Hard disk failure

[Guest_imported]

I can't access my hard drive.
When I start my pc I get
Hard disk 0 installed
Floppy A installed
Drive not ready error
insert doot disk in A:

when I boot with win 98 boot disk I get
Win 98 has detected that drive c does not contain a valid FAT or FAT32 partition.

When I look at c drive it is actually win 98 RAMDrive.
What can I do.

 

[FatesWebb]

check fdisk to see if any partitions exist on the disk js error; 67 on line; 36 of signature.class

 

[edfair]

You are looking at the ramdrive that is built by the boot disk. It is not you hard drive. Your hard drive has gone into hard drive heaven for some reason.
Since the BIOS sees it, the drive controller board is good. You have a blown MBR or a drive not turning or something. You might try fdisk /mbr. Then reboot and see if the ramdrive moves up a slot. Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[Guest_imported]

What prompt do I run FDISK from since c is RAMDrive.
Am I going to lose all my data.

 

[legend2b4]

If you are getting a error that you have no FAT table. your pri partition is well and truly up the wall.

the eazy way to get your drive working and bootable is to FDISK remove any and all partitions form the drive REBOOT Run FDISK again and make a new PRI DOS Partition reboot and format C:

YOU WILL LOSE ALL THE DATA ON THE DRIVE

then reinstall your OS

You can try downloading the free recovry software from ZDNet on another machine and making boot floppys if the data is imoportant But it a lot of messing about

all the best

legend2b4@hotmail.com

 

[edfair]

Fdisk /mbr from the a: prompt.
And on the next reboot, if the ramdisk still shows at c: your hard disk is gone. Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[daweeb]

what does mbr mean?
make boot record?

daweeb |-I

 

[edfair]

Technically "master boot record" but it does as you suggest, although it is more "rebuild boot record". Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.