why can't my PC find the boot record?

[bilmo2005]

I formatted my c drive and am trying to re-install windows95.

over and over, I get the same message. it looks in the floppy, the CDROM and the IDE and can't find boot record.

is that because there IS no boot record? pardon my ignorance. I need help from a smart person or person(s)

I'm guessing I have a non functioning floppy drive. because I have 5 CDROMS laying around, tried em all. only the one floppy.

unfortuneately, only one mobo and one HD as well. I guess it could be anything. thanks for any feedback!

cheers!

Bill

 

[edfair]

Can be because no boot record exists, or it isn't able to recognize a boot record that does exist.
95 CDs were not bootable
IDEs are not bootable on format unless /s was specified.

Try a download from

http://www.bootdisk.com

but get one that matches what you are trying to install.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[tauris]

Did you use format c: /s ?
You need the file command.com on the hard drive for it to be able to boot.

 

[bilmo2005]

I thank you 2 nice folks who replied. I did in fact use
the format:c/s

I thought that was the only way to format a HD. I've tried to find stuff at bootdisk.com

The problem there is, my WIN95 is a hand me down from my brother. I also have a 98SE upgrade disk.

The PC in question was cobbled together out of hand me down hardware from various friends. but it's good stuff for as old as it is.

the cpu is an athlon xp set to run at 1000mghtz. good quality pc133 ram etc....

a friend of mine put it all together and instead of using my windows disks, he put his own version of 98 on it. and he put an icon/link to netscape internet service. he said it was better than what I WAS using....

I'm not so sure. I clicked on the nestscape ISP icon and the PC tilted into the blue screen of death.

nothing would make it come back to life. so I formatted, and started over. I've done that before and had no problems. this time, it won't boot no matter what I throw at it.

including 95 bootdisks from bootdisk.com

 

[tauris]

Did you parttion the drive (fdisk) before formatting?

 

[bilmo2005]

tauris (TechnicalUser)asked:

"Did you partition the drive (fdisk) before formatting?"

um...........no.

is that not good?

 

[bilmo2005]

now i get a message saying "reading boot drive from floppy.OK"

and then immediately, this "Disk I/O error"

I'm cornfused

 

[jimp56]

using a boot disk with the same version you have installed on the computer, type "fdisk /mbr" at the command prompt. then reboot. see if that helps

 

[bilmo2005]

jimp56 said:

using a boot disk with the same version you have installed on the computer, type "fdisk /mbr" at the command prompt. then reboot. see if that helps

Thank jimp56
for this valuable post!
______________________________________________________

thanks jimp56 for this valuable post

I don't have anyway to make a boot disk from the win95cd disk.

I mean, windows just won't startup. can I use another persons PC and my Win95 disk to make a boot disk?

 

[tauris]

Just go to bootdisk.com and download the file to make a bootdisk for whatever OS you plan on having on your PC(95 or 98).
The file you downloaded is not a boot disk. Just run the file (with a floppy disk in the A drive) and the program will create one for you.
Then take it over to your dead PC and boot from the floppy disk drive.

Then you can fdisk , format etc.
If you don't know how to fdisk I suggest you go to google and do some research.
Try getting a web site with graphics.(Search for images)

 

[jimp56]

What he said!"

Thanks, tauris