# create ms-dos boot partition



## maizura (Aug 4, 2001)

my hardisk is coruppted, after I insert the boot disk from a:\. I insert windows 98 cdrom and try setup again. d:\setup,.I get this message, 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.
Anybody can help me?


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## Shadow2531 (Apr 30, 2001)

Well if your hard drive is operating correctly and isn't going bad then you need to use fdisk.

It should be on the boot floppy.

#1 If you want to set up 1 partition 100% of your hard drive, just for windows then...

boot with floppy

fdisk at the command prompt and use large disk support.

select 4 to see what partitions you have already.

If you are going to do #1, then you need to delete all logical drives, extended partitions, primary paritiions, non dos partitison, and secondary partitions. All depending on what was displayed from select 4

Once you delete all partitions, restart and boot with floppy again. fdisk with large disk support, and select 1 and the create primary dos partition using 100% of drive and make it active.

Then restart again

Then format /s

and then you can run scandisk and do a surface scan to be thorough.
if everything is ok, then you should be able to install windows if your hard drive is ok.

just follow the menu directions. You'll get it.

You might be able to quick fix it by using fdisk /mbr to repair you master boot record if it is bad, but since you are reinstalling, you might as well start from scratch.


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## maizura (Aug 4, 2001)

> _Originally posted by Shadow2531 _
> *Well if your hard drive is operating correctly and isn't going bad then you need to use fdisk.
> 
> It should be on the boot floppy.
> ...


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## maizura (Aug 4, 2001)

> _Originally posted by Shadow2531 _
> *Well if your hard drive is operating correctly and isn't going bad then you need to use fdisk.
> 
> It should be on the boot floppy.
> ...


Thank for your reply, When I insert boot disk, at a:\ fdisk /mbr , the message come out 'No fixed disk present'. Actually what is the problem, It's my Hard disk breakdown.


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## brianF (Dec 2, 1999)

If you try and boot your machine without the start up disk, as it first starts to boot do you see it recognize the hard drive.
If not restart the machine, watch for a message stating press key to enter setup, or try the delete, F1, F2, F10 keys. Once in bios setup find the hard drive configuration screen, make sure your primary master hard drive is set to auto detect or choose to redetect the drive. When done save and exit, do you see the drive recognize when it starts to boot now.

Also you could try from the a prompt type fdisk, choose Y for the message, choose option #4 partition info, post back what it says


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