My old computer crapped out with Mandrake...

[Mean MrMustard]

My old Compaq computer doesn't "agree" with Linux. For now I would like re-install Win98SE on it. How do I FDISK it? FDISK doesn't recognize a fixed disk. I can't do it from Linux because it won't even boot up. Any suggestions?

 

[Nothinman]

Sounds like you have a hardware problem if it won't even boot.

If FDISK won't recognize the disk, and it's IDE, you're gonna have to get that working before you can get any OS to work.

 

[Willoughbyva]

Were you using a bios overlay type of software that might have came with your newer harddrive?

 

[Mean MrMustard]

Were you using a bios overlay type of software that might have came with your newer harddrive?

I have EZ-BIOS. It came when I had the the Western Digital drive installed. Mandrake worked just fine for about a week. Then one day it wouldn't boot up. The Win98 start up disk said something about making a DOS boot partition.

 

[TheWart]

If you want Win98...it sounds like you need to run "format MBR" (i cant remember if u need slahes in the command or suppin). That will format you Master Boot Record and take it back to normal (pre-linux) You should then be able to reformat

 

[Mean MrMustard]

At the C prompt "format mbr" gives me a "parameter format not correct" message, "format /mbr" gives me a "invalid switch" message.

 

[NateSLC]

It's fdisk /mbr

 

[Mean MrMustard]

I tried that also. Looks like I'm screwed.

 

[neuralfx]

wait what exactly is the problem? .. 'fdisk /mbr' will replace lilo with a windows boot manager, you still need to delete the partitions .. if fdisk wont do it, look for a program called "hd_kill.com' its an old batch file that works pretty well .. to me it sounds like you are having some kind of hardware/ez-bios related problems .. fdisk does tend to crap out when you have ez-bios installed ...
-neural

 

[Mean MrMustard]

How do I get rid of ez-bios?

 

[Om]

Just put in the EZ BIOs floppy and it will give you the option to remove it.

 

[Mean MrMustard]

Years ago I had someone install the drive for me. I don't have the disk. Does anyone know where I can download it?

 

[Mean MrMustard]

bump

 

[Mattster]

You can download a tool to remove it from Western Digital . That should take care of your problem. If that still doesn't work, there is another utility from IBM called wipe. It will write zeroes to your drive. You can get that from: IBM Storage . This will overwrite the first 8GB of your hard drive (if its that big).

Hope this helps
Matt

 

[Wik]

<< At the C prompt "format mbr" gives me a "parameter format not correct" message, "format /mbr" gives me a "invalid switch" message. >>




First it is "fdisk /mbr" and of course it is not going to work at the C: prompt. You need to run this from a dos disk that has fdisk on it.

 

[Mean MrMustard]

Thanks guys, I'm obviously not a DOS person. I did try "fdisk /mbr" from the a: prompt also.