Restoring The Old Packard-Bell

well, for my latest learning experience I dug the kids old Packard Bell computer out of the back of the closet. It has Windows 95 on it and wasn't working too well. ( it was abandoned for a new computer and I(mom) couldn't just 'throw it away' lol
I have the boot disk and also the Windows95 Companion disk...and these came with this computer. I decide to use boot disk and run fdisk and format the drive.....when I then try to change to the cdrom drive(in what was D) I get this message.
"Invalid Drive Specification"
I have tried using other letters, but with no success. If I go in and tell it to boot from the cdrom drive first it gives me this message: "invalid system disc "
I am at present stuck with no operation system
all your help is greatly appreciated.....I am sort of learning as I go here. I have read all sorts of articles on doing a clean install, but can't seem to get to the setup file on the 95 Companion disk.
thanks in advance.
katy

 

Katy,

Do you have a Win98 boot disk or can you make one? Win95 does NOT have cd-rom driver support like Win98 does so if you do not have an original Win95 startup disk (from the pc maker), you do not get loaidng of cd-rom drivers and thus it is impossible to load up an OS from the cd drive.

Do you know how to make an Autoexec.bat file (MCSD001 driver) & Config.sys (CD-ROM Driver)? If so, you can get the "generic" cd-rom driver and added it to the boot floppy.

FYI
Since this PC is old, have you made sure the CMOS keep-alive battery is still good?

 

I have also found the Packard Bell Master Cd that goes with this computer. Looks like there would have been a boot disk, but haven't found that yet. I have visited with another person who seems knowledgable and perhaps has led me to the boot disc for this computer?? I was told this anyway and have downloaded it to a floppy and will try it later today.

I do not know about making the Autoexec.bat file ?? but I will look that up and see if I can understand what you are speaking of. I know I did see a place where you could download a generic cdrom driver and I guess it was talking about what you are saying. I found it on a site that is about Packard Bell computers. I am still reading there.

Are you saying that you could use a windows98 boot disc to start this P_B computer? I can surely find one of those or download it. Do you mean that it might let me into the cdrom? I have windows98SE on 'this' computer, (compaq) but the emergency boot disc for it takes you directly into using the Compaq restore disks that came with it, then I have a SE update disc to take it on to SE.

Am I correct in assuming that you need a boot disc for whichever Windows OS you are trying to install or reinstall?? same as you need the suppliers boot disc for the supplied restore discs for each individual brand computer?

I replaced the battery in this computer when I drug it out....it wouldn't keep time.....I assume this is the battery you are speaking of?

I hope I haven't ask any 'illegal' questions....if so please advise me if I have?

thanks for the help......I am amazed at all you can learn at these forums
Katy

 

Hi Katy,

1. If you are presently running Win98 on a PC, it is easy to make a bootable floppy that has the necessary cd-rom drivers on it.

1. Boot the Win98 PC.
2. Click on Start, Select Settings, Go to Control Panel, then Add/Remove Software and then select the tab for the Startup Floppy.
3. Take that floppy to your PB PC and boot off the floppy.
4. On the screen will be the drive letter for the CD drive.
5. Put the Windows CD into the PC and then type SETUP and press enter
6. This should start the installation of Win95 onto the hd.

George
PS - If you need additional info, you can email me at iclarius@yahoo.com or IM me on AIM or YIM.

 

With the help of iclarius, my computer is once again up and running. Thank you SO much for taking the time to help me! Sorry if I seemed to be a total dithering idiot. It was nice of you to be so patient.
I guess I hadn't said that I had that 98 'upgrade' disc....it went with the P-B also. Once before my daughter had restored that computer to 95 but had not taken it on up to 98.
The only thing I still find puzzling is that it wouldn't take the 95 or the 98SE full install disc, but yet took the 98 'update'?? so help me, if I was making an error in typing the instructions, I could not see it. I thought I did exactly the same thing when it took the update disc. I am going to do more reading about doing installs.
Anyway, the puter is running along quite nicely and again I thank you for your time and efforts!
have a good weekend!
Katy

 

Katy,

What is quite puzzling is that running SETUP on the Win95 and Win98 CD did not result in starting the installation of Windows or an error message or some other indication that it did not like the command.

Not being there to see exactly what is going on, it is near impossible to say what the problem could be.

George