# formatting



## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

im having BIG BIG problems... im half way thro formatting... anyways im not sure thsi is the rigth palce for this and if its not i dont wanna waist my time typing it all out so if you cant help.. can you help me or no? thanks


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## anlore2001 (Sep 6, 2001)

Hello, 
It actually depends on the problem, give us a brief overview and we can let you know.


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

ok... i started formatting.. i know about this enough about it to do it, and ive done it before.but usually the computer reconizes your cddrive.. but its not... so i dont knwo what i can do.. i cant install an operating system without it using the cd rom.... i knwo a few of my options but i would like to know the best path to take.i know i can install win 3.1 then see if i can get the cdrom to work, or replace it and put win 98 over it but that will take awhile. ive also been told to set the computer(in the bios) to boot off the cd but it only gives me two options a dirve then c drive or c drive then a drive. so what should i do?
andif you can help... thank you very veyr much!


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## anlore2001 (Sep 6, 2001)

did you make a boot disk before you formated your drive???, if so after the format re-boot using the Boot disk (you may have to set the BIOS to recognize the floppy drive), it should give you access to your A: drive, at that time you should be able to get into your CD rom to do an install. Also, In the BIOS you said it gives you an option to boot from C: than a drive or a drive than C:, is your CD ROm Drive available.... will most likly be D:\. Post back on what you find. GOOD LUCK


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

ok..i guess i have to give you morre info..
i did make a boot disk.but it doenst help me with my cd rom problem at all...umless theres somethign i dont know... maybe you shoudl explain just incase
and it only gives me the option of C or A my cdrom is accually drive F dos is reconizing my other hard drive E and D but thats not helping me... cuz i didnt put windows on them.accully i formatting them first and eveything went smooth.
any other ideas?


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## anlore2001 (Sep 6, 2001)

This may be a stupid question but bear with me, If you access one of your other drives, can you than access your CD rom? if you can't, one thing I may suggest would be to install win 3.1 onto one of the other drives to get the CD working than do a clean install of win 98 on the formatted C:\ 
I apologize, I am grasping at straws... and all of my tech books are at home, If you would allow me to think about it overnight and post back in the morning I may be able to come up with a better solution... but try the above and let us know.


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

ya i coudl do that.. but i could just install win 3.1 onto c then go from there.. thats my best solution so far.. but its time consuming and i knwo theres a quicker way 
plus i dont have win 3.1 right now.. ill have to borrow it..
ofcourse you can think overnight, the problem probably wont be solved by tomrow anyways 
anyways thanks you for your help and ill check in tomrow for your reply


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## Max19 (Jul 31, 2001)

Just download files to create a boot disk with CD-ROM support.

http://www.bootdisk.com/

In the future, try your bootdisk out BEFORE formatting the drive, and verify that you can access the CD-ROM drive.

Don't waste your time installing Windows 3.1.

If you're using a Windows 98 computer to access the internet now, create another boot disk on it, and the disk should have CD-ROM support as well.


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

thnks for the inout. but my boot disk wokrs... it worked beofre i formatted.. and i even tryeid to make another one thinking the disk crapped out on me.... its somethings else..... and i dont wanna have to waist y time installing win 3.1 thats why im here asking


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

sorry bout the typos.. ive had a long day and im tired... if there anything you cant make out just ask.


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## Max19 (Jul 31, 2001)

So you could access your CD-ROM drive with this same boot disk BEFORE you formatted the hard drive?


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

well i dunno if i could access it with the disk.. i didnty try.. accually i dont knwo how to try but i pretty sure the disk works...


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## Max19 (Jul 31, 2001)

Try the disk in another computer. Boot from it. Can you access the CD-ROM drive? If not, then the disk DOESN'T work.

Create a new one on a working computer or use the link I posted.


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

ya, the disk works, i checked it on the computer im on now...
so there nothing else i could do?


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## Max19 (Jul 31, 2001)

Then I would assume there's a problem with the CD-ROM drive on that computer. Replace it.


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

but if i do that how am i gonna get it to reconize the new cd rom?


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## Max19 (Jul 31, 2001)

The boot disk you created shouldn't be hardware-specific. If it is, use the link I provided. It creates a boot disk with generic CD-ROM drivers that work with nearly all types of CD-ROM drives.


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

ok thanks.. i accually have another cd rom.. so ill put it in and if it doesnt work ill post again.


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

my problem just got bigger...
it used to boot... you know to the prompt.. but now it stops at the system configuration screen,that means i cant even put 3.1 in it.... what should i do now?? i rea;lly dont wanna hav eto trash the computer, i still have files on the slave drives!


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## Max19 (Jul 31, 2001)

Did you connect the new CD-ROM drive in EXACTLY the same way as the old one was connected? You say you still have files on the slave drives. Did you change the master/slave settings on the CD-ROM drive and the hard drives when you swapped the CD-ROM drive out? Set everything the way it was with the original CD-ROM drive, just connect the new one instead.


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

acually this happened b4 i got a chance to change the cd rom, so i couldnt have screwed up the settings....


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

well it will boot to the dos prompt.. but i still cant get the cr rom working... and i cant seem to find dirvers for it anywhere..(someone told me to try to DL and install the drivers)


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## Max19 (Jul 31, 2001)

Is the CD-ROM drive connected correctly?


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

ya it is.. and i knwo it works... accually all i did was switch the cd roms.. from the computer im running now and the other one... the one form the computer im having probelms with works in this computer.. adn i knwo the otehr on works cuz its brand new... i also double checked the cabels.. the problem is the computer doesnt know its there...


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## Max19 (Jul 31, 2001)

And you tried the boot disk you downloaded and created from www.bootdisk.com?


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

oops i totally forgot about that 
ill go downlaod it now and see if it wokrs.. illl post again after
(sorry bout typos.. im tired)


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

that didnt work to well.. it just said invalid system disk... so i tryed it with the other boot disk and it said the same thing..
whatin the world is it doign now? and why?(i dont expect you to answer that last one.. just try to help if you can)


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## Max19 (Jul 31, 2001)

After you download the file from www.bootdisk.com to your hard drive, you have to double click on it to extract it to the floppy disk. Did you just copy the file to the disk and try to boot from it?


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

no, i did extract it


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Download one from here, it's easier......get the WinImage windows 98 disk....

http://www.drd.dyndns.org/index2.html

just save it to your desktop, double click on it, you'll be prompted for a floppy disk, put a blank floppy disk in the floppy drive, and all necessary files will be transferred.....now boot the computer with this disk, choose cdrom support and see if that works.....

If the drive still isn't being recognized, you'll need to enter your bios setup to be sure it's showing up there.


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

i already know its not showing up in my bios...
and what the big difference between your link and his? i already downlaoaded the files from his...


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Well, excuse me for trying to help with your 18 days from the inception post.....just ignore my posting......


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

i didnt ignore you post.. i just asked if there way a differnce... maybe something special about the link you provided....
thans for trying tho


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## angel (Dec 2, 1998)

Because I never saw this clearly stated in any of your posts, are you getting the option when booting from the boot disk (one that works) to boot with cd-rom support or is it just going straight to a:\>? If you are getting the option, you choose it and then exactly what happens? Do you get an error or does it continue to boot of the disk and then plop you at a:>?
When you said you can't access your cd-rom drive, what exactly do you mean? Is there an error? Anything?

Sorry if this seems like backing up but just want to be sure exactly what you are seeing.

Also, just for kicks, be sure to try the disk from the site AcaCandy listed. Max19's link should have worked for you too but you just never know.


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

accually... im not getting that option..
i mean the computer isnt reconizing my cd rom...its as if its not there
and i did check out the other link...


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## angel (Dec 2, 1998)

Sorry, I'd missed that.
Is there anything else on the same IDE cable? Have you tried a different cable?


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

hey there a new idea i havent been told yet.. ill try it...

hey i gotta another quetsion.. is there a place i can download win 3.1?


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## Max19 (Jul 31, 2001)

You can't download Windows 3.1. It's a licensed operating system, and it's obsolete. If your CD-ROM doesn't work with a boot disk, it's not going to work in Windows 3.1.

If all the boot disks you tried failed to access the CD-ROM, then take your computer to a technician. Either you've connected it wrong or there's a hardware failure (cable, CD-ROM drive, IDE channel, motherboard, etc.)


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

i dindt think i could download 3.1.. it was just a thought

you said that i couldnt install 3.1.. but i can.. my disk drive works, the computer boots thats all i need to install 3.1.. i dont need a cd rom.if i can get a operating system in i dont accually need the cd rom... 

i was hoping i woudlnt have to bring it to a technician.. im gonna try to find the problem and if i cant i guess i have to bring it in


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

If I may offer one more suggestion....do you know how to access the bios of the computer? When you are restarting, there's a key to hit.....many computers require the DEL/delete key, Compaqs want F 10, some others want F 1 or F 2.....and there are some other variables as well.......

Once you are there......you need to see if the cdrom is being recognized there......

Sorry, if you've already tried this....but reading back thru, I didn't catch that you had addressed this yet.......

and just an added thought, if you have the correct bootable floppy disk, you will still get the menu to choose cdrom support.....with or without the cdrom being operational.....if you choose cdrom support, it will just tell you it can't find the cdrom rom.....the choice will still be there........


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

ya, i already check the bios.. 
good idea tho


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## Max19 (Jul 31, 2001)

Please read my posts before responding to them. I did not post that you couldn't install Windows 3.1. 

If your CD-ROM drive doesn't work with a boot disk, then the CD-ROM drive will not work with Windows 3.1 installed.

Why would you install Windows 3.1? What do you plan to use your computer for at that point? I doubt you'll get all your hardware to work, and you probably won't even be able to get to the internet or run any of your software.

You've been trying to find the problem for two weeks. A tech could have everything straightened out in a day or two.


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

i realized after i typed it that i had made that mistake im sorry.
after i can get it wokring i want to take my file of the other dirves and mayeb network it. i knwo i can netwrok it with win 3.1

and i know im been tryign a while now, but honestly i havent been trying very hard.

you guys seemed to be getting anoyed now, so thank you for the help you tryed to provide, i greatly apreciate it.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Just wanted to be sure you saw I added to my last post.....

Also, you didn't say what you found in the bios?? IDE information?


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## Max19 (Jul 31, 2001)

Have you ever tried to network computers running Windows 3.1? It's very difficult. There's no Network Neighborhood or networking properties built into it. That's way too much of a headache just because you can't get your CD-ROM to work, and you're just setting yourself up for more headaches. How will you install software? Just get the computer fixed.


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## CiCaDa (Sep 25, 2001)

yes i have run networks from win 3.1.. network is somethign i knwo alot about.. i have my CCNA certification...
and the installing softwar bit, i ran my 386 up until last year (im not outta date i just dont like change) and i always found a way to install things, that computer didnt even have a cd rom

maybe a time consuming headache but at the same time it a free learning experince if i cant fix it myself with verbal and writen help.. or have someone fix it in front of me which technicians at stores wont do


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