Windows 95/ How do I format from a C: prompt. 3

[dudeknight3]

Dear guys I had asked earlier how to fix my computer when it could not start up and said missing operating system.
Well they told me to format and reinstall windows but i dont know how to format in a c: prompt tell me how. Also when I try to type a command or do somthing on c: prompt it says invalid media reading drive c:. Please tell me what to do.

 

[ski]

See if this helps:

http://www.cyberwalker.net/columns/mar98/031298.html

 

[edfair]

You can't format the c: if you are in the C:. You need to be booted from a floppy. Get a boot floppy from

http://www.bootdisk.com

for the 95 version you are using. Boot with it, then format c: /u to do a complete format.
You might also want to download a 98SE boot disk as it will allow you access to the CD better that other versions. You boot with it and choose CD support, then move to the CD and run setup.

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

 

[TouchToneTommy]

From

http://www.geek.com/tipstrix/w98tpman.htm

Need to format your drive and reinstall Windows from scratch? It just got easier.

1. Boot up with a Win98 boot disk which has the IDE CD-ROM drivers on it

2. Tell it to boot with CD-ROM support

3. Format the C: drive (format c

4. Switch to the C: drive and create a dir called c:\options\cabs\win98

5. Switch to the CD-ROM drive letter and go into the Win98 folder. (e.g., E:\win98)

6. Type the following command to copy needed setup files: copy *.* c:\options\cabs\win98.

7. After this is done, eject the Win98 CD and switch back to
the C: drive (c:\options\cabs\win98)

8. Type setup and watch it go

You will notice that almost half of the junk files are not loaded this time--just the essentials.

Also, whenever you add an accessory, Windows knows exactly where to look to get the files it needs. Nope, not the Windows 98 CD, but the c:\options\cabs\win98 directory from which you originally installed it.


I recently reinstalled Win98 on my C: partition, worked great, didn't affect the D: or F: partitions at all.

 

[1043]

3. Format the C: drive (format c:/s)

 

[Rick998]

Just be aware that there is a slight chance that you may not need to format/re-install if the problem is just a corrupted system file.

Follow edfair's advice to get a bootfloppy from

http://www.bootdisk.com

for the 95 version you are using.

Boot the PC from the floppy disk then, at the A:> prompt, follow edfair's advice by typing fdisk /mbr then press return.

If the PC still gives the 'missing operating system' error then re-boot from the floppy disk and, at the A:> prompt, type sys a: c: then press return. You should see a message like 'System files copied' or words to that effect. Try rebooting the PC again without the floppy disk in.

Hope this helps...