Format C: in ME?

[YellowOnline]

I want to format a client's messed-up computer and replace it with Win2000.
But...
My Win98 bootdisk doesn't work on it. Nor do the Win2000 bootdisks... I tried WinME bootdisks from the net, but the disks they produce always give errors to the point that it can't find command.com.
This computer is getting on my nerves. Help!

Peace,

Yellow

 

[smah]

Please define:

Win98 bootdisk doesn't work

Is the machine not booting from the floppy? Does fdisk report some error?

 

[YellowOnline]

When I use a Win98 disk (the one that usually always works), I just get a black screen with a flickering underscore (a prompt-alike _ )and floppydisk activity when I press a random key. Then it stops again until I press a button, then there is activity again etc. etc. etc.
If I use a Win2000 bootdisk (1/4) I get a Disk I/O error.
Since I can't get to a command prompt, I can't get to fdisk either.

Peace,

Yellow

 

[YellowOnline]

I found a directory index of a ME bootdisk and overwrote the files that seem corrupt if I use the ME imagefile.
Now everything goes with the WindowsME startupdisk till the point he creates a RAMDrive. Then this comes up:

Error during read of font file
Device error during prepare
Code page not prepared

The following file is missing or corrupted: COMMAND.COM
Type the name of the Command Interpreter (e.g., C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND.COM)
A>_

Sigh... whatever command.com I try, it doesn't work.

--

It did work when WinME was till on it, and f I pointed to C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND.COM. I used fdisk to delete the partition and create a new one.
Still, it only accepts the WinME disk of which the command.com doesn't work... AAARGH. this WinME is making me crazy - and frightened as well, as I need to get this computer running again :/

PS. My my, I have just been a victim of censorship.

Peace,

Yellow

 

[teknikal]

[blue]"My my, I have just been a victim of censorship"[/blue]

Yes, this is a professional forum. Censorship is common.

Do you have access to more than one PC? If so, does your Win98 bootdisk work in that? (you can always go to

http://www.bootdisk.com

to get another copy).

The Win98 bootdisk should be used instead which will take you to a command prompt and give you access to FDISK and FORMAT. A bootdisk is not dependent on any files that are on the C: drive. Therefore, command.com must either be missing from your ME floppy, or corrupted. I suggest you make a brand new Win98 bootdisk using a new floppy in case the old one is damaged.

 

[YellowOnline]

The Win98 disk works on all my other systems; and I tried all WinME bootdisks I found online - also those at bootdisk.com. Still, can't get to a working prompt.

Peace,

Yellow

 

[cdogg]

If the same floppy works in other systems, then it seems like either the floppy drive or hard drive is the problem, or even perhaps the BIOS. For your sake, I hope it's none of the above. Try your bootdisk once more on another system just to make sure nothing happened to it since you last used it.

As tek said you don't need to use the WinME startup disks. They won't take you to a command prompt like the Win98 disks do.


~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind";
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[YellowOnline]

Thank you for you replies guys - but I finally managed to install Win2000. I'll post what I've done in case it might help other people searching the forum.

I had Partition Magic bootdisks which I could use to format the drive. But still no bootdisks were working. The answer came when I thought about my good ol' DOS 6.22 disks. I installed DOS and had a fully functional DOS computer suddenly - which is a lot better than a non-working WinME computer. I made new bootdisks for Win2000 (now not the 32-bit version) and they succesfully allowed me to install Win2000 - running smooth right now.

I had posted about this computer on the HardDrive forum as well, because initially I had to cope with ECC-SDRAM errors as well, so after all this mess I was really afraid - well, it's not my computer but I like satisfied customers, and telling them to buy a new PC isn't satisfying IMHO - for a hardware problem.
Still, I'm not sure where all the problems came from - but they seem to be gone now.

What did we learn from this?

Never install Windows Millenium...

(and don't use the f-word *evil grin*)

Peace,

Yellow

 

[wolluf]

Yellow - just a comment. Why didn't you just boot from the win2k install Cd, and use its partitioning tools to remove ME partition & create new one for 2k - lot easier than messing with floppies.