# Solved: FDISK - unable to access Drive 1



## Crutchizm (May 2, 2008)

Can anyone help me??? I am trying to format hard drive. When I get into FDISK it gives me message "unable to access Drive 1" no matter what option I choose. Is there anyway around this?


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## Blue Zee (May 18, 2007)

Don't double post.

You should follow up the original question:
http://forums.techguy.org/windows-95-98-me/710301-error-reading-fixed-disk.html

So that everyone can read all the troubleshooting steps in one go.

Does the Bios "see" the HDD?

To enter Bios setup usually you should press DEL at startup.

Zee


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Are you booting to DOS and then running FDISK?


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## Crutchizm (May 2, 2008)

Yes, I used a Win ME boot disk....it takes me to command prompt....i type in FDISK....when i get to FDISK, it gives me the error right away. It does see the hard drive though.


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## Blue Zee (May 18, 2007)

Do you know the HDD manufacturer?

Maybe they have a toll on their website that can help (I wonder...).

Zee


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

What size is the new drive?
As mentioned earlier, does the computer recognize the correct size of the drive? You need to go to the BIOS or CMOS setup screen to determine that. If the computer doesn't recognize the drive, the operating system won't.


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## Crutchizm (May 2, 2008)

Bob, can you explain to me how to do that please? Thanks in advance


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## Crutchizm (May 2, 2008)

Well, the thing is, there is no operating system on the hard drive. I wiped it clean....I di go into BIOS and changed settings..now I can access FDISK. I partitioned and formated, but now when i reboot with reinstall disk inserted, it gives me message, "Invalid System Disk". Why is that? I am pretty sure that the comp is not recognizing the cd rom. Can you help me with correcting this?


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## Blue Zee (May 18, 2007)

Use the boot floppy to start the PC *with *CD-ROM support.

Put the Windows CD in the drive and at the A:\ prompt type:

E: (press Enter)

Now type:

SETUP (press Enter)

The Windows installation should start.

Good luck.

Zee


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Crutchizm said:


> Well, the thing is, there is no operating system on the hard drive. I wiped it clean....I di go into BIOS and changed settings..now I can access FDISK. I partitioned and formated, but now when i reboot with reinstall disk inserted, it gives me message, "Invalid System Disk". Why is that? I am pretty sure that the comp is not recognizing the cd rom. Can you help me with correcting this?


The operating system you were booting to was the one on the floppy disk.

If all you did was partition and format the hard drive, there still isn't an operating system on it, which explains the error.

One thing I like to do is copy the source files to a directory on the hard drive. Then install from that directory. This way should the CD ever become lost or damaged, you have a copy of the files on the hard drive. The install also goes much faster. And should the operating system ever need the source files again, you won't be prompted to insert the CD.


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## Crutchizm (May 2, 2008)

BUt even putting the re-install disk in...I get the message, "invalid system disk". When I go into fdisk, it doesnt install the cd drivers.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

FDISK is for partitioning a hard drive. It is not for installing an operating system. 

You can't boot to your hard drive because all that was done was it was partitioned and formatted. There is no operating system on it to boot to. 

To install the CD drivers, you need to boot with a floppy that has them available. If you can boot from the CD, then that is another option. 

But right now you certainly can't boot from the computer's hard drive.


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## Crutchizm (May 2, 2008)

I understand that....but when I put a system disk in, i get "invalid system disk. If the floppy isnt loading the dc drivers, how do I get the operating system installed?


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## Crutchizm (May 2, 2008)

Thanks for the help...I decided to just install ubuntu. That worked just fine.


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