format c: drive

Well I finally got to c: drive. I made a new start floppy and now I can get to the c: drive.when I boot up now I get the following messages.
"C: drive does not contain a valid fat or fat32 partition."
I tried to format C: drive,but I got the following message
" Format not supported on drive c: "
Also my computer saids that I don't have the right device driver for my cd_rom, the start up disk contains a generic driver that doesn't work for my cd-rom drive. I have the proper driver so how do I install it?It asks me for the correct pathC:BMIDE???????
My diagnostic tools were loaded. I go to the start up disk window which is the blue screen menu,and when I open it, it suggest I go to safe mode which I can't do because windows 98 is not loaded onto the new hard drive.HELP

 

If this is the same 360meg drive that was refered to in your other post, It is beginingto look more and more like it still has the old compression on it.

When you ran Fdisk did you check for any NON-DOS partitions ?

"C: drive does not contain a valid fat or fat32 partition."
I tried to format C: drive,but I got the following message
" Format not supported on drive c: "

At tleast I think that is what the message is telling you.

And where in the world is all that stuff about the Blue screen Menu and going to safe Mode coming from ? There is no such stuff on the Startup disk ? Unless something has changed drasticly from the one I have.

The last I checked the SUD was all white on black.

And that stuff about needing the correct path for the CRDOM driver is sure not coming from the SUD either. As there are several CDROM drivers on the SUD and they either work not. There is no path needed to them in the config.sys of the SUD.

You might get messages about " NO CDROM found " but there should be no path problems. I just did an edit of the config.sys of an original 98 SUD so that I could be sure I was correct about the path. There is none.

How did you make the new SUD ?

Did you use an existing Win98 machine and go to Control Panel, Add/remove Programs, Select Startup Disk and then create ?

BillyBob

 

SUD 98

Yes, I made my SUD just like you did. control panel ,add /remove programs,checked the third tab on top and clicked , create disk . This is a computer with win98, which has windows98 stored in the CAB file. The window 98 OS system is newer than my computer,therefore the CD-ROM driver is newer that the CD-ROM drive that I have,there fore I need to load the the cd-rom driver.,or I will have to locate a win95 SUD.

 

A win98 SUD is a Win98 SUD no matter if is newer or older. Even a Windows ME SUD is essentially the same as a 98 SUD.

All the stuff that is on a 98 SUD comes from the C:\Windows\Command\EBD and C:\Windows\Command\EBD\EBD folder.

But that is not my main Question.

Where is all the junk about booting into the safe mode and path requests coming from. They are NOT coming from the SUD.

Unless the SUD has somehow gotten the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat from a Win98 machine on it.

The autoexec.bat from a machine with 98 already loaded on it is the only way ( that I know of ) you could get a message about going to the safe mode.

The normal Win98 SUD does NOT try to boot Windows.

The only menu on the SUD is with CDROM Support, No CDROM support and Help.

Gotta check something. Will be back

I just ran a check with the 98 SUD and it will not even start Windows. Registry can't be found and something about VFAT missing.

Then when I did restart the machine Windows had to go into the Safe Mode cause it did not fully load on the previous attempt. But that message came form the HD not the floppy.

That is why I am wondering where all the stuff about a path and starting in the safe mode is coming from. It is not on the SUD.

A Win95 SUD would do you less good as it has nothing but the three boot files on it to boot the machine. No CDROM drivers or anything else unless you put them there.

BillyBob

 

From A prompt
you see a message
Windows has detected that drive C does not contain a valid FAT or FAT32 partition
At A:\> type fdisk enter
press "Y" enter for large disk support <<should not appear with 360mb, if less than 512mb press "N "
at FDISK Option select "1" enter
at Create DOS Partition or logical DOS Drive select "1" enter
Verifying drive integrity, **%
press "Y" enter at do you wish to use the maximum available size for Primary DOS Partition
and make the partition active (Y/N)..?
Verifying drive integrity, **%
you then get a message to RESTART your system for changes to take effect
YOU MUST REBOOT and format AFTER FDISK.

Press Esc and then Ctrl,Alt,Del, with bootdisk/Startup disk still in the floppy drive
At windows Startup Menu select without CD-Rom support
at A:\> type format c: (this will only format the HDD)
or A:\> type format c:/s (this will format and make HDD bootable)
At WARNING, ALL DATA WILL BE LOST PRESS "Y "
Formatting and the size of your HDD (i.e. 19,09.84M for a 20Gig)
after format enter a name for the HDD or just press enter you can name it later
Press Ctrl,Alt,Del, to reboot with bootdisk/startdisk in floppy
Select with CD-Rom support
enter A:\>C:\
and C:\>dir to see HDD space (i.e. 19,083.48 MB free for 20Gig)

 

format hard drive

Hi Mark! I followed all your instructions.Everything worked until I rebooted.I got the following messages.
"HMA ,high memory area not available.low memory will be used instead.
Format not supported on drive c: "
I think what the problem is, that the hard drive has DOS 6.22 installed on it an fdisk can't remove it. anymore suggestions? cah

 

I was going to back out of this seemingly useless, time wasting, way too old project but I changed my mind.

#1 Have you by any chance checked the BIOS on that machine to see if the entry refering to Vurus checking is enabled ? If it is disable it. With it checked it may prevent any changing of the boot sector I believe.

#2 Are you sure the the machine is booting back to the Floppy drive and not the HD.

#3 I asked for the results of a DIR command on C: which I have not seen.

#4 and most important I believe. I do not think that the drive is being recognized properly. I have a strange feeling that C: might be the RamDrive that is set up by the SUD. Therefore the " Format not Supported " message would fit nicely. ( I have tried it. )

#5 OR, the HD has some form of compression on it ( which I believe you stated might be so ) which Fdisk will not remove and unless removed, any further time will be a 100% waste.

#6 When you were in FDISK did you look to see if any NON-DOS partitions showed up ?

This going on for almost a Month and many good suggestions with no good results may be due to a piece of hardware that has passed on due to Natural Wear and Tear. And should be given a final resting place in the nearest trash bin.

If the last reply by markp62 which are very specific and correct do not ( or did not ) work I think it is time to bite the bullet and give up.

At least that is my opinion.

BillyBob

 

I got the link below from this forum on a differrent thread. Explains how to fdisk.

Fdisk Simulation

***********************************
A couple more good links that I got from this forum in a different thread...

Partitioning a hard drive
Formatting a hard drive

***********************************
To create a new Win98 Boot Disk (has format and Fdisk on it). Download the *.exe, stick a blank floppy in drive, and run exe. It will create a boot disk for you.

Boot Disk Page

 

As a last ditch effort to find and answer.

Is it at all * POSSIBLE * that the existing problem may not be with the HD at all ?

Maybe the MB ( or something on it ( BIOS or CPU )) has left the world of usefull devices and is ready to take up space in the local landfill ?

If there has ever been a case of overheating I think the above may be possible.

The below also started me thinking. ( which is sometimes a bad thing for me to do )

I followed all your instructions.Everything worked until I rebooted.I got the following messages.
"HMA ,high memory area not available.low memory will be used instead.
Format not supported on drive c:"

Would someone please tell me where the " high mem error " would come from ? As that should be handled by the SUD.

This says to me there may be more problems than just the HD.

BillyBob

 

hard drive dead

Thanks to every one who has tried to help.here is the answers for the last thread.
Item #1 Virus was disabled,it's now enabled.
Item#2 yes,back to floppy drive a:
Item#3C:dir/p
ATTRIB.EXE
Chkdsk,EXE
COMMAND.EXE
DEBUG.EXE
EDIT.EXE
EXT.EXE
Format.EXE
HELP.BAT
MSCDEX.EXE
README.TXT
RESTART.COM
Scandisk.EXE
Scandisk.INI
SYS.COM
Item#4 C: is MS-RAMDRIVE ver 3.06
Item#5 OK
Item#6 no disk partition showed up.

 

Item#4 C: is MS-RAMDRIVE ver 3.06

That is just what I was afraid of. The HD is not being seen properly at all by the SUD. And that is why the Format is Not supported errror.

Now this may or may not be relevant.

I just came back from my Daughters who was having a problem with the CDROM. Same has gone South. Will pickup hardware wise but can not be read in either Windows, DOS or from a SUD. But it was asigned a letter in all.

Now, when I booted ( windows shutdown /restart ) from the SUD, I got a BIG BIG surprise. I got this unwanted and undesireable message.

"HMA ,high memory area not available.low memory will be
used instead."

After a cold reboot it was OK.

Me thinks I done got udder machine headed in a Southward direction.

Could this at all be due to a bad piece of hardware ? ( CDROM )

YESSSIRRRR !! Your C: DIR/P list is the contents of the MS-RAMDRIVE ver 3.06. That is what I just checked.

BillyBob

 

CD-rom driver

Sometime tomorrow Friday,I will have a rebuilt 2.5GB Ide hard drive. I will want to install it . The window98 boot disk has a generic cd-rom driver which doesn't work for my cr-rom drive. I have the driver on a separate floppy. what can I do to install this driver into the boot disk,so when I boot up the cd-rom drive it will work, so I can install windows 98. The rom drive has to work in order to install from the cd disk. Will I have to change the config.sys too?

 

Use your existing 98 PC to edit the config.sys on the 98 SUD.

Start/run. Type edit a:\config.sys

There will be a list starting with

[CD]

I think you should be able to add;

Device=your cdrom driver.sys /D:MSCD001

To that list. I would put it as the first line below [CD]

I have never tried this so I am not 100% sure it will work. But I think it should.

BillyBob

 

how to install the cd-rom driver

How do I get the physical driver unto the disk so that the config.sys recognizes it. After you write it to the config.sys it has to find it to install it? any ideas???

 

That question is no suprise

El Stupido here messed up. He thought about that after I wrote the reply.

Using Windows Explorer, Drag N Drop a Copy of the driver from its present disk to the C:\Windows\Temp folder.

Then Drag N Drop it from there to the SUD. Then just make a device=line the same as the others except using your driver.

BillyBob

 

You will have to copy your CD driver onto the SUD. You will have to delete one of the ones already on there to make room for it. Look through the config.sys to get the names of them. Then edit one of the lines under [CD] in the config.sys to point to yours. When you look at config.sys, it will be easy to see how you should do it. ONLY DELETE THE DRIVER(S) YOU WILL NOT NEED, NOTHING ELSE.

You need BIOS virus protection disabled at this point, windows setup will need it that way. Do this also, type in this at the prompt, it will recreate the Master Boot Record on the HD, sometimes missed by FDisk partitioning. It will appear to have done nothing, but BIOS virus must be disabled.
Fdisk /mbr
This will transfer system files from Floppy to HD:
sys a: c:

Here is something you may be missing. The MS Ramdrive is not referring to your HD. When the 98 SUD is booting, Ramdrive is loaded and is using part of your extended memory to create a drive in memory and is designated D:\. A virtual HD to speak, thus the name RAM DRIVE. This is where the diagnostic tools are loaded. There is a Ebd.cab file on the SUD, the files in that file are extracted to that ramdrive, and the ramdrive is part of your command path. This is happening when it is telling you to wait when booting.
This is why your CD which is usually D:\, becomes E:\. Important to remember this, when trying to access the Win CD, usually a message will appear giving the drive letter for the CD, watch for it.

If the HD shows no partition, after following my directions, TRASH IT. Format will not be supported is a good indication. A 360 mb drive would have to be at least 15 yrs old, the read/write heads are probably not working, and the platters are no longer able to take the magnetizing necessary to hold all the 1's and 0's.
Let us know how it happens with that 2.5, enable large disk support, by the way.

 

Hard to believe I just read all of this - 360mb is worth $2.50 to $5.00 if its working. Trash that puppy and quit wasting everybody's remaining gray matter.

 

360mb hard drive

I'm sorry Rocket 2, but your missing the whole point,its not the value of the 360 hard drive,but the challenge of solving the problem and the stimulation of the grey matter that you are talking about.It seem in this day and age there is always someone out there who wants to tell some body off . Where I live you can't just go out and buy a hard drive under 40gb,the small hard drives under 10 gb nobody stocks anymore. A 586 pentium1 computer is only worth $25.00 if that and a 40 gig harddrive retails for a min. of $79.00. I didn't join the BBS board to be humiliated by some jerk. I appreciate all the time and courteous answers that all the fine people gave me. Maybe you are loaded with extra money but in my case I'm not.

 

cah1935

Even though you already know ( and I won't deny ) that I myself would have abandoned the project after the first two days I do agree with you as to TRYING.

There are times when taking something that seemingly can't be fixed and making it work returns a personal satisfaction that nothing can beat.

And when $$$ are short we need to make do with what we have. What we would like to do and what we can afford to do are sometimes quite different.

I have at least three PCs floating around the family ( plus two of my own ) that are all built mostly from spare ( what some would call useless ) parts. And some stuff from others that either upgraded or no longer needed.

But some of them hardware wise ( NOT OS ) are reaching their limit. And the two that are in real trouble are the two with the Cyrx 686/150 CPU in them. They just plain refuse to even load some newer software.

Up untill a short time ago I still had an ANCIENT WD540 HD being used as a Primary on the 2nd IDE controller with nothing but the Windows swap file on it. The only reason it is not still in service is that it died of natural causes ( old age and wear and tear ) and is now resting peacefully in the local landfill satisfied that it had done done its job and done it well for many years.

The biggest problem with using older hardware is not that it is not good or won't work but making it work with the newer OS.

BillyBob

 

Have at it. Flame me if you want, this thread speaks for itself.

What's the C stand for? - I got the rest.