[ms.autumn]

please don't laugh. our computer was wiped out by a reply of Y to format. We have ordered a windows 98 org. but are awaiting it's arrival. This computer was given to us for our children. I thought I might be able to install win95 untill the 98 arrived. However the computer does not seem to pick up the cd and when I put in the floppy it needs commands. I tried to type in setup like the book states but it just says bad command. Is there anything in the bios i need to check first and is there a set rule for bios, like is there a web page with all the bio info you should have. and can anyone get this windows 95 into this computer that only wants to show me a black screen with an A:\


please.....

 

[dai]

format again with
A:/format c: /s
when finished
A:/E
E:/setup

 

[pyritechips]

Hello and welcome to TSG!

Some things to consider:

1) If you are using a Win 95 boot floppy it probably doesn't have CD-ROM drivers.

2) If you are using a W98se boot floppy remember to select "Start with Cd-ROM support"

3) Have you tried booting with the Win 95 installation CD? It may be required (I'm not sure as I have not installed Win 95). If you have to boot the CD you must enter the BIOS and select CD-ROM as the first boot device.

P.S. and please don't worry; we are here to help, not to laugh

 

[ms.autumn]

Dai, your slash is going foward, is this correct? And Pyrite, I have a start up floppy and a cd. I would like to get the cd to read. what exactly do I do in bios to see to it that it will, exactly please.

 

[NiteHawk]

The only forward slash should be the /s the rest should be the standard DOS backslash.

Most boot floppies will either install the CD ROM drivers without asking OR give you the choice to boot up with or without CD support.

Also many boot floppies use more files than can be held on a floppy so they use a little trick of creating a virtual disk (RAM Drive) out of memory and uncompress the extra files to the RAM Drive.

This has the affect of adding one more drive letter and your CD drive will be bumped up one letter (temporarly) from where it normally is. IF it was D: it will become E: That is why Dai gave you the commands:

E:
E:\> setup

 

[dai]

to set up windows from ms dos
insert the win cd in the drive
at the command prom't,type the drive letter followed by a colon: and a backslash
C:\win95\setup
these are the instructions from the 95 manual

 

[ms.autumn]

sorry gang but nothing seems to be working. I restart with both floppy and cd in . It reads the floppy and says it is starting windows but then nothing. I get the A:\> I have typed in all you have suggested and gotten nowhere. I can manage a 'dir' of A but it does not seem to want to give me any more. It claims to be reading cd-rom but then it says failure. In bios should I have cdrom -c -a or a -c -cdrom or just a and c. at this point I can't even be certain it will install the win 98 when it arrives. Is there anything I can do from the boot up choice screen? the one that says 1. Normal 2. safe mode ect. They all give me the A: again but is it differant? I have even made boot floppys from that web site bootdisk.com and they are no good.

 

[pyritechips]

Forgive me if I am incorrect in assuming but:

When downloaded the bootdisc did you double click it and install it to a fresh floppy or did you just download it directly onto the floppy? This sounds like a dumb question but the best of us have made that mistake! As long as your floppy drive is working properly, a valid boot floppy should load its utilities into a RAM drive, as Nitehawk correctly said.

Take your floppy and put it into a good computer and explore it. You should see a list of files looking something like this:

 

[ms.autumn]

just checked all of them and yes there are similar pictures.....

 

[pyritechips]

Good!

If your boot floppy looks like that then boot with it again. Select "Start with CD-ROM support", and allow the RAM drive to install.

Once you have an A:\> prompt try entering the following:

fdisk /status (make note of the one space before the forwardslash)

This should list all valid hard drives and logical drives. If you can get this far let us know what it finds.

 

[ms.autumn]

good afternoon....did what you requested and here is the info...

fixed disk drive status

disk drive mbytes free usage
1 32248 100%
C: 57247





(1 mbyte = 1048576bytes )

 

[pyritechips]

Hello again:

Excuse me if I missed it, but what kind of Win 95 CD are you using? Is it a retail version or is it an OEM?

Also put the CD in a working computer and cancel if it tries to run setup. Explore the CD and see if there is a setup.exe file on it. Some installation CD's do not have this file and must be booted to install.

 

[ms.autumn]

will it be possible for me to install the windows 98 when it arrives? I do not understand what oem means. I have used up all my computer time for this weekend and will not be able to come back untill monday....if you think it will be possible to install 98 after I have formatted into the black hole please share with me that bit of light at the end of this long and tiring tunnel....I will smile back at all of you when the package arrives hopefully....please respond with hope....anyone?

 

[pyritechips]

hello msautum:

Please do not dispair. I'm sure we can get you up and running.

OEM means original equipment manufacturer. When computers are made by companies like Dell or Compaq, for example, they come with Windows already installed and a OEM disc. This disc is branded to install only on the computer it comes with. If I try to install my old OEM W95 CD on my new computer it will not work.

On the other hand, a retail version of an operating system can be installed on any computer. In other words, if the CD you have is OEM and belongs to another computer there is no way you will be able to install it on your current computer. Hopefully the W98se you are awaiting is a retail copy, in which case there will be no problem in installing it on your computer.

Fear not! There is pleanty of light at the end of the tunnel!

 

[ms.autumn]

hello????
anyone?????
everyone has gone off to sleep and left me alone here....I need a responce to my last post....what does oem stand for....the windows 98 package I am expecting is an oem....is this not a good thing????
please....someone read my last post and combine the two post in a responce.....starting to cry here.....

 

[Sequal7]

Hello ms.autumn

Please dont worry, your not going to harm anything, because theres nothing there right now and yes, win98 will install when you get it no matter what you do now.


What you really need to do is attempt to reformat the harddrive, just to be sure you havent done anything wrong. Reboot with the disk in the a: drive.
You should get an a:\> prompt
What you really need is a win98 setup disk (not a boot disk)

If you have one put it in a reboot then type

format /s c:

or try

format /s

If you dont have a startup disk, personal message me your email address, and I'll email you the files to copy to a floppy to create a win98 startup disk.

 

[pyritechips]

I think I answered your questions in post #14

 

[dai]

oem= original equipment manufacturer
an oem disk has oem in the middle of the product key,and the support is from the supplier not m/s.
my oem can be installed on another comp. it is just a relabled ms disk.
i think this depends on who supplies it

 

[ms.autumn]

I am anticipating the arrival of the 98 either monday or tues. I will post when it arrives and hope all of you will still be here with me.

 

[dai]

just post in the same thread,we will be here