Long File Names

kmaki · #1 December 16th, 2002, 10:20 PM

I am trying to help a friend access her computer. She has an IBM Aptiva running win 95 and is unable to get to start up. The display shows the function keys, with a double arrow pointing to F1, the floppy drive and a diskette. I am assuming that the picture of the floppy and diskette means that I need the boot diskette?
When I attempted to change the startup options to have the system boot from the HD in lieu of drive A (that's how I found setting) I received a message:

long file names are protected, use LOCK/? command. System halted, use ctrl,alt,del to start computer.

Will a non-IBM boot disk give me access, and how can I fix?

Thank you.

Alfons · #2 December 17th, 2002, 01:59 AM

I ran across that once before but I can't recall exactly what I did to bring it back so I'll give you some possibilities.

1. You have a Configuration mismatch - make sure that all devices are plugged into the correct connectors.

2. You have a Setup Problem - go into setup and re-do the disk settings then save & exit.

3. You added some piece of hardware that doesn't allow the BIOS to see the HD.

I do recall that the problem was a simple hardware configuration or setup screw-up that I overlooked a couple of times because it was so simple. The machine is telling you that it can't comprehend it's settings vs hardware and you can boot with a floppy or fix the real problem.

Hope some of that helped. If I remember any more I'll post. You could try Emailing the IBM help desk.

kmaki · #3 December 17th, 2002, 01:23 PM

Hi Alfons:

1. You have a Configuration mismatch - make sure that all devices are plugged into the correct connectors.

- will check this

2. You have a Setup Problem - go into setup and re-do the disk settings then save & exit.

- I attempted to change the start options, but got the long file name. Also tried to restore registry with F8, command prompt but got same long file name message.

3. You added some piece of hardware that doesn't allow the BIOS to see the HD.

- no new hardware added. system is 5 years old and user not into tinkering.

Hope you can recall what you did on your machine.

Thank