richtwes
asked on
Windows 95 Crashed. Re-install it?
HI,
I have a windows 95 computer and I was installing a game which I downloaded off of the internet and the installation never finished correctly. It froze up and told me to start my computer. However, when I did that, the message which came up was "Invalid system disk. Replace the disk and then press any key". I have tried to start it with the boot disk also, but it doesn't work either. I got this computer with 95 installed so I have the CD but no directions on how to install it. If I try to start up the computer with the CD in it, nothing happens. HELP...:) Please be thorough in answering..thank you very much.
wes
I have a windows 95 computer and I was installing a game which I downloaded off of the internet and the installation never finished correctly. It froze up and told me to start my computer. However, when I did that, the message which came up was "Invalid system disk. Replace the disk and then press any key". I have tried to start it with the boot disk also, but it doesn't work either. I got this computer with 95 installed so I have the CD but no directions on how to install it. If I try to start up the computer with the CD in it, nothing happens. HELP...:) Please be thorough in answering..thank you very much.
wes
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
(Hopefully you scanned that "game" thoroughly for a virus?;-)
Do you know for a *fact* that the bootdisk you were trying to use
is good??
Is it TRYING to read the bootdisk when you try to start-up the
computer? What exactly happens when you try to boot with bootdisk
Any messages displayed?
You say that trying to start the computer with a bootdisk didn`t
"work"...please clarify what did or didn`t happen.
Windows95 is not bootable from CD, (even if you have it set in
your CMOS to boot from D:)
You need to have:
1)Your CD-rom drivers
2)MSCDEX
3)A config.sys file "calling" the CD-rom driver to load
4)An autoexec.bat file "calling" the MSCDEX to load
as well as the normal system files on your boot disk in order
to bring the CD-rom to life so you can re-install Windows.
Simply making a "system disk" via Windows95 methods will NOT
put the necessary CD-drivers on the boot disk FOR you.
Is your bootdisk one you made yourself, or is it from the computor vendor/manufacturer?
Do you know for a *fact* that the bootdisk you were trying to use
is good??
Is it TRYING to read the bootdisk when you try to start-up the
computer? What exactly happens when you try to boot with bootdisk
Any messages displayed?
You say that trying to start the computer with a bootdisk didn`t
"work"...please clarify what did or didn`t happen.
Windows95 is not bootable from CD, (even if you have it set in
your CMOS to boot from D:)
You need to have:
1)Your CD-rom drivers
2)MSCDEX
3)A config.sys file "calling" the CD-rom driver to load
4)An autoexec.bat file "calling" the MSCDEX to load
as well as the normal system files on your boot disk in order
to bring the CD-rom to life so you can re-install Windows.
Simply making a "system disk" via Windows95 methods will NOT
put the necessary CD-drivers on the boot disk FOR you.
Is your bootdisk one you made yourself, or is it from the computor vendor/manufacturer?
Hello! rich, do the one thing that it sounds like you have not yet done. turn off the computer. remove all disks from all drives. then start your computer
Hey Rich.
The advice given to you is quite solid. Don't feel bad though. System locking is common when trying to download from the internet. Since your system came with Win95, it is probably Release B and your system CMOS is probably set to use a Plug-and-Play operating system. This opens the door for win95 to attempt to change memory and IRQ setting dynamically according to running apps and hardware changes. It's very easy for Win95 to generate a conflict spontaneously which could freeze your system. When downloading and installing from the internet, keep in mind that it could take an extremely long time if you're using a modem. If the program is only 4 or 5 Meg it could take over 1.5 hours for it to finish, thus giving you the illusion that your system has frozen.
PLEASE be sure that your boot disk matches the version of DOS that your Win95 CD has on it. If your Win95 CD says "Only to be used with a new system" on it then your boot disk needs to be DOS 7.1. If it says 'Upgrade', then your boot disk needs to be DOS 7.0.
The advice given to you is quite solid. Don't feel bad though. System locking is common when trying to download from the internet. Since your system came with Win95, it is probably Release B and your system CMOS is probably set to use a Plug-and-Play operating system. This opens the door for win95 to attempt to change memory and IRQ setting dynamically according to running apps and hardware changes. It's very easy for Win95 to generate a conflict spontaneously which could freeze your system. When downloading and installing from the internet, keep in mind that it could take an extremely long time if you're using a modem. If the program is only 4 or 5 Meg it could take over 1.5 hours for it to finish, thus giving you the illusion that your system has frozen.
PLEASE be sure that your boot disk matches the version of DOS that your Win95 CD has on it. If your Win95 CD says "Only to be used with a new system" on it then your boot disk needs to be DOS 7.1. If it says 'Upgrade', then your boot disk needs to be DOS 7.0.
Your C: is no longer bootable.
Your BIOS settings may also have been hosed. Power cycle your PC and access the BIOS and see if everything is OK. Make sure that you have floppy boot enabled and that the boot order is A:/C: and not C:/A:. Note the geometry settings of your HD (Heads/Clynders/Sectors, etc.)
You need to locate a friend with Win95 and have them create a bootable floppy for you. Then use that and boot your system and check out the damage to C:.
Have your friend put the following programs on the boot floppy.
SYS.*
FORMAT.*
FDISK.*
Do a test boot on *HIS* system to assure yourself that the floppy can boot a system. Then WRITE PROTECT the floppy before booting your system. This will prevent virus write back to the floppy disk.
If you can successfully boot from the floppy, when you get to the A:> prompt try:
SYS C:
This should make your C: bootable. If not, well, you're hosed and you may have to go back to square 1 and rebuild the system from the ground up.
You may well have learned a valuable lesson the hard way. Do *NOT* d/l software from the internet unless you *KNOW* the provider.