Computer help please

[CIverson]

Ok, I recently bought a new comp. Gave the old one to my 3 year old for his games. I went to reformat the HD and reload windows (done several times before w/ ME) with the win xp disk I got w/ my new comp.



After formating the HD it wouldn't recognize it anymore. (recognizes it in the setup menu). I tried the ME reinstall disk and it says that I'm missing the HD driver. So I booted the comp. up w/ the dell drivers disk, and it loads a driver and some other stuff. Cool, but it dosen't save it anywhere so when I try rebooting w/ the ME install CD it dosen't have that driver anymore.



Is there a way I can copy that driver to my HD, or start the ME reinstall CD after I boot up w/ the CD containing the driver?



I'm no computer wiz and this is starting to suck.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Dis you go thru the HD repartitiong bit, and set the active drive number?

 

[CIverson]

Dis you go thru the HD repartitiong bit, and set the active drive number?

Don't think so, don't know how to do that.

 

[Bertram65]

Try deleting the partition on the drive and creating a new when when you do the install of ME. By the way if you try and use the XP CDs that came with your new computer you will have to enter a product code, there is a sticker on your new PC with the code, you will not be able to use this code on more than one computer and it will only be usable for 60 days. Better stick with ME.

 

[CIverson]

Try deleting the partition on the drive and creating a new when when you do the install of ME. By the way if you try and use the XP CDs that came with your new computer you will have to enter a product code, there is a sticker on your new PC with the code, you will not be able to use this code on more than one computer and it will only be usable for 60 days. Better stick with ME.

The partition is gone, there is nothing on the HD from what I can tell. I cannot even start the reinstall of ME as it says the HD needs a driver.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

What disc did you use for the formatting command - older setup discs usually included the partitioning program, as well as a generic CD driver for doing drive setup from a CD - newer ones seem to be pretty automatic in terms of setting drive parameters - some drives use proprietary setup/installation software - what brand/type drive are you trying to salvage?

 

[Hohn]

You should be able to access the FDISK command by holding down F8 as the comp boots.

Darn, I'm glad I have an Apple. I don't miss my PC a single bit (pun intended)

 

[CIverson]

I formatted with the reinstallation CD I got with my new computer (win xp).



I've tried typing the Fdisk command and it states no disks present, or if I load the CD w/ the driver, I can get the C: prompt up on my screen, but when I type Fdisk it says drive is unable to be formatted.

 

[Philip]

Did you format in NTFS or Fat32. If you did it in NTFS then you will need a 98 boot disk. At the A: prompt. type in "fdisk/mbr". After that is done reboot. Then at the A: prompt type in fdisk. Set your new partation and set it as active. Then reboot agin. At the A: prompt type in format C:



That should give you a HDD that your ME disk will see then.



A Fat32 based OS can not read a NTFS drive.

 

[CIverson]

Did you format in NTFS or Fat32. If you did it in NTFS then you will need a 98 boot disk. At the A: prompt. type in "fdisk/mbr". After that is done reboot. Then at the A: prompt type in fdisk. Set your new partation and set it as active. Then reboot agin. At the A: prompt type in format C:



That should give you a HDD that your ME disk will see then.



A Fat32 based OS can not read a NTFS drive.

Now that you said that, when I boot up w/ the cd w/ the driver on it, it says on the screen that windows 98 has detected that drive c does not contain a valid FAT partition.



I tried the fdisk/mbr and it says no fixed disks present, and makes the screen a little funky.

 

[Philip]

You need to go all the way threw the steps I listed to get a Fat32 OS to see the HDD agin.



Just doing fdisk/mbr will not work. When you repartation and format. Then the HDD will be back to the correct status for Windows ME (Multi Errors) to see it agin.

 

[MBFARMS]

Philip is right. You need to delete the existing partion and recreate a new one. You have the drive formatted for NTFS which is a secure partion used so people cannot just boot by a disk and get to data on the machine, Sercurity feature in all NT based OS's. ME uses Fat32 which will not read a NTFS partion. If you need any further help email me or PM me.

 

[Hohn]

Did you format in NTFS or Fat32. If you did it in NTFS then you will need a 98 boot disk. At the A: prompt. type in "fdisk/mbr". After that is done reboot. Then at the A: prompt type in fdisk. Set your new partation and set it as active. Then reboot agin. At the A: prompt type in format C:

That should give you a HDD that your ME disk will see then.

A Fat32 based OS can not read a NTFS drive.

I learned that the HARD way! The partitioned a drive and made half of it NTFS-- it crashed and that half of the drive has been completely inaccessible since then.

I gave up on it once I got the Apple. No more problems.

jlh