HELP!! Can't format, DOS says there is no cd driver found for reinstalling!

[theonlymantis]

We need to reinstall windows on my roommate's comp, but first need to reformat. However, when we go to DOS to format, it says that there is no cd driver! How then would we be able to install? We can't even access the cd drive-- it keeps saying invalid drive specification.

HELP!!

Thanks
Goldie

 

[DocDoo]

Are you sure you are booting from a floppy disk?

The boot-disk must be on a floppy in the A:\ drive.

Files needed on that disk are:

1. IO.SYS
2. AUTOEXEC.BAT
3. CONFIG.SYS
4. SETRAMD.BAT
5. README.TXT
6. FINDRAMD.EXE
7. RAMDRIVE.SYS
8. ASPI4DOS.SYS
9. BTCDROM.SYS
10. ASPICD.SYS
11. BTDOSM.SYS
12. ASPI2DOS.SYS
13. ASPI8DOS.SYS
14. ASPI8U2.SYS
15. FLASHPT.SYS
16. EXTRACT.EXE
17. FDISK.EXE
18. DRVSPACE.BIN
19. COMMAND.COM
20. HIMEM.SYS
21. OAKCDROM.SYS
22. EBD.CAB
23. MSDOS.SYS
24. EBD.SYS

NOTE: Some of those files might be hidden.

Make a "boot-disk" with any Win98 PC. If none are available, go to Boot Disk web site.....

If you still have problems, reply with more details on your PC and what you have done.

 

[theonlymantis]

Okay, we are not trying to boot from floppy. She restarted in DOS, hoping to reformat the hard drive because she thinks there is a virus. However, when DOS opens, it right off says "no cd device driver detected" or something to that effect. She tries to go to D:\ drive, it says Invalid Drive Specification. Oh yeah, and she has no floppy drive, some guy supposedly put in new MOBO and apparently put in one that only recognizes 5.25" (and trying to access this will crash the comp). We considered installing win2k from windows (since we can't reformat from windows) and can't because she doesn't have enough RAM for win2k (only has 24meg).

So in short, no floppy drive to boot from, can't format from windows, CAN format from DOS but it can't find the device driver for CD-ROM and thus we would not be able to reinstall windows. Oh yeah, and when she did a search on comp for .drv and drivers, it came up with nothing. However, she CAN access cd-rom from windows.


Any ideas???
Thanks
Goldie

 

[Bleep]

What version of windows do you want to install? I can E-Mail you a boot disk if you really need it but if you have 95 or 98 you can create one from another machine. I dont uderstand the floppy drive thing the BIOS should recoginize the floppy. Can you access the BIOS? you need to give a little more information. Have you ever done this before?
Bleep

 

[theonlymantis]

I don't know a whole lot about her computer. She DOES NOT have a floppy drive. They removed it since it wasn't workign anyway. I could create a floppy boot disk for her but it wouldn't matter since it can't take one anyway. Her only option is to install from a cd, there is no floppy drive there anymore. But now it can't read from cd when in DOS. Her cimp is REALLY screwed up, and we aren't sure what to do. I have done format/ reinstall before, but my cd picked up from cd's just fine when in DOS.

Goldie

 

[MisFit]

For starters if she got hold of a generic dos driver and installed that then she can at the very least access her cd drive.

Then she could try this:

1. While in Windows, copy the Windows installation files from the CD to your HD.
Win95: They are in \win95 (~35MB)
Win98: They are in \win98 (~100MB). You don't have to copy the subdirectories (OLS, channels...)
To international users: There are usually 2 versions: language-Enabled at \win9x\ena, and Localized at \win9x\loc. You can choose either.

I recommend creating a directory named "\install", preferably in a partition other than C:, and having under it the win9x directory. You could also keep other installation files there (DirectX, drivers...)

2. If your CD is an upgrade version, you'll need a copy of an older OS (Win3.x for Win95upgrage, Win3.x or Win95 for Win98upgrade). If you have it on CDROM, you should copy its installation set as well.

3. Reboot your machine, press F8, and choose "Safe mode command prompt only".

4. Remove any DOS drivers:
del autoexec.*
del config.*

5. Make sure the new installation won't see the old one. In order to do that, type:
cd windows
ren win.com win.co-
cd \
ren windows windows.old
ren progra~1 progra~1.old

6. Install!
D: (if it's on D: )
cd \install\win98(Or whichever is appropriate)
setup


Now, you'll have a fresh Win9x installation. All the files from the old installation will be in c:\windows.old and c:\progra~1.old, from which you can recover whatever information you want. After you're done, you can remove these directories to save space.
Notes:
* I recommend leaving the Win9X installation on the HD. That way, if you ever need anything from it, you won't need to insert the Win9x CD. Remove it only if you're extremely short on free space.
* This procedure requires a lot of free space on C: - I recommend 500MB.
* If you have any DOS-based programs that rely on specific Autoexec, Config or "Boot to previous version of MSDOS" configurations, this procedure may render them inoperational.
* This procedure can work even if you can't start Windows at all. In most cases, you'll still be able to boot to "Safe mode command prompt only", and perform the above procedure. However, if you haven't copied the Windows installation beforehand, you'll need to have a DOS CDROM driver installed.

 

[DocDoo]

Hehehe... MisFit, I wrote the same answer as you did at the same time

<cut> and </snip>

 

[MisFit]

I saw that, and you managed to say it using less words

 

[CTho9305]

if you can boot from the windows CD then just format (forget about the missing driver) and boot off the CD.

 

[MisFit]

If I recall correctly not all versions of Windows are bootable CD's and they didnt specify which ver. they were trying to install.

 

[theonlymantis]

We are installing win98 SE. From DOS we can't access the cd-rom at all. She found the name of the driver it uses, but where might that be located? A search for drivers on C: comes up blank. Any way to get DOS to see the driver too?

 

[MisFit]

If she downloads and installs the generic dos cd rom driver she should be fine as far as accessing her cdrom.
The cdrom driver that she has installed probably isnt a dos driver so finding it wont help her.

 

[LadyNiniane]

I think you're going to need the MSCDEX.EXE and whatever .SYS file goes with your CD-ROM added to an AUTOEXEC and CONFIG file on your C:\ drive (just like what you have on a bootable floppy).

What I don't know is whether boot-to-DOS uses AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS or the .DOS version of those files.

Anyone?

Lady Niniane

 

[MisFit]

Move oakcdrom.sys to c:\ so the following instructions will be shorter.
Edit config.sys adding the line:
DEVICE=c:\drivername.sys /D:mscd001
the driver name will be the driver file
Example: c:\oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
Edit autoexec.bat and adding the line:
C:\dos\mscdex.exe /D:mscd001

Reboot the system. If you have only one logical hard drive, the CD drive letter should be D:
If you don't have the correct driver, get the boot disk suggested earlier in the response list and copy the oakcdrom.sys from it to your C:\

 

[Big Lar]

I must admit, that I didn't read all the posts to the thread, but simply use the Boot from hard disk option, and your probs will be over, if this has been said, My apoligies.

 

[FusionTorch]

I would go buy a used floppy for about $10 and use a boot disk. That is if you time is worth it.

 

[theonlymantis]

OKay, sorry, but how do I edit the config.sys? I may give up on this since she is getting very frustrated...

anyway for the others THERE IS NO FLOPPY DRIVE AT ALL. She can't get online, so I put the cd driver (cdgod55.exe) that someone suggested from Paco's Drivers (actually the generic) on a cd and put it on her comp-- it didn't help. All it had was the .exe file, so she clicked on it, a DOS window came up, but nothing could be done with it. Just said some stuff that I can't recall. It's an ACER drive, but we can't get to the ACER part on Paco's site. Nonexistent I guess. So used the generic, her cd rom STILL does not work in DOS.

Now... how do we edit the config.sys? and we can't find the driver at all when we search, do we just use the name under the devices as the driver? A driver search yields nothing.

 

[MisFit]

<< I would go buy a used floppy for about $10 and use a boot disk >>



I totally agree, unless she wants to use this as a learning curve.

 

[theonlymantis]

Her motherboard (this is what she was told) cannot support a floppy drive. It only recognizes a 5.25&quot;.. And besides, there is no way I could convince her to spend money on even a floppy drive. Although trust me, I definitely agree that that SHOULD be at the top of the list, getting a floppy drive!!

 

[MisFit]

Assuming she can still access Windows then she can just go to C: drive and right click on the file and select edit. Everything else has been covered in previous posts. DocDoo explained it in a less verbose manner, so he maybe able to be of more help to you.

P.S When you finally get it sorted, suggest to her that it would make an interesting doorstop.

 

[theonlymantis]

Hmm... right clicking has no &quot;edit&quot; option on config.sys. ? Is this the right file??

 

[MisFit]

Open notepad, then look for the file open it and edit, then save.

 

[DocDoo]

There is obviously a hardware requirement and a knowledge requirement needed here. The answer is &quot;here.&quot; I feel this is going nowhere fast

One thing still has me thinking.... The 24Megs of memory... Sounds like it uses (2) 8 meg and (2) 4 meg sticks, 30 pin at that Dang... that thing is old!

Best of luck theonlymantis

Stick a fork in me....

 

[mastertech01]

If the mobo is so old it doesnt support a standard floppy drive the system is likely way out dated to be running Win98 IMHO. If so then the ram requirements would be extremely marginal and you will likely have many problems.. even win95 would be a challenge.

 

[Pederv]

Theonlymantis:
If this system is so old that it can't accept a 3.5&quot; floppy then it's way to old to be able to make the cdrom bootable, in the bios. You have 3 choices if you want to format and re-load this system from scratch:
1) check the bios and see if this system will accept a 3.5&quot; floppy and if it can go buy one, then you can use some of the suggestions given earlier.
2) dig up a 5.25&quot; floppy drive and use some of the suggestions given earlier.
3) finally, pull the hard drive put it in a friends system fdisk and repartion if desired. Format the primary partion with the /s and copy the \win98 directory off of the windows 98 install cd to the hard drive. You may have to disconnect your friends other hard drives, if fdisk tells you that you can only have 1 active partition. Put the hard drive back in her system, then do a cd \win98 and setup and win98 will re-install, etc, etc.
Ain't it fun playin with dinosaurs?