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HELLLLLLLP!!!! I can't install the OS!!

F

FOH

Senior member
My friend got a used IBM Aptiva the BIOS is "IBM SurePath". It was very well used and loaded with all kinds of junk, so I told him I would erase, format and reload his OS for him, no big deal --- I thought!!!

Anyway I put in my FDISK floppy, partitioned and formatted the hard drive. Put in the WIN98SE disk, run setup from DOS and it started right up. All is good so far. WIN98SE loads up to the point where it restarts, then when it comes back on, it says "invalid system disk" and that is it. I can't get it to do anything from there.

I went into the BIOS and tried changing the startup settings to boot from CD first, but it only lets you choose floppy or hard drive. Then I tried to start from a WIN 98 start up disk and enable CD support and that didn't work either. I am lost, I have never had a computer do this before. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!! THNAKS
 
I had a similar problem on an IBM Thinkpad notebook. Heres how I solved it:

place boot disk into drive.

Start computer without CDROM support

at A: prompt, copy contents of boot disk to hard drive

- A:> copy *.* C:\

once files are copied (21), edit the following files and change all occurences of A: to C:

autoexec.bat , system.ini - do this by typing "dir" at the A:> prompt

- A:>dir

remove boot floppy and reboot computer

hard drive is now a boot device...if you made it so in the BIOS

start computer with CDROM support

should work now

place CDROM in drive

at C: prompt type

- C:> C:
C:\ make dir WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS
C:\ cd C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS
C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS> C:>
C:> copy e: C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS

wait until it completes...will take awhile

when done...

C:\ cd C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS
C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS> setup

should run setup no problemo...this is the procedure the OEM's use...that's why you never have to put in your windows disk when installing new windows features.

Hope this helps.
 
THANKS for the reply. I am running late now, but I will try that when I get some time tonight. THANKS AGAIN!!! 😀
 
The more I work on computers, the less I know!! 😕 I feel completely dumb, but I need more help.

Jonitus
I partitioned and formatted again, just to make sure I was starting "fresh". Then I followed the directions you gave copying the 21 files to C no problem. BUT after that I am lost. You said

<< once files are copied (21), edit the following files and change all occurences of A: to C: autoexec.bat , system.ini - do this by typing "dir" at the A:> prompt >>

I typed in "dir" at the A prompt and that gave me a list of the contents on the floppy. But how do you change the autoexec.bat and system.ini to C:??? Or have I completely misunderstood your directions? I guess I need directions for a "Brain Dead" person!! 😀

Bozo
I typed in SYS C: and when it was done it said "system transferred". I am not sure what I am doing though, was that correct? What exactly is that doing?

THANKS EVERYBODY FOR THE HELP!!!!!!!!!

 


<< You said

<< once files are copied (21), edit the following files and change all occurences of A: to C: autoexec.bat , system.ini - do this by typing "dir" at the A:> prompt >>

I typed in "dir" at the A prompt and that gave me a list of the contents on the floppy. But how do you change the autoexec.bat and system.ini to C:??? Or have I completely misunderstood your directions? I guess I need directions for a "Brain Dead" person!! 😀 >>


Okay...

Assuming you booted off the floppy you should now have access to you CD-ROM drive, there?s really no need to copy the contents from the floppy to the harddrive, but it really doesn?t matter.

What you?ll want to do now is copy the contents of the CD-ROM to your harddrive, it will make installation quicker.

First make a sub-directory off the root of C: - something like ?\CABS? is a good name.

Then do an xcopy d:\ /s ?- replace d: with your CD-ROM drive letter.

Once that?s complete change to your ?C:\CABS? sub-directory and run setup.

The rest should be pretty self-explanatory.

 

Oops!

Instructions for a "Brain Dead" person...

BOOT off the floppy disk, then...
C:
MD CABS
CD CABS
XCOPY D:\ /S
SETUP

When setup is finished and needs to reboot, remove both the floppy and the CD-ROM disks.

🙂
 
Escalade
Thanks for the reply



<< First make a sub-directory off the root of C: - something like ?\CABS? is a good name. >>



How do you do that??
 
Escalade:

Well I'm gaining, I got the "CABS" sub-directory and typed in XCOPY R:\ /S and it says "bad command or file name". I know that R is my CD-ROM drive letter because I can do R: setup and it will start to load the OS. I am goin nuts !!!! What am I doing wrong!!!! PLEASE HELP!!!
 
I did pull the floppy after starting the install. But when the install gets to the point of restarting, it won't continue. It just says "invalid system disk". That is why the others have suggested copying the OS to the hard drive and loading from there, but I haven't had any luck getting it to copy. That is where I am at now. I have tried "copy" "xcopy" "diskcopy" in every config I can think of and in every way others have suggested here, all I get is "bad command or file name". I can't belive I am having this much trouble. I have loaded OS's lots of times and never had any problems. PLEASE KEEP THE IDEAS COMMING!!! I HAVE TO GET THIS THING GOING!!!! I am going to work now, but I will check back in tonight, PLEASE HELP!!!!
 
Boot from Floppy..When you get to the A:> prompt, Type (minus qoutes) "format c: /s" That will make the C: drive bootable. Try it by pulling out the floppy and re-booting. You should boot straight to a c: prompt. If you do, then put floppy back in, reboot, start comp with CD support, switch to the prompt of your CD drive, Type "setup", and go from there. Good luck.
 
GonzoDaGr8

Thanks for the reply. but that didn't work either!!!!!!

I did the format c: /s and it formatted the C drive again and when it was finished it said "system transferred" and all looked normal. After that I removed the floppy and restarted as you suggested to test it, and it came back "invalid system disk, replace the disk and then press any key". SAME AS ALLWAYS!!!

I went into the BIOS and looked,-- the floppy was set as first boot device and the hard drive as the second. So I changed it so the hard drive is the first boot device --- still won't boot to hard drive!!!!!!

I am beginning to think the hard drive is bad, but it was working before I partitioned and formatted. Is this possible??? This is about to DRVIE ME CRAZY!!! PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE I NEED MORE ADIVCE!!!!
 
Have you gone to IBM.com to see if there is any special utilities needed to format this drive? I am very surprised that format c: /s did not work..That has ALWAYS worked for me whether it was a plain-jane PC or one of those pre-made deals (Dell, Compaq, etc). Like I said, go to IBM and look around a little.

P.S. Just guessing here, but the hard drive on that Aptiva "May" have had a seperate small partition containing info that the machine is looking for @ bootup. I know that Compaqs used to have that, but it never kept them from working after a full FDISK and format. Just some of the hotkeys would not work anymore..
 
Well I have been off line for a while, pulling the hard drive out of the IBM Aptiva (not an easy job) and putting it in this computer. I partitioned and formatted again, then I loaded windows 98 --- no problem at all (so I am not completely dumb 🙂 ). So the hard drive is O.K.

I am getting ready to put it back in the IBM computer with 98 already loaded (yes I know it probably won't work, but hey, nothing else has either!!!!!) I will let you know what happens. In the mean time, any more suggestions????? Maybe something in the BIOS not letting it boot from the hard drive??? But why did it work before I started all this (my head is hurting again 😕 )??
 
I just finished installing the hard drive back in the IBM and fired it up and it came on!!!!!!!!! But it is not working 100%, on startup it says there are some missing files and it acts a little weird BUT the main thing is it CAN boot from the hard drive!! NOW what am I doing wrong that I can't install windows from the IBM???????? I probably still need to reinstall it from that machine don't I????? Please give any input you have. THANKS
 
Please don't leave me now!!!!! 🙁 I still am not running 100%. I still need more ideas on how to get this IBM to load windows and boot from the hard drive. I still have not been able to get it to copy from the CD-ROM to the hard drive and it still says "invalid disk" when trying to load windows like I normally do. PLEASE KEEP THE IDEAS COMMING!!!!! 🙂 SOMETHING HAS TO WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
when your friend bought the system, did it come with any sort of restore disk from IBM? Have you looked at IBM for any answers or disk utilities?
 
put it back in the other machine and format it... then make it bootable and the partition active and throw the win98 folder on the harddrive.

Then put it back in the IBM, boot it up and start the install of windows.

Also, make sure you have the newest bios if you haven't already, and reset the bios settings to defaults
 
the reason why you got the error

<< command not found >>

when tried use xcopy is because you have to either be in the x:\tools\oldmsdos on the cdrom after you boot off of it ( substitue your cdrom letter for x) or type path=x:\tools\oldmsdos then you can use any of the commands stored in that oldmsdos folder on the win98 cdrom. What I usually do is format the drive, then boot off the win98 cd, then make a directory on the c: partition or any partion you want called win98 , also make on called old msdos.
then change to the oldmsdos directory on the cdrom
or make the path and do
x:\xcopy win98\*.* c:\win98\*.* /e /v ( sub your cdrom letter for x: )
then after all the files are copied you can then do your setup.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys!!! I just got home from a gig and I have concerts all weekend, sooooooooooo I won't be able to try any of the suggestions until the first of the week. I will let you know how it comes out then. If anyone else can think of anything else that might help, PLEASE reply!! THANKS AGAIN FOR EVERYONE THAT HAS HELPED SO FAR!!! 😀
 
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