .
http://www.cyberwalker.net/faqs/how-tos/reformat-reinstall-win98.shtml

AVG free ....Anti virus ........
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/avg-anti-virus-free/lng/us/tpl/v5


dl65  

[113WR]

Hey people, I tried reformating my computer as that link suggested but i came across a few problems; it might be best if i list them in order.

1. the link asked me to make sure i had access to my cd-rom drive, but i don't have access. Could someone tell me how i can go about getting it?   and

2. although im sure this is interconnected. when i type in     d:      i am told this is a invalid drive specification.

----------------------

also: and i think i may have made some extra problems here, i inserted a disc i have labelled ''recovery disc 20 april..'' that i made as a back-up copy a couple years back. thinking it might be useful i inserted it as normal and went through its options, it didnt help... ..because now i have additional information of my start-up screen saying..

''The following file is missing or corrupted: C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
  There is an error in your CONFIG.SYS file on line 1''


there arer also 3 other sentences like this with other C:\WINDOWS\....  problems

and then this:

Warning: the high memory area (HMA) is not available.
Additional low memory (below 640K) will be used instead.
Bad command or file name
File not found
File not found
Bad command or file name
File not found
C:\>d:
Invalid drive specification

C:\>  (with me able to type here)

So just to clarify i have the same 2 start up screens with my system specs, now this and then at the bottom  C:\>

Feel free to do this with your face  :-?

[2k_dummy]

Go to bootdisk.com and download a w98 bootdisk. Or , if you have another w98 machine make your own. Write protect the boot floppy and use it to boot the fubar machine. Select 'boot with cdrom support'. From the A:\ prompt you can run fdisk and format and reinstall windows.
NOTE: Watch the screen during boot. The cdrom drive letter may be different than you what you normally use. It will tell you which drive letter is assigned to the cdrom.
NOTE2: If you are installing from an original retail version of the windows cd, you will need the product key.

[113WR]

cool. I havent had a chance to check this out yet but got some questions first. Is a  ''boot disc'' the same thing as an original recovery disc'' (just with a different name?) and also i have not come across an option to 'boot with cdrom support' before, is this because i dont have the correct disc or have i 'switched off the option' - i have a feeling the answer to the first question is the answer to this second one.

[pcdoc4christ]

A boot disk is a floppy disk that you can use to start your computer and do some basic things to get it ready to install Windows 98.  Make sure you download either the Windows 98 SE or the Windows Me boot disk.  

[113WR]

hey! I just found my microsoft book disc a couple of minutes ago and inserted it into my computer with also the windows 98 cd disc inside and turned it on...

the MICROSOFT Windows 98 startup Menu came up and gave me 30 seconds to choose from the three options.
i choose option ''2: start computer with CD-ROM support''

after reading the floppy (i presume it was only the floppy as that was the only light was flashing) some text started scrolling and it said ''PCI bus scan complete'' on the next screen i had the    A:\>   flashing at me so i typed in   d: and        D:\>      starting flashing next i typed in    format c:      and was told...

CDR101: Not ready reading drive D.
Abort, Retry or Fail? ......  whats up with that?

..glory felt so close. Sigh. Any ideas?  

----

quick semi-follow-up.

i just checked if i  should have typed e: drive and after hearing my computer 'think' for a while it said ''Bad command or file name.

so im still stumped.

[pcdoc4christ]

At the A: prompt, type:

FORMAT C: /S /U

(That is, format space c colon space slash s space slash u.)

[113WR]

it doesnt work  :-?

FORMAT C: /S /U (I typed it this way also)

[2k_dummy]

See NOTE in my previous post.

[pcdoc4christ]

it doesnt work  :-?

FORMAT C: /S /U (I typed it this way also)

Please be more specific.  What error message appears at the DOS prompt when you type the command?

[Raffaz]

Did you do this from the a: prompt?

[113WR]

Hey, sorry havent been able to check in lately. ironic really  

Yea i tried  C: /S /U at the A: prompt. it says '' bad command or file name''

(after i turn on my computer with the floppy disc inside, and choose option ''2: start computer with CD-ROM support'' this is my first opportunity to type anything)

[113WR]

RE: Note (2k dummy) at first i thought you meant your quote ''if you dont stand for something...'' was wondering how that was relevant  

Im thinking now that my cd-com drive is the E: drive because there are a couple lines above the A: prompt area which reads...

Drive D: Driver OEMCD001 unit   0
Drive E: Driver OEMCD001 unit   1

my reasoning suggests thats that E: is my cdrom drive. so from now on i'll just substute D/E with everything i try.

-----------------

Also i tried choosing a different option from the start up menu (to have a look) ''1: start windows 98 setup from cdrom'' and after going through the motions again PCI scan etc.  i entered a blue screen entitled ''welcome to windows 98 setup''

and it said this;

-To setup windows now press ENTER

-To learn more about setup before continuing press F1

-To quit setup without installing windows press F3

... so i had a snoop around and pressed F1 and it read as follows

CDR100: unknown error
CDR101: not ready
CDR102: EMS memory no longer valid
CDR103: crdom not sierra or ISO-9960 format
CDR104: Door open

im not sure what this means but its makes me more sure i need to reinstall something..

I then thought i might aswell try pressing (ENTER) - the other option - to have a look round there and it took me to

E:\WIN98> (prompt), so i typed in format c: so see what happens and it seems to be happy to do that if i confirm YES (warning me ''all data on non-removable disk drive c: will be lost!) i think this is this is what i have been looking for..? (or do i have choose the original option of ''startup with cdrom support.''?)  :-?

not that i want to go all kamakaze again, but is it a bad idea to want to reformat it this way?

[pcdoc4christ]

Hey, sorry havent been able to check in lately. ironic really  

Yea i tried  C: /S /U at the A: prompt. it says '' bad command or file name''

(after i turn on my computer with the floppy disc inside, and choose option ''2: start computer with CD-ROM support'' this is my first opportunity to type anything)

The correct command to type is this:

FORMAT C: /S /U

[2k_dummy]

but is it a bad idea to want to reformat it this way?

As long as it works, its fine.