Solved: Startup

[jmkantor]

I have desktop computer with WIN98SE. One day all worked OK. Next morning when machine was turned on, the only thing that appeared on the monitor was a C:\> prompt. Had to use a startup floppy disc to get the usual desktop array of icons. Ran Spybot and Ad-aware. No bugs discovered. Removed the floppy disc and used the standard shutdown procedure. Got an Error dialog box stating: "System Error; Windows cannot read from drive A: " Three buttons called Cancel, Abort, Retry. Hit Cancel and shutdown occured.

Can anyone offer a fix for this problem? Thanks muchly.

 

[Elvandil]

The fix depends on the cause. It may not be a very good sign.

Boot from a floppy. Run scandisk. When it asks whether you want to do a thorough surface scan, say "Yes". It's possible (not certain) that the drive is failing. See if the surface scan finds bad clusters.

 

[~Candy~]

I think I'd be tempted to try a sys c: at the a: prompt? What do you think Elvandil?

 

[Elvandil]

Of course. That should almost certainly work, at least temporarily. But what happened in the first place is what bothers me. My experience with that error has not been filled with glee.

 

[~Candy~]

Well, I am also thinking that since he said it went to a c: prompt on startup, that he could be in a dos loop? Perhaps if he typed exit at the c: prompt? I find it strange, I guess, for the system to start up and go immediately to a c: prompt.

Since the error message is pointing to drive a:

I dunno......thinking out loud I guess

Another thought........."buttons" that said abort, retry, cancel????? Almost sounds like that was in Windows itself, and the shutdown was trying to read to the floppy disk????

 

[Elvandil]

Yes, but I've also seen this when the boot files are damaged and that was because they happened to fall in damaged clusters on the drive. I wonder what typing "Win" at the prompt will do?

Looks like the OP has left for the moment---maybe tomorrow at around the same time?

 

[~Candy~]

That's a good suggestion too

He's an Aussie, no telling

 

[Elvandil]

LOL. It's already tomorrow there. We used to kid with the Aussies. They'd say that they were a whole day ahead of us backward Americans and I'd respond that we just managed to get all our work done a day sooner that they did so we were doing tomorrow's work today.

 

[jmkantor]

Please ignore my posting. I am back in business after a full reinstall from my recovery CD. Thanks anyway. jmkantor

 

[~Candy~]

That'll fix it