Format problem

Chan · Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2004 5:53 pm Post subject: Format problem

So i had to vfix this guys computer, its a dell 2700 i think. I formatted his computer and installed xp on it... the legal copy and all that. Restarted it after the installation without the CD and got an error that there is no boot disk detected press f1 to continue. The file system was NTFS and I've had probalems with installing and booting from these disks before. So I changed the file system to FAT32... since that is how I got it to work before. I thought it would work again....

Inserted and installed xp again from the cd... same problem...
Tryed reformatting again and keeping fat32 and copyed the 98 and xp cds on the hd... since that is how i install from there, and using a boot disk to go into DOS so that i could instlal 98 and then XP over it... (That's how i reformatted my computer.)

So i loaded the boot disk, went over to the HD and tried to access the 98 dir... and it says Access is denied. i was like wtf... so I put the hd back in my computer... undid all read only things and all that... and still nothing... The master / slave switch is in the proper place and all that... it's just that no matter how or what i format / do nothing works....

So after all that if you understood it at all any help? like should i copy over command.com and a config.sys from the cd to the c: drive? or what.

Help would be greatly appricated ASAP
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Simpleman · Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2004 6:08 pm Post subject:

I had to 00000000 out my whole HD to get mine to work might also check how to clear cmos as there might be something stuck in the memory that is creating a problem.

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Chan · Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2004 6:10 pm Post subject:

I wish i knew how to do that.
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Gamepro65 · Registered User Joined: 02 Dec 2001 Posts: 710

I tried to fallow EVERYTHING, basically your saying you have formatted formatted formatted many times to different file system types....

All you should have to do is pop the WINDOWS XP disk into the HD, set the BIOS on startup to check the CD-ROM then just install WinXP that way (it has its own format option and everything) if that doesnt work its a long process that ive had to do many times before lol.
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Simpleman · Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2004 6:30 pm Post subject:

My Maxtor HD came with a disk that 0000000's out the HD for yeah takes about 6hrs for a 80 HD.

As far as the cmos it has todo with your jumpers on your MB I found out how todo mine in my book that came with my MB. So if you have that you might want to look in there and see if it tells you how. Or call Dell they have helped my sister out a few times with hers. I don't know much about Dells, but you might need the system disk to reload the drivers for the MB and other components as XP seems to have alot of issues with drivers. If you don't have the right drivers then it gives you all kinds of errors. Video drivers and multimedia drivers and such.
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John Doe · Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2004 7:40 pm Post subject:

Chan, here are the steps I would follow/recommend.

First, make a Dos 6.21 bootdisk, go to www.bootdisk.com to download one and then run it to create a bootable dos floppy.

Next, search the net for a copy of delpart.exe, download it and put it on the floppy disk.

Boot from the floppy, run delpart and delete all partitions off the hard drive, then save the changes.

OK, now that you have a wiped drive you should be able to boot up from your XP CD, a Dell will boot from a CD every time if its there. If not check the bios for boot order and so on.

If you still cannot boot from the CD, then go to Microsofts website and download and create the Windows XP boot floppys. It makes about 7 of them.

Next, make sure you format the drive with NTFS, never do Fat32, its ugly on large drives.

And leave the CD in at all times for boots, its better to have it come up and ask if you wish to boot from the CD and choose no, than to not have the CD in when you still need it.

Dunno it that will help but I hope so.

Cheers

JD
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Vulcan · Registered User Joined: 29 Dec 2001 Posts: 2773

Is the hard drive selected as a bootable drive in the BIOS?
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Chan · Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2004 9:48 pm Post subject:

Tried deleteing the partition in WinXP on this machine on said HD, no luck.

The HD is told to boot after the CD trys to boot
The computer will boot fine, if you have a boot cd in and choose not to boot from it, but if you take the cd out, it won't allow you to boot from the HD. So I am completly confused.
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cobra · Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2004 9:06 am Post subject:

just 1 question? if the HD has partitions, did you install XP on a primary partition?

cause you can not boot an OS from a logical partition.
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Deathbringer · Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2004 9:17 am Post subject:

Ok dude heres what you do. Get into the BIOS of that machine, it has to be there somewhere. Change it to boot floppy, cdrom, hd in that order for now. Then use hd_kill (yes the virus) it will kill the MBR, and everything else for that matter, takes about 2 seconds, and if you need the program let me know. Eject the disk, and throw the XP disk in, not windows 98...never install junk on junk, upgrades suck...just run the xp disk and have it format (normal not quick) with NTFS. Do not run XP on a Fat32. It will take it from there. BTW if its a Dell, Gateway, any prebuild it may have a small partition that is used in recovery, delete that if its there and use the whole hard drive for XP, or make you own partitions as you want. After you are totally done, change the boot order to HD only or hd, cdrom, floppy.

Hope that helps.
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Vash · Registered User Joined: 23 Jun 2002 Posts: 12

It is my computer he is trying to fix, please donate to the Save Vash's Computer Fund!!!

ProudWhiteTrash · Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2004 7:17 am Post subject:

1) Get this single XP boot disk ftp://ftp.fluidlight.com/pub/nospin_files/wxpboot.exe and boot from it.
2) Boot from the floppy.
3) Run Fdisk with this command. FDISK /MBR This will rewrithe the boot record.
4) Set up your partitions if you need to.
5) Change to the cdrom drive.
6) Go into the \i386 directory on the cdrom.
7) Run WINNT.EXE to begin the install process.

Format the partitions NTSF and install.
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