Tech Support Guy banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Windows 98 doesn't start

4K views 37 replies 6 participants last post by  hunterhays 
#1 ·
When I do a power on of my PC I get a black screen with a cursor flashing the DOS startup messages never come and Windows 98 does not start. I ran the dianosgtic desk and every thing was okay, I ran a Norton boot disk check for a VIRUS and everything cam up clean ( my definations are a few weeks old (shame on me). Any suggestions? :confused: :

thanks
 
#4 ·
No option for post or boot options. After hitting a couple of keys it will start to beep on every key stroke. I tried hitting F* repeatedly and it started beeping then I started getting a message Invalid system disk replace disk and hit enter.

I don't have a system disk I do have a product recovery disk that came with the computer but I think that will format the hard drive. It's my daughters computer and she has some home work on it she really doesn't want to lose and has no back up of it.
 
#7 ·
To start a Windows 98-based computer in Safe mode, use any of the following methods.
Method 1
Restart your computer.
While your computer restarts, press and hold the CTRL key until the Windows 98 Startup menu is displayed.

NOTE: If you are using the EZDrive tool, press F8 instead of CTRL.
Select the Safe Mode menu option from the Startup menu, and then press ENTER.
Method 2
Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Information.
On the Tools menu, click System Configuration Utility.
Click Advanced, and then click to select the Enable Startup Menu check box.
Click OK, click OK, and then restart your computer when you are prompted to do so.
Select the Safe Mode menu option from the Startup menu, and then press ENTER.
Method 3
Insert a non-bootable floppy disk in the floppy disk drive, and then restart your computer.
When you receive the "Non-system disk or disk error. Replace and strike any key when ready" error message, remove the floppy disk from the floppy disk drive.
Press F8, and then press F8. When you do this, the Windows 98 Startup menu is displayed.
Select the Safe Mode menu option from the Startup menu, and then press ENTER.
Method 4
Restart your computer in MS-DOS Mode.
From a command prompt type "win /d:m" without the quotation marks.
 
#8 ·
or...

To get into Windows 98 / ME safe mode as the computer is booting you press and hold your "F8 key" on the top of your keyboard or press and hold the left or right Ctrl key as the computer is booting. If done properly you should get into the "Windows 98 / ME Startup Menu" similar to the below screen example. In this menu choose option 3 by pressing the 3 key and press enter.

Note: With some computers if you press and hold a key as the computer is booting you will get a stuck key message as the computer is booting. If this occurs instead of pressing and holding the "F8 key" tap the "F8 key" continuously until you get the startup menu.

this will show up...

Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu
=============================
1. Normal
2. Logged (\BOOTLOG.TXT)
3. Safe mode
4. Step-by-step confirmation
5. Command prompt only
6. Safe mode command prompt only

Enter a choice: 1

F5=Safe Mode Shift+F5=Command prompt Shift+F8= Step-by-step confirmation [N]

CHOOSE SAFE MODE and try to CHECK your DRIVERS
 
#9 ·
There is no flloppy and no cd drive . Prior to pushing F* it use to just give me a flashing cursor now it says there is an invalid system disk.


I power it on and I get a start up screen for about 5 secoonds saying IBM Aptiva ( which is normal) then the invalaid system disk message. Normally at this point DOS would start and ai get a couple of messages abount the hardware conging then Windows would start. I'm afraid something has hosed up the hard drive.
 
#10 ·
There is no flloppy and no cd drive . Prior to pushing F* it use to just give me a flashing cursor now it says there is an invalid system disk.


I power it on and I get a start up screen for about 5 secoonds saying IBM Aptiva ( which is normal) then the invalaid system disk message. Normally at this point DOS would start and ai get a couple of messages abount the hardware conging then Windows would start. I'm afraid something has hosed up the hard drive.
 
#14 ·
Do you have a floppy boot disk? If not go to this site http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm and d/l the Windows 98 OEM or the Windows 98 SE OEM boot disk. Save the file to your desktop (not a floppy). Then insert a clean floppy and double click on the desktop icon for the boot file you just downloaded. This will create a boot disk. Remove the floppy and on the back side slide the little safe tab so you can "see thru the hole".

Take the boot disk to the pc that is having the problems and insert it in the floppy drive and power up, it should boot to an A:\> prompt. If the PC is already powered up, just do a ctrl+alt+delete to reboot.

From the A:\> prompt type in sys C:
You should get a message saying that the system files were transferred successfully.

Remove the floppy disk and hit ctrl+alt+delete and let's see if the PC boots up
 
#15 ·
I'm getting closer thanks I downloaded the boot disk and did what you suggested. When I rebooted the Windows 98 logo screen flashed and I got a message Microsoft windows 98 followed by a C prompt

What do I do next

I sure appreciate all the help yoy're giving me.
 
#18 ·
You'll need boot to a good win98 boot disk that has the scandisk utility on it. Run it to see if your drive is healthy. It's not sounding like you have any operating system files so perhaps something went amiss and caused their deletion.

Anyway, Scandisk is a good place to start. If you need a boot disk, go to Dr. D's and scroll down to the very last one listed, Windows Boot Disk Essentials. That's an image file so download it to your Desktop and run it. Place a floppy in the drive and it will create the boot disk for you.

>>I hadn't read all the other posts carefully so you may already have a good boot disk. If so use it. It should have Scandisk on it. You'll have to boot to the disk to run this command or any others apparently since the C: drive doesn't seem to have much to offer. You will have to be resident in the A: drive when issuing the Scandisk command. Scandisk C: (enter)
 
#21 ·
after this

Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu
=============================
1. Normal
2. Logged (\BOOTLOG.TXT)
3. Safe mode
4. Step-by-step confirmation
5. Command prompt only
6. Safe mode command prompt only

Enter a choice: 1

F5=Safe Mode Shift+F5=Command prompt Shift+F8= Step-by-step confirmation [N]

select "3" then tell what happens...;)
 
#22 ·
I ran SCANDISK and go

Error in the FAT and it was fixed
Errors in 4 files freespace :
window\options\cabs\win98_30-.cab
31 , 32 , and 33 all 4 files were truncicated.

1 directory error was fixed.

Normal Reboot goes to c prompt
Reboot in to safe mode also puts me at a C prompt what's next?
 
#23 ·
The problem is, scandisk can't really "Fix" anything. It the File Allocation Table was truncated and and Scandisk detected lost clusters, the "Fix" it does is just about as bad as the error.

What you now have is a partition with no valid File Allocation table. That's like saying, you'll not be getting anything off that disk without using some sophisticated 3rd party software or hiring a recovery expert.

I wish you had a disk image for restoring. :(

Sorry.

>> Just for laughs, run the DIR command against the C: drive and see what it delivers. If you have a Windows directory, there may be a glimmer of hope and you could do a repair over-install.
 
#25 ·
Yes, that will wipe ALL data from the drive.

>> If you elect to use that drive again, I suggest that you run Scandisk and enable the "surface scan" to see if any bad sectors are found. If the drive's going south, you don't want to waste any more time on it trying to set up a new system.

scandisk /surface c: Be prepared to wait it out, it takes quite a while. Go out for pizza.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top