Trying to Format a new drive, and getting incorrect DOS version?

[mikef208]

Okay i just built a new system, partitioned the hard drive, and when i try to format I get the incorrect DOS version error, what do i do to fix this?

 

[Ladi]

What bootdisk are you trying to use? How was your bootdisk created? Have you tried a new/different one, created either using one of the bootdisk utilities on an OS's cd or downloaded from bootdisk.com?

~Ladi

 

[mikef208]

Well this is off of a norton rescue disk, the computer i am using now, has a problem with the floppy so i can't create a new bootdisk, so now I don't know what to do.

 

[PeripheralAngel]

It's a problem with the command.com. Try reinstalling Dos by booting off your floppy, then FDisk & Format.

 

[PeripheralAngel]

Sorry.. I told u 2 boot off floppy when u don't have 1. What's the prob. with the floppy?

 

[mikef208]

Well okay i fixed that, but now I have a new problem I managed to get it to start the install on the OS, but it scans the system then begins to start the instalation wizard, and then freezes every time, what is causing it?

 

[PeripheralAngel]

Check your BIOS, maybe it's hanging when it's checking your hardware. If you have the documentation for the MB, you could consider defaults for your bios, then reconfig your HD and try again. Also, you have other disks to try to install from??

 

[PeripheralAngel]

If that fails, maybe wipe the MBR.

 

[Ladi]

NO...do not wipe the mbr.

fdisk, format, turn off virus protection in the bios, then either copy over install files for your OS to the HD or run them from the CD.

Knowing what OS you're trying to install here would be helpful, as well as the size of your HD.

~Ladi

 

[mikef208]

I am installing Win ME(but will hopefully be able to get Win2K in a few days) This is on a western digital 30.7GB hard drive, the primary active partition is about 15GB, but now I think that might be too big, but I guess thats another thing I need to fix. Please help.

 

[BadThad]

That 15GB partition is NOT the problem, it's not "too big". Is this a new system? How do you have the HDD and CDROM drives configured, ie. primary master and secondary master? As far as partitioning, this is my TAKE on setting up a win9x system.

 

[mikef208]

Thanks Badthad, I didn't mean to make it seem like I thought that big of a partition was the problem, I was just saying that it is too big for me, i don't know why I made it that big, but I still don't know why its hanging?
OOPS almost forgot to answer half your reply, yes this is a new system I just built over the weekend. The DVD drive is set up as the primary on 1 IDE channel, the LS 120 is orimary with the ZIP 250 slave on a 2nd IDE channel, and the hard drive is set up as master on a third channel.

 

[Marqui]

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", and the hard drive is set up as master on a third channel."
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that could be your problem there. Try setting your hard drive on the first channel as the primary drive.

 

[mikef208]

Why would that be the problem, Did I forget to mention that this is the kt7a raid, which had 2 regular ATA 100 connectors, and then the 2 ATA 100 Raid connectors. The hard drive is the primary master on the first Raid connector.

 

[PeripheralAngel]

Ladi..
What was wrong with wiping the MBR ?? It is done with a simple fdisk /mbr. This partitions your harddrive, giving the master boot record a clean slate. Then the "path" to the OS is set. Sometimes with some OS's you HAVE to wipe the MBR clean to install a new OS.

 

[Romanza]

I've done a few of these, and the exact situation drove me crazy on the last machine. Turned out it was a bad memory stickhanging the install. Test your memory and see what happens.

 

[Ladi]

New system, new HD, trying to format...there's not even a mbr TO get rid of yet. In any case, with formatting, you wouldn't need to deal with fdisk /mbr at all...that's something you use when getting rid of boot menus and such, especially when changing from multiboot to singleboot. It also does not "partition the hard drive."

I would take a guess that putting the hard drive on the first raid controller would be the issue with installing ME. When you format the drive(s), you need to set them up properly and follow specific procedures for installation. Do some reading and research, starting here.

As a side note, if you're using a system with RAIDed disks, I would recommend using 2K (or NT or Whistler/XP when it comes out) so that you have an OS that will take advantage of RAID, unlike 9x/ME would.

~Ladi

 

[PeripheralAngel]

Ladi..K..yeah, right it doesn't partition it..sorry. I thought that maybe he was having trouble getting rid of the reference to the OS in th MBR, hence the message about incorrect DOS version. Thanks for the info, and reminder about fdisk /mbr

 

[mikef208]

well I want to thank all of you for the help, but it appears it just took a long time to do what it had to do. I let it sit for about 15 minutes while I took a shower this morning and it finally finished. As for the Raid, I do plan to swith to 2K soon, and then whistlet/XP when it arrives, but as of now I don't need them cause I am only using one drive, I just got enough parts to actually get it working, so i decided to put it together, still have a lot of work to do. Anybody know of a release date on XP yet?