Win 98 wont startup

I turned my computer off this morning and when i turned it back on this evening it brings up the black sreen and runs the tests then it does nothing.....can you help me please

 

Did you try to start it up in safe mode, just after the memory count and before the windows loading message start tapping the f8 key, from the menu choose safe mode.

Does it boot then

 

....it doesn't do anything when i tap on the F8 button even for a long while.........the only screen i get is the screen that give you the description of the system....it never does do the windows loading .........

 

Try booting it with a startup disk, if you don't have one you can download one at www.bootdisk.com. You will need to place a floppy in the drive and then run the downloaded file to extract to floppy.

If you get to the a prompt with the start up disk

try typing C: and hit enter

Is your hard drive there, can you do a dir command and get the directory structure of the hard disk.

 

ok i cant get on the internet to get a startup disk......my friend is doing this for me on her computer......... can i get the c prompt by doing anything else that would help me

 

Instead of the f8 key try ctrl.
95 used the f8 & 98 used ctrl.
then try the safe mode option.

 

You can make a bootdisk off her computer, just go to start/settings/control panel/add remove programs/startup disk tab. Place a floppy in the drive and hit the create button.

 

ok ctrl or nothing is working at this point......the hard drive dont even light up like it is working just the green button for the power.......all i have is the windows 98 cd and when i put it in it doesnt do anything.......they only screen i get is the first black screen that says loading info from floppy or something to that affect then nothing else happens

 

ok i have found the 98 bootdisk and have put it in......i also have the 98 cd but have not used it yet......when i put the floppy disk in it give me options 1. use cd rom 2. use just floppy disk and so on i didnt enter anything before it started off by itself then it did this copyrighting and cam up sector not found reading drive a abort retry fail......what should i do

 

That's a strange startup message, think you better make one like I posted above. It should give you a menu

1. start with cdrom support
2. start without cdrom support

choose option 2 the first time, without cdrom support(it moves your drive letters around loading the ram drive and to keep it non confusing choose without now, your drive letters will stay the same)

Now will it boot up to the a prompt