Having problem with Dell Inspiron 7000

[zorrogris]

Hello. I just came across your site and registered. I hope you can help. Our Dell (Inspiron 7000, 256 mem, celeron chip, W98os) came up with this error message ("operating system not found") a few months ago. We had a techie fix it and it worked for a few hours, then the problem recurred. As she has a new laptop from work, we were just going to trash it, or try to sell it on ebay for parts, but now she has fourd that she desperately needs some data from the HD. Should I follow the procedures suggested above, or... (It would be nice if the puter could be made to work, but all we really NEED is the data off the hard drive.) Thank you for your consideration.

[Murf]

Hi Welcome to CTH

I started your own thread, as although your having the same problem it is easier not having to answer two different members in the same thread.

Reboot and hit F2 to get into SETUP, if not F2 screen tells you what key to use).

Is the date and time correct in particular the YEAR.

Find where you can load "System Defaults", then save and exit. Let us know.

FYI: Weekends are usually slow as our members are all over the world. Please be patient for replies, if a moderator is on line they will generally try and help.

[jtdoom]

hi zorrogris

you and murf are both off line.
I do not know what "above" meant.

[zorrogris]

Sheesh. I thought I had posted a reply, but don't see it, so will try again. Jaak, the "above" referred to Murf's suggestions in another thread, from which he transferred my question. Murf; I did exactly as you suggested, but got right back to the " operating system not found" message. Next??

[Murf]

Sorry jtdoom, I forgot to include the info from the other thread when I moved this one.

When you went into SETUP was the date and time correct in particular the YEAR?

Does it have a floppy drive? If it does change the boot order to Floppy as the first device in setup. Then boot with a Bootdisk. You can go HERE download to your desktop the following file: Windows 98 Custom, No Ramdrive

Now double click on that file, have a clean floppy in (assuming the working computer your using has a floppy), a window will come up and extract the boot files to the floppy.

Now boot the sick one with this bootdisk and you will end up at the A:/> prompt.

Type the following:

C: (hit <enter>)

Does it come up with cannot find or not a valid drive or command???

If it does then type the following:

fdisk (hit <enter>)

Now say YES (large disk support) you will be presented with a menu that looks like this:

Microsoft Windows 95/98
Fixed Disk Setup Program
(c) Copyright Microsoft Corp. 1983 - 1998
FDISK Options

Current fixed disk drive: 1
Choose one of the following:
1. Create DOS Partition or Logical DOS Drive
2. Set Active Partition
3. Delete Partition or Logical DOS Drive
4. Display Partition Information
5. Change Current Fixed Disk Drive

Select #4 and post here what it says. Do not make any changes in there, hit Escape key to get out and back to A: prompt.

[zorrogris]

Murf; I followed your instructions. First I downloaded windows98 custom no ram. When I tried to boot from it, I got a "non-system disk" message. Then I tried the same thing with "windows98se-no ram drive. This time the message is "remove disks or other media. press any key to restart"

[jtdoom]

Hi
to make the floppy, did you do it this way?

Now double click on that file, have a clean floppy in (assuming the working computer your using has a floppy), a window will come up and extract the boot files to the floppy.

[zorrogris]

When I double-click on the file, it gives me the option to run, save or cancel. I chose save, and saved the file boot98c.exe to the floppy. The first two times I tried this, the floppy ran out of space at 99%. I finally got a brand new floppy [a 2shd] to accept all the file. This was the disk with which I tried to boot the Dell. If "extract" = "copy", that is what I did. rs

[Murf]

saved the file boot98c.exe to the floppy

nononononononononono

That is z problem. You save the file to your DESKTOP. Now double click on it and a window will open up, it will ask for a floppy then it will extract the boot files to the floppy.

[zorrogris]

Murf and Jaak; Please excuse my ignornce. When I double-click on the icon on my desktop, it gives me a choice of run or cancel. I assume that when I click on run it will then ask me for a floppy, but I have learned the hard way not to act to rashly on my assumptions. Is that in fact what I want to do? thanx

[Murf]

It should have also SAVE, which you should select SAVE

[zorrogris]

I have saved it to my desktop, but when I double-click on the icon ON my desktop, I get ONLY the options to run or cancel. no save option, nothing about extracting files. I tried going back and repeating the entire process, to make sure i had gotten the right file. Windows98, custom, no ram. Same thing. ??? thanx for your continuing help.

[Murf]

Once you double click on the icon on the desktop then you click on RUN, then a window will pop up asking for the floppy and then it extracts the file. This file is very safe. So do that.

[zorrogris]

Murf; OK, I finally got to the point where I got an A:\> prompt, but when I type in c:, I get a "no fixed disks present". Is this the end?

[winsong]

Do you know what the tech did to get the system running?

You may have a defective hard drive cable or it may not be a tight connection.
The power connector could also be loose.

You can pop the cover and check. If you decide to do that, be sure the system is powered off and the AC cord removed.

The other thing is to check the Dell 'Setup'. This is what Dell calls the BIOS. The BIOS should detect the drive. There should be an option in the BIOS to select 'Default' settings. You can try that.

When you boot the system up, do you see the 'hard drive light' come on and go off?