Lost everything except BIOS Setup!

[CANTFIXIT]

I purchased a used pc. The specs for it are in my profile. It didn't have any software, but it was working when I purchased it. It had windows 95 PLus and Ms-Dos. I even used it to go on line. I turned it on one morning and it would not boot up.
I am using my new computer at this time. I would like to get the used one working again, I think I got a virus or something. A friend told me to format the C drive, now I have nothing except the Bios setup, and when I tried to boot the system, it keeps saying error wrong disc, replace disc and push any key. I have no C: prompt or A: prompt. I think I lost everything including Ms-Dos 7.1
and Windows 95 OS. I purchased a 95 operating system thru ebay. But the man I purchased it from sent me a packet different than he showed on the ebay ad that I bid on. It says it is for a new PC only and it names a Japanese brand I never heard of. Anyway, I am lost, I don't know how to retrieve my C: drive (or unformat it).
Does anyone have any suggestions? I would appriciate any help I can get. Thank You.

[MishY]

Hello,

I'm afraid you are going to be best off reinstalling windows. You can find instructions here http://www.cybertechhelp.com/html/tutorials/tutorial.php/id/39

That tutorial was written for Windows 98 however the same principal applies.

You will need to create a Windows 95 bootdisk. You can find one of these for download here: http://www.cybertechhelp.com/html/downloads/download.php/id/1

If you have any questions before, or during this install please ask away here

[CANTFIXIT]

Thank You For Your Response, I Will Try What You Suggested And Get Back To You On It.

[CANTFIXIT]

I tried making a floppy disk, from the site requested. When I put it into the pc.
It come goes thru the info then when it comes to where the C: prompt should come up it says "Disk I/O errpr. Replace disk press any key to continue. It did not work.. what can I try now? I am at wits end.

[jdc2000]

Make sure that the BIOS is st to boot from the floppy drive first, and boot using the boot diskette that you created. That should get you to an A:> prompt.

[CANTFIXIT]

I tried that already. I even made another boot disk from the site suggested. but I still can't get A or C promt. Any other suggestions?

[jdc2000]

If the PC is actually trying to boot from the boot diskette you created, you should see and hear activity from the diskette drive. If that is happening, and you then get a 'Disk I/O Error', then the diskette is probably bad. Try creating another one. Booting from diskette should get you to an A:> prompt, not a C:> prompt. If there is no activity from the diskette drive other than a quick flash of the diskette light, then the PC is not trying to boot from the diskette drive and you need to change that in the BIOS settings.

[CANTFIXIT]

I made another boot disk, but the pc still will not bring me to the A: prompt.
I put the disk in it goes thru all the info on my pc, then it stops with the message now that says "invalid system disk, replace disk, press any key to continue. I tried this several times and it keeps saying the same thing.
I put the floppy into my working computer and opened it to make sure the download worked, and it says bootdisk600. I downloaded the disk from the site 3 times now and every time it hasn't booted my system. What can I try now?
The 95 operating system I got on cd, came with a floppy disk. I put that in and it still doesn't do anything other than say invalid disk again. Thank to all for you time in helping me with this. I do appriciate it, as I can't afford to take the pc to a technitian.:dizzy:

[tetonbob]

I put the floppy into my working computer and opened it to make sure the download worked, and it says bootdisk600. I downloaded the disk from the site 3 times now and every time it hasn't booted my system.

Just to be clear:

Did you boot your good computer from this disk, or did you just open it to see if there were files on it?

Did you download the bootdisk file to a folder and then run the .exe file included in the download or did you download/copy it to the floppy.

Did you use the same floppy each time? You might have a bad one. I was able to view files on a downloaded bootdisk the other day, but it wouldn't boot anything. I used a different disk, and voila! I had a bootdisk.

Just a couple of thoughts while I'm sorting out my own hash.

[tetonbob]

One more Q -

Did the floppy drive work when you first got the system? Does the light come on at all, does it come on and stay on?

Ok, that's 3 more......

;-)

[jdc2000]

The files from http://www.bootdisk.com and probably most other boot diskette sites are used to create a boot diskette. You can't just copy them to a floppy diskette, you need to run the program which will create the diskette for you and put the correct files on it. You also need to make sure that the PC is set to boot from the floppy drive first. That is done in the BIOS setup.

[CANTFIXIT]

Yes the floppy drive did work when I got the pc. Everything worked. But when I turned it on the one morning it would not go into windows (95). I did have an A:
prompt, but it now matter what I typed in it would not do anything. A friend of my son-in-law, suggested I format the C: drive. When I did that I lost everything except the Bios setup. When the pc starts it shows the info that I have a cd-drive and a floppy drive ect. I did just download the boot disk to a floppy, I didn't know you had to do the other. I will try it again and get back to you. Thank you

[CANTFIXIT]

OK I went back on line and made another boot disk, this time I opened it and when it said insert disk I did and it made the boot disk. I tried it in the other computer the floppy drive light came on for a second and went off. and it came up again invalid disk, insert proper disk and press any key. I tried a new floppy disk and made another boot disk, tried it the light came on the floppy drive for a second again and screen said invalid I/O replace disk and press any key. Am I doing something wrong? I went into the BIOS and set everything to set up mode. Tried it again and still didn't work.

[tetonbob]

I went into the BIOS and set everything to set up mode.

I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean by set up mode. Is this the same as Default Settings? Is your A drive set to boot first?

One other thought...it's unlikely, but possible that you have a bad batch of floppies. Was the other one from the same box? Have you tried a thorough format of a disk before running the .exe? I was able to use a previously usable but unbootable disk by doing that.

Do you have another floppy drive you can swap with that one? Maybe your drive has gone south, or your controller. Have you checked the connections inside the box to make sure all are tight? Maybe the ribbon cable has gone bad.

Had you downloaded any files from a new site prior to the problem, or did it just happen as a matter of course?

[CANTFIXIT]

Hi I am back. I layed of the other pc for a while I was getting too frustrated. Just started trying to get it to function again. I finally got my A prompt to work again. I tried to re-install windows95 and it went thru a few things then I got a message on the screen that said "Please wait while setup initializes cannot create a temporary directory. If you have
HPFS or NTFS installed on your hard drive, you will need to create an MS-DOS boot partition to set up windows." I don't know what this all means! I don't know first of all what HPFS and NTFS stand for. and I don't know what it means to create an MS-DOS boot partition. Could someone please help me.. Thank you, Reb

[tetonbob]

Hi CANTFIXIT-

It's been a while.

I'd recommend seeing the tutorials section on this site. You might consider deleting all partitions, creating a new partition and setting it active, formatting that partition, and then installing your OS.

Is your Windows 95 CD a full version or Upgrade? Is the bootdisk you are using a Windows98 disk? This will help with your install - Windows 98 startup diskd have built in CD ROM support, Win95 disks do not.

See:

http://www.cybertechhelp.com/html/tutorials/tutorial.php/id/36

http://www.cybertechhelp.com/html/tutorials/tutorial.php/id/37

http://www.cybertechhelp.com/html/tutorials/tutorial.php/id/38

http://www.cybertechhelp.com/html/tutorials/tutorial.php/id/39

To answer your question, HPFS and NTFS are different types of file systems, not compatible with the FAT (another type) Windows 95 uses.

[CANTFIXIT]

Thank you for directing me to these sites. I will read them and see if I can
handle what I should do. I do have the 98 boot disk. With the full version on windows 95 and the 95 update also. I have been studying several computer book the fix it yourself ones and a book I got off line called Troubleshooting, Fixing and Upgrading your PC. I have learned quite a bit that I did not have knowledge of before about computers. I will get back to you when I have more on the task at hand. Again Thank you.