Invalid command.com

[dekducks]

I'm hoping someone can help me because i'm pulling my hair out with this computer I'm working on. It's a new drive and it formatted fine and transeferred the system files fine, but when I try and boot off of it, I get this message at the point in the config.sys file where it loads the DOS CD-ROM sys file.

Inavlid COMMAND.COM
Enter the correct name of the Command Interpreter (eg, C:\COMMAND.COM)

If I hit F8 and bypass the config.sys and autoexec.bat files (Shift+F5), it will boot to the c:\ prompt, but then I have no way to load an OS.

Can someone please tell me what might be wrong or what I may be doing wrong? I've loaded hundreds of machines before and never ran into this problem at work so I'm lost.

Thanks,

Joe Wells

 

[MJT2k]

From what you are discribing it sounds like when the CD-ROM drive loads the system loses communication with what ever you are booting off of (hard drive or floppy).

If you are booting off a the hard drive try a floppy or the other way around. You could have a bad CD-ROM drive that takes out the controller or a bad hard drive.

 

[corkyg]

What is is seeing is a command.com file from a different version of DOS that the boot file.

 

[dekducks]

Thanks for the help guys, but I've tried booting from different devices (CD, floppy, hard drive) already. I tried using a different CDROM, cables, etc. already. Nothing seems to work. I don't mind telling the guy that it might be hosed, but I'd sure like to be able to tell him what is hosed.

Joe Wells

 

[corkyg]

When push comes to shove, reformat and start over.

Does the system boot w/o the HDD from either floppy or CD?