Booting up a new computer

[Dittohead]

Last time I ask for help, promise

I have it hooked up and everything. Windows 98 install disk in the DVD/CD drive and a Windows 98 boot disk in the floppy drive. It boots up to the DOS prompt. I select the D: drive and type setup. Windows 98 setup starts and then I get this:

Please wait while setup initializes
Scanning system registry...
Cannot create a temporary directory
If you have HPFS or NTFS installed on your hard drive,
you will need to create an MS-DOS boot partition to set up Windows

Ok, I have no idea what to do. I mean, I assume I need to create an MS-DOS boot partition, but how do I do that?

I type FDISK but I get the message:

No fixed disks present.

BTW brand new hdd

Thanks

 

[ALstonLoong]

have you format the hardisk ?

alston

 

[Dittohead]

Should I try that? How?

 

[dud2k]

format c:\
i thot,hehee

 

[dcdomain]

If format c: doesn't work... then I'm not sure how to do anything. Never ran into that before.

I'm not sure (never had a problem with FDISK)... I've always used the MaxBlast software that comes with Maxtor harddrives, even on none Maxtor ones. Can you get your hands on one of them? Perhaps the Maxtor site has them? I'll take a look now.

Here you go. Here's the link to the MaxBlast software if you need it: http://www.maxtor.com/products/DiamondMax/software/maxblast/default.htm

 

[Dittohead]

well I try formatting but it says something like:

Format parameter not correct

"There must be at least one Maxtor Hard Disk Drive installed in the system for MaxBlast Plus to run"

 

[TimeKeeper]

Go to the your HD manufacture website (either Maxtor or WD), download the and creat the Disk installer.

OR

Fdisk, make active partition, and bootup your system w/ CD-ROM (change your BIOS BOOT sequence and let CD-ROM go first).
Your Win98 CD will do the format for you before install.

 

[g4graham]

try rebooting with disks in drives.
At the prompt type a:\dir press enter.
Look at the directories, you will see FDISK.
Type FDISK at the prompt. select "Y" at Large drive.......
Loose evrtything "Y" Now you need to choose your partitions. Select view partitions> If there are not DOS partitions you will need to create a primary DOS patition. Go back to the menu and select create primary DOS partition. follow the steps. After the partition is created you will have to reboot and then type Format C at the prompt, you may have to locate the format command on your cd by typing d:\dir. After you format you can start the OS install.

Hope this helps you out.

 

[LordSandMan]

Sounds like your hard driveisn't showing up in bios. The computer isn't recognizing the drive. Go into your bios, and look for something like IDE hard disk detection. be sure the drive shows up in there. It kind of sounds like the jumpers on the HD may not be configured properly. How do you have the drives setup? master/slave? just one HD? What kind of cdr/cdrom/dvd roms do you have?

 

[BadThad]

Sandman is 100% correct. If fdisk nor maxblast don't see the drive, the bios has NOT detected it. ^^^^^^^

 

[Dittohead]

It's an IBM Deskstar 75GXP, master on IDE1. Just that one. Pioneer 16x DVD/40x CD.
I guess the BIOS hasn't detected it because I even used the floppy that came with the drive and I did partition it with that but I get the exact same error. Neither FDISK nor format work either.

I got into the BIOS and...
in Standard CMOS it has Primary IDE Master it the product number of hard drive.

LOL forget all of that. Fixed that problem. I had to switch something from off to auto in the BIOS, don't remember what it was exactly
Thanks guys!

 

[Yerdy]

You must have the Abit KT7-RAID motherboard?

Congrats on your new computer, good luck!!

 

[hubbs]

Don't worry same thing happened to me and I was confused for a few minutes then I went looking for that fuction and figured it out. I'm using the ABIT KT7