Computer not starting, confusing instructions from W98 Startup disk

[Guest Larry]

A friend's Windows 98 SE at start made clicking sounds from hard drive, then

said startup disk was needed. Startup disk was inserted.

 

Screen said:

Pri Master HDD Error

Run Setup

Press F1 to resume

 

Then it said

Start computer with CD Rom support or

Without CD-Rom support

 

We didn't know which to choose so we went with CD Rom support

 

Then it said PCI Bus Scan completed

C drive does not contain FAT or FAT 32 partition

Drive may need to be partitioned

Run Fdisk from DOS prompt

 

But there was only a prompt for the A drive, and we couldn't get it to

change to the C drive, so we did HELP.

 

Help said a lot of stuff about loading CDRom Driver and RamDrive but it was

hard to understand was not telling us what to do next.

 

It also mentioned starting up in Safe Mode, but we would have no idea what

to do once we got into safe mode.

 

Questions:

 

Should we have chosen the option with or without CD Rom support?

Does this look like something fixable or something more seirous

If the partitioning of the C drive has been lost, does that mean all the

data, programs, etc. has been lost?

Is this something that Dell tech support can walk us through?

 

Thanks for any help,

Larry

[Guest Brian A.]

Re: Computer not starting, confusing instructions from W98 Startup disk

 

Run the Dell Diagnostics that are either on the hard drive or on the Drivers and

Utilities disk. Depending on your specific model may determine how to run the

diagnostics.

One way for Dell is:

Boot the machine and press F12 as soon as you see the Dell logo.

If you wait to long to press it and it boots to windows you will need to reboot and

try again.

If you get a message that no diagnostic utility partition was found you'll need the

Drivers and Utilities disk.

If you get the Boot Device menu, select the "Boot to Utility Partition" and press

Enter.

When the diagnostic menu appears select the test you want to run.

 

If you use the Drivers and Utilities disk:

Boot the machine with the disk in the drive and press F12 as soon as you see the

Dell logo.

At the Boot Device menu select "IDE CD-ROM Device" and press Enter.

Select the "IDE CD-ROM device option from the CD boot menu.

Select to "Boot from CD-ROM".

Type 1 to start the resource cd menu.

Type 2 to start the diagnostics.

Select "Run the 32 bit diagnostics".

When the diagnostic menu appears select the test you want to run.

 

Or look up the instructions for the specific model here:

http://support.dell.com/

 

--

 

Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Shell/User }

Conflicts start where information lacks.

http://basconotw.mvps.org/

 

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

 

 

"Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

news:usFOYG46HHA.4304@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>

> A friend's Windows 98 SE at start made clicking sounds from hard drive, then

> said startup disk was needed. Startup disk was inserted.

>

> Screen said:

> Pri Master HDD Error

> Run Setup

> Press F1 to resume

 

>

> Then it said

> Start computer with CD Rom support or

> Without CD-Rom support

>

> We didn't know which to choose so we went with CD Rom support

>

> Then it said PCI Bus Scan completed

> C drive does not contain FAT or FAT 32 partition

> Drive may need to be partitioned

> Run Fdisk from DOS prompt

>

> But there was only a prompt for the A drive, and we couldn't get it to

> change to the C drive, so we did HELP.

>

> Help said a lot of stuff about loading CDRom Driver and RamDrive but it was

> hard to understand was not telling us what to do next.

>

> It also mentioned starting up in Safe Mode, but we would have no idea what

> to do once we got into safe mode.

>

> Questions:

>

> Should we have chosen the option with or without CD Rom support?

> Does this look like something fixable or something more seirous

> If the partitioning of the C drive has been lost, does that mean all the

> data, programs, etc. has been lost?

> Is this something that Dell tech support can walk us through?

>

> Thanks for any help,

> Larry

>

>

[Guest Ben Myers]

Re: Computer not starting, confusing instructions from W98 Startup disk

 

"Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message news:usFOYG46HHA.4304@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> A friend's Windows 98 SE at start made clicking sounds from hard drive, then

> said startup disk was needed. Startup disk was inserted.

 

<snip>

 

Open the case and remove and reseat the cable that connects the drive

to the motherboard. If this doesn't help, most hard drive manufacturers

have diagnostic software available for download.

 

Maxtor and Seagate http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/

Western Digital http://support.wdc.com/download/index.asp?cxml=n&pid=999&swid

 

Ben

[Guest Larry]

Re: Computer not starting, confusing instructions from W98 Startup disk

 

We did everything we could do. I ran scandisk.exe (or scandisk /all) from

the A prompt (which was suggested in the Help document off of the Startup

disk) and it was weird--it completed the job in about one second and said it

detected no errors.

 

We found the Dell Resource Diagnostic CD and started up the computer with

that, but when I followed the instructions to type in the drive letter of

the CD drive "x:" and press enter, it said that wasn't correct; it wouldn't

take any drive letters. So we couldn't even get to the diagnostics menu.

 

So I tried booting to safe mode, holding down ctrl, but it said I needed to

use the boot disk, meaning we can't even boot to safe mode.

 

Larry

 

 

"Brian A." <gonefish'n@afarawaylake> wrote in message

news:exRUrp56HHA.5316@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> Run the Dell Diagnostics that are either on the hard drive or on the

Drivers and

> Utilities disk. Depending on your specific model may determine how to run

the

> diagnostics.

> One way for Dell is:

> Boot the machine and press F12 as soon as you see the Dell logo.

> If you wait to long to press it and it boots to windows you will need to

reboot and

> try again.

> If you get a message that no diagnostic utility partition was found

you'll need the

> Drivers and Utilities disk.

> If you get the Boot Device menu, select the "Boot to Utility Partition"

and press

> Enter.

> When the diagnostic menu appears select the test you want to run.

>

> If you use the Drivers and Utilities disk:

> Boot the machine with the disk in the drive and press F12 as soon as you

see the

> Dell logo.

> At the Boot Device menu select "IDE CD-ROM Device" and press Enter.

> Select the "IDE CD-ROM device option from the CD boot menu.

> Select to "Boot from CD-ROM".

> Type 1 to start the resource cd menu.

> Type 2 to start the diagnostics.

> Select "Run the 32 bit diagnostics".

> When the diagnostic menu appears select the test you want to run.

>

> Or look up the instructions for the specific model here:

> http://support.dell.com/

>

> --

>

> Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Shell/User }

> Conflicts start where information lacks.

> http://basconotw.mvps.org/

>

> Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

> How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

>

>

> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

> news:usFOYG46HHA.4304@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> >

> > A friend's Windows 98 SE at start made clicking sounds from hard drive,

then

> > said startup disk was needed. Startup disk was inserted.

> >

> > Screen said:

> > Pri Master HDD Error

> > Run Setup

> > Press F1 to resume

>

>

> >

> > Then it said

> > Start computer with CD Rom support or

> > Without CD-Rom support

> >

> > We didn't know which to choose so we went with CD Rom support

> >

> > Then it said PCI Bus Scan completed

> > C drive does not contain FAT or FAT 32 partition

> > Drive may need to be partitioned

> > Run Fdisk from DOS prompt

> >

> > But there was only a prompt for the A drive, and we couldn't get it to

> > change to the C drive, so we did HELP.

> >

> > Help said a lot of stuff about loading CDRom Driver and RamDrive but it

was

> > hard to understand was not telling us what to do next.

> >

> > It also mentioned starting up in Safe Mode, but we would have no idea

what

> > to do once we got into safe mode.

> >

> > Questions:

> >

> > Should we have chosen the option with or without CD Rom support?

> > Does this look like something fixable or something more seirous

> > If the partitioning of the C drive has been lost, does that mean all the

> > data, programs, etc. has been lost?

> > Is this something that Dell tech support can walk us through?

> >

> > Thanks for any help,

> > Larry

> >

> >

>

[Guest Jeff Richards]

Re: Computer not starting, confusing instructions from W98 Startup disk

 

This is all pointing to a hard disk drive fault, or perhaps, by now,

complete failure. You will not be able to run scandisk or boot to safe

mode if the hard disk drive isn't working, and by the sound of it the Dell

CD you are using also requires a working hard disk drive in order to install

the and run the diagnostics.

 

Get some hard disk drive diagnostic software from the hard disk drive

manufacturer and put it on a floppy. Boot to the floppy to run the

diagnostic.

 

For a good description of the process Google the following and choose the

PCToday article (it should be first in the list).

pctoday hard disk drive diagnostic

 

--

Jeff Richards

MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)

"Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

news:OzuJC$$6HHA.980@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> We did everything we could do. I ran scandisk.exe (or scandisk /all) from

> the A prompt (which was suggested in the Help document off of the Startup

> disk) and it was weird--it completed the job in about one second and said

> it

> detected no errors.

>

> We found the Dell Resource Diagnostic CD and started up the computer with

> that, but when I followed the instructions to type in the drive letter of

> the CD drive "x:" and press enter, it said that wasn't correct; it

> wouldn't

> take any drive letters. So we couldn't even get to the diagnostics menu.

>

> So I tried booting to safe mode, holding down ctrl, but it said I needed

> to

> use the boot disk, meaning we can't even boot to safe mode.

>

> Larry

>

>

> "Brian A." <gonefish'n@afarawaylake> wrote in message

> news:exRUrp56HHA.5316@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>> Run the Dell Diagnostics that are either on the hard drive or on the

> Drivers and

>> Utilities disk. Depending on your specific model may determine how to

>> run

> the

>> diagnostics.

>> One way for Dell is:

>> Boot the machine and press F12 as soon as you see the Dell logo.

>> If you wait to long to press it and it boots to windows you will need

>> to

> reboot and

>> try again.

>> If you get a message that no diagnostic utility partition was found

> you'll need the

>> Drivers and Utilities disk.

>> If you get the Boot Device menu, select the "Boot to Utility Partition"

> and press

>> Enter.

>> When the diagnostic menu appears select the test you want to run.

>>

>> If you use the Drivers and Utilities disk:

>> Boot the machine with the disk in the drive and press F12 as soon as

>> you

> see the

>> Dell logo.

>> At the Boot Device menu select "IDE CD-ROM Device" and press Enter.

>> Select the "IDE CD-ROM device option from the CD boot menu.

>> Select to "Boot from CD-ROM".

>> Type 1 to start the resource cd menu.

>> Type 2 to start the diagnostics.

>> Select "Run the 32 bit diagnostics".

>> When the diagnostic menu appears select the test you want to run.

>>

>> Or look up the instructions for the specific model here:

>> http://support.dell.com/

>>

>> --

>>

>> Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Shell/User }

>> Conflicts start where information lacks.

>> http://basconotw.mvps.org/

>>

>> Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

>> How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

>>

>>

>> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

>> news:usFOYG46HHA.4304@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>> >

>> > A friend's Windows 98 SE at start made clicking sounds from hard drive,

> then

>> > said startup disk was needed. Startup disk was inserted.

>> >

>> > Screen said:

>> > Pri Master HDD Error

>> > Run Setup

>> > Press F1 to resume

>>

>>

>> >

>> > Then it said

>> > Start computer with CD Rom support or

>> > Without CD-Rom support

>> >

>> > We didn't know which to choose so we went with CD Rom support

>> >

>> > Then it said PCI Bus Scan completed

>> > C drive does not contain FAT or FAT 32 partition

>> > Drive may need to be partitioned

>> > Run Fdisk from DOS prompt

>> >

>> > But there was only a prompt for the A drive, and we couldn't get it to

>> > change to the C drive, so we did HELP.

>> >

>> > Help said a lot of stuff about loading CDRom Driver and RamDrive but it

> was

>> > hard to understand was not telling us what to do next.

>> >

>> > It also mentioned starting up in Safe Mode, but we would have no idea

> what

>> > to do once we got into safe mode.

>> >

>> > Questions:

>> >

>> > Should we have chosen the option with or without CD Rom support?

>> > Does this look like something fixable or something more seirous

>> > If the partitioning of the C drive has been lost, does that mean all

>> > the

>> > data, programs, etc. has been lost?

>> > Is this something that Dell tech support can walk us through?

>> >

>> > Thanks for any help,

>> > Larry

>> >

>> >

>>

>

[Guest AlmostBob]

Re: Computer not starting, confusing instructions from W98 Startup disk

 

The drive is slagged,

take the pc to a reputable local store, not a big box chain store, and have

them assess the amount of damage to the hard drive, determine whether to

replace or repair it

 

--

-- -- -- -- --

Adaware http://www.lavasoft.de

spybot http://www.safer-networking.org

AVG free antivirus http://free.grisoft.com/

Etrust/Vet/CA.online Antivirus scan

http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virusinfo/scan.aspx

Super Antispyware http://www.superantispyware.com/

Panda online AntiVirus scan http://www.activescan.com

Panda online AntiSpyware Scan

http://www.pandasoftware.com/virus_info/spyware/test/

Catalog of removal tools (1)

http://www.pandasoftware.com/download/utilities/

Catalog of removal tools (2)

http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/newsinfo/collateral.aspx?CID=40387

Trouble Shooting guide to Windows http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/

Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts file

http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

links provided as a courtesy, read all instructions on the pages before

use

Grateful thanks to the authors/webmasters

_

"Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

news:usFOYG46HHA.4304@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>

> A friend's Windows 98 SE at start made clicking sounds from hard drive,

then

> said startup disk was needed. Startup disk was inserted.

>

> Screen said:

> Pri Master HDD Error

> Run Setup

> Press F1 to resume

>

> Then it said

> Start computer with CD Rom support or

> Without CD-Rom support

>

> We didn't know which to choose so we went with CD Rom support

>

> Then it said PCI Bus Scan completed

> C drive does not contain FAT or FAT 32 partition

> Drive may need to be partitioned

> Run Fdisk from DOS prompt

>

> But there was only a prompt for the A drive, and we couldn't get it to

> change to the C drive, so we did HELP.

>

> Help said a lot of stuff about loading CDRom Driver and RamDrive but it

was

> hard to understand was not telling us what to do next.

>

> It also mentioned starting up in Safe Mode, but we would have no idea what

> to do once we got into safe mode.

>

> Questions:

>

> Should we have chosen the option with or without CD Rom support?

> Does this look like something fixable or something more seirous

> If the partitioning of the C drive has been lost, does that mean all the

> data, programs, etc. has been lost?

> Is this something that Dell tech support can walk us through?

>

> Thanks for any help,

> Larry

>

>

[Guest Larry]

Re: Computer not starting, confusing instructions from W98 Startup disk

 

Thanks to everyone for the feedback.

 

Larry

 

 

 

"AlmostBob" <anonymous1@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:%23dTTzCV7HHA.3624@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> The drive is slagged,

> take the pc to a reputable local store, not a big box chain store, and

have

> them assess the amount of damage to the hard drive, determine whether to

> replace or repair it

>

> --

> -- -- -- -- --

> Adaware http://www.lavasoft.de

> spybot http://www.safer-networking.org

> AVG free antivirus http://free.grisoft.com/

> Etrust/Vet/CA.online Antivirus scan

> http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virusinfo/scan.aspx

> Super Antispyware http://www.superantispyware.com/

> Panda online AntiVirus scan http://www.activescan.com

> Panda online AntiSpyware Scan

> http://www.pandasoftware.com/virus_info/spyware/test/

> Catalog of removal tools (1)

> http://www.pandasoftware.com/download/utilities/

> Catalog of removal tools (2)

> http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/newsinfo/collateral.aspx?CID=40387

> Trouble Shooting guide to Windows http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/

> Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts file

> http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

> links provided as a courtesy, read all instructions on the pages before

> use

> Grateful thanks to the authors/webmasters

> _

> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

> news:usFOYG46HHA.4304@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> >

> > A friend's Windows 98 SE at start made clicking sounds from hard drive,

> then

> > said startup disk was needed. Startup disk was inserted.

> >

> > Screen said:

> > Pri Master HDD Error

> > Run Setup

> > Press F1 to resume

> >

> > Then it said

> > Start computer with CD Rom support or

> > Without CD-Rom support

> >

> > We didn't know which to choose so we went with CD Rom support

> >

> > Then it said PCI Bus Scan completed

> > C drive does not contain FAT or FAT 32 partition

> > Drive may need to be partitioned

> > Run Fdisk from DOS prompt

> >

> > But there was only a prompt for the A drive, and we couldn't get it to

> > change to the C drive, so we did HELP.

> >

> > Help said a lot of stuff about loading CDRom Driver and RamDrive but it

> was

> > hard to understand was not telling us what to do next.

> >

> > It also mentioned starting up in Safe Mode, but we would have no idea

what

> > to do once we got into safe mode.

> >

> > Questions:

> >

> > Should we have chosen the option with or without CD Rom support?

> > Does this look like something fixable or something more seirous

> > If the partitioning of the C drive has been lost, does that mean all the

> > data, programs, etc. has been lost?

> > Is this something that Dell tech support can walk us through?

> >

> > Thanks for any help,

> > Larry

> >

> >

>

>

[Guest Dan]

Re: Computer not starting, confusing instructions from W98 Startup

 

Re: Computer not starting, confusing instructions from W98 Startup

 

Thanks for putting it so clearly for Larry, Ben --- best post in this group

yet imo.

 

"Ben Myers" wrote:

> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message news:usFOYG46HHA.4304@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> > A friend's Windows 98 SE at start made clicking sounds from hard drive, then

> > said startup disk was needed. Startup disk was inserted.

>

> <snip>

>

> Open the case and remove and reseat the cable that connects the drive

> to the motherboard. If this doesn't help, most hard drive manufacturers

> have diagnostic software available for download.

>

> Maxtor and Seagate http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/

> Western Digital http://support.wdc.com/download/index.asp?cxml=n&pid=999&swid

>

> Ben

>