missing operating system

[d12mnm]

hi guys....i need some help, desperately!!!!!

when i switch on my lap top, all i get is a screen reading "missing operating system". i cant re install any OS...... 98, XP etc. i cant boot from a floppy to re install. arrrggghhh!!!!!

i did mess about with my partitions via Fdisk, and i think this has caused the problem.

i am new to this so please use friendly language, as i am not up to scratch on my techy talk

regards ryan

 

[rvnguy]

If you used 'fdisk' to adjust partitions, most likely you have removed all information from this volume.

'fdisk' warns that all information will be lost.

Why can you not install any OS??? errors? Don't have media? or what?

rvnguy
"I know everything..I just can't remember it all

 

[d12mnm]

when i reboot with the Win 98 disc in the cd rom, nothing happens. it just goes to the screen with the "missing operating system". i cant go into safe mode. i'm stuck!!!

 

[wolluf]

You need to change the bios settings to boot from CD first. If its already set to that, then either the CD drive or the install CD are not functioning properly. As rvnguy says, you've almost certainly wiped your drive of its operating system (by removing the partition it was installed in) - which would explain the missing operating system. Can you say exactly what you did in fdisk?

 

[rvnguy]

Win '98 required a boot floppy for installation and will not install from the cd alone.

rvnguy
"I know everything..I just can't remember it all

 

[wolluf]

rvnguy - not actually true!

Booting from CD gives option to boot to a dos prompt - where fdisk is available - but not format (so you can remove/recreate install partition). If new partition already created, the install process startedd from CD will offer to format it for you - before continuing with the install.

 

[rvnguy]

wolluf,
Thanks, for thr catch, I have never been offered this without the install flop. Might it be release specific?

rvnguy
"I know everything..I just can't remember it all

 

[paparazi]

d12mnm
What operating system do you actually want on it? XP?
If so then full XP is "Bootable" that means the system will sense it in the CDrom drive and boot from it.

As others have said, firstly you need to get into the bios, depending on the machine there are several different ways of getting into this setup, pressing the "Delete" button right at the beginning of post is the most common but look at the sreen, it usually flashes for a few seconds telling you "Press F2 or whatever" to enter bios setup.
Once into the bios you need to navigate to the "BOOT ORDER" part, set the first device in the boot order to the CDrom.
SAVE AND EXIT
Now restart with XP or recovery disk (many laptops come with a recovery disk) in the drive
Hopefully it will pick up the OS
It will say "press any button to go to setup" then it should start to load

Couple of things
If you do have a recovery disk it could either be a full copy of the OS or just an "activation CD for a hidden partition" many manufacturers did this.
Basically if this disk turns out to be an activation type then your stuffed, you need a full copy of XP.

It's not all over yet, once into Windows the likelyhood is several things will not work properly, you will need extra drivers to gain full functionallity:
Typically: Graphics, chipset, Sound, Lan, Keypad which you will need to download from the manufacturers website on another computer.
Hope all goes well.
Martin


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