trying to salvage HDD

Just a few thoughts for you:

1. Just copying the boot floppy onto the CD will not make the CD a bootable CD. Making a CD a bootable CD is a more involved process. To test whether you can boot from a CD however, try using your win98SE CD in the drive. Just make sure you've set up your bios to boot from CD as the first device.

2. Secondly, how about taking the hard drive out of that box, putting it into a different computer, set it up as a c: temporarily, then formatting it, making it bootable (format c: /sys), test it to see if it comes up to a c-prompt. If all goes well to this point, re-boot with a win98 boot disk. Choose to load the cd-rom drivers, and boot into a dos prompt. Then copy all the Win95 files (The whole directory), onto the C: into it's own directory. Now you can take the C: out of the test box, put it back in it's original pc, see if it boots up to a c:. If it does, change to the win95 directory, and type "Setup ". You should be able to take it from there.

3. I'm not convinced your A: is functioning. It may be toast. You can test it once you get the C: up and running to DOS. There could actually be a problem with the drive, the cable, the floppy controller, or the bios setting. Try the drive in a different computer. If it works, try the cable in a different computer. If it works, double check the bios setting. Forget about the middle connector. It is for the B: only. In the bios, there is a setting to swap a: and b: on some pc's. Disable that switch.

Good luck.

 

In regards to #2.

Is is not a good idea to Format C: /S using a Win98 SUD and then boot from the HD to install 95. This has a very good chance of getting the versions of DOS Boot files crossed up.

Every version of Windows has a slightly different version of DOS.

And I can document the fact that 95 & 98 DOS are quite different.

It would be OK to use the 98 SUD to format C:

Then you can use the 98 SUD to boot up with CDROM support, copy the 95 setup files to the HD if you wish and change to the folder on the HD ( or CD ) where the 95 files are then run setup.

The above is OK to do even if the /s switch was used on the HD. Booting fron the SUD will allow Windows to overwrite everything.

Crossed up versions of DOS may not create boot up problems but it may cause problems later if DOS software is used.

If you are going to use the /S it should be of the same version Of Windows that you are going to install.

For example Win98 SUD for 98. Win98 SE SUD for 98SE etc.

And I have found that Windows gets a better install if not booted from the HD to install it.

BillyBob

 

Thank you all so very much for your thoughtful replies. I will bring you up-to-date.
I replaced the floppy and the cable with a known working one--same problem. So it does sound like the FD controller which is apparently built into the Motherboard.

I tried making a bootup CD but as you noted it was not that simple because I did not have the drivers for the CD set up properly. I could reburn one with the driver on and may try that

This particular bios will not let me set up the boot order. It will allow me to disable HDD,CD, Floppy...that is about it. I guess it defaults to an order.

I like the idea of moving the HD and reworking that from another machine. I may well try that.

As for the pirate 98SE #--honestly I admit in desperation I looked for one without success--maybe with your post I will have some better search keys to look for. That would certainly be the easiest.

I was talking a friend in Canada who is a tech--He advised a new motherboard. Seemed to think it would be cheaper...Still , there is a challenge involved in not throwing away a perfectly usable machine.

Again -- thank everybody very very much for your considered help

 

If you can disable the onboard floppy drive controller in the BIOS, you might be able to use an add-on controller card.

There used to be add-on floppy drive controller cards available, but I haven't been able to find any new ones lately. You might be able to find a used one at one of the local repair shops. Or, get an I/O (Input/Output) card that has floppy and hard drive controllers (most also have serial and parallel ports on them), disable the contollers/ports on the card you don't need, install it and use it to controll the floppy drive.

 

Hi demellos,
I've been following this thread, but had nothing more to add. If you need a floppy controller, I have one that I bought and never used. It's a Kouwell #KW-557a. You would need a vacant ISA slot to use it. Post back if you're interested.

Tin