Protorian1
asked on
Setup problem
I was having problems with my win95, so I decided to fdisk and format the dard drive again. I did this, but the pc goes up to the 1st Windows 95 screen, before it gets to the autoexec.bat file, and freezes. I cannot enter the dos prompt to start copying and installing win95. What would the problem be, why is is not passing the startup screen?
Have You disabled BIOS's bootsector writing protection? Can be called also virus protection.
You say you cannot start copying and installing Windows 95 yet you do get the 1st Windows 95 Startup screen (the Windows logo i presume). After fdisking and formating the hard disk, what sequence of events have you followed? Also, did you enable LBA when running Fdisk and what size C: partition did you create? Does your PC auto detect your hard disk or did you have to enter the disks parameters?
ASKER
Yes, my pc doed autodetect my hard drive. And no, there is no Bios virus detection built into the motherboard.THe hard drive is a little over 500mg. But I did enable large disk support.
Im still confused as to what you did after fdisking and re-formating the drive. Can you list the sequence of events that got you were you are.
I agree with gcaley.
If Win 95 hangs on its startup logo (which means you must have started installing it and got to the first reboot?) then it is the drivers causing problems - have you got the right ones installed, do you have any real-mode drivers in config.sys / autoxec.bat - anything like this could be causing a conflict.
If Win 95 hangs on its startup logo (which means you must have started installing it and got to the first reboot?) then it is the drivers causing problems - have you got the right ones installed, do you have any real-mode drivers in config.sys / autoxec.bat - anything like this could be causing a conflict.
Have you tried booting from a startup disk and running a directory of the c: drive to see if there are any files hanging out there?
If you have a boot disk that will enable the CD drive to work in dos (there are other ways to do this - around this site) you can use that to enter dos, copy the win 95 cab folder from the CD onto the C: drive and run the set up from there to re-install.
If you have a boot disk that will enable the CD drive to work in dos (there are other ways to do this - around this site) you can use that to enter dos, copy the win 95 cab folder from the CD onto the C: drive and run the set up from there to re-install.
Have you tried booting from a startup disk and running a directory of the c: drive to see if there are any files hanging out there?
If you have a boot disk that will enable the CD drive to work in dos (there are other ways to do this - around this site) you can use that to enter dos, copy the win 95 cab folder from the CD onto the C: drive and run the set up from there to re-install.
If you have a boot disk that will enable the CD drive to work in dos (there are other ways to do this - around this site) you can use that to enter dos, copy the win 95 cab folder from the CD onto the C: drive and run the set up from there to re-install.
Tim Holman: If you boot with a Windows 95 startup disk from Microsoft, you will get the splash screen briefly before it boots to the floppy. Also, the MS startup disk does not have an autoexec.bat or config.sys file. It is merely a bootable floppy that will allow you to work in DOS to fdisk, format, and prepare the hard drive for loading Win95.
If you are enabling large hard disk support, then you must be using Win95B, also known as OSR2. For a hard drive that is just over 500mb, that really isn't necessary. It's possible that there is a setting in your BIOS that needs to be changed, it sounds as though that's where the problem is. Try setting the Setup defaults in the BIOS, and see if that makes a difference. It's also possible that there may be a problem with the boot disk itself. Also, check to see that you've set the Primary partition active in fdisk, and that the reported size of the partition is close to the actual size of the hard drive.
If you are enabling large hard disk support, then you must be using Win95B, also known as OSR2. For a hard drive that is just over 500mb, that really isn't necessary. It's possible that there is a setting in your BIOS that needs to be changed, it sounds as though that's where the problem is. Try setting the Setup defaults in the BIOS, and see if that makes a difference. It's also possible that there may be a problem with the boot disk itself. Also, check to see that you've set the Primary partition active in fdisk, and that the reported size of the partition is close to the actual size of the hard drive.
After reading the original question again, it sounds as though you are trying to boot to the hard drive. Did you transfer the system files? You can do that by booting to the floppy boot disk, then typing "sys c:" at the A: prompt. then remove the disk and reboot, and it should boot to a C: prompt.
I'm a little surprised no one has said this, but if you are trying to boot from the hard drive, the instant you see the message "Starting Windows 95..." press the F8 key. A menu should pop up and you should then choose to "Step by step confirmation". That way you can see where you start hanging. Also, you can press the ESC key when that screen appears and see all the old dos settings being loaded.
I agree with leew. I was quite surprised not to see "Safe Mode". Follow leew Protorian1
It also sounds like you might not have actually formatted the drive. The symptoms you are describing are usually associated with an fdisk which was not followed by a format.
Also, are you saying that it goes to the win95 logo from your boot floppy? Really do need further information (as previously commented).
Also, are you saying that it goes to the win95 logo from your boot floppy? Really do need further information (as previously commented).
Protorian1
My experience with OSR2 is that after an Fdisk, you can start "setup" and if the disk is not properly formated, set up will format the disk before it will start to install Windows. My experience also leads me to believe that versions lower than OSR2 was not compatible with large disk support. The reason as I recall has to do with partitioning. OSR2 allows 1 large partition, but prior versions, required 2 partitions. One for the DOS area, and the other for Windows. The DOS area was a small partion, but was required for earlier versions. If your hard drive is only 500 MB, then I would not enable large disk support, which would mean you would have to Fdisk again, not enable it, then reinstall Win95.
If you were to do this, you would:
Boot with a bootable disk, then Fdisk, then access your CD-ROM. You should be able to run setup without the format command. Win95 should proceed to say that this disk is not formatted, and that it is recommended. Press enter and away you should go. I will clarify this with one statement however. I know that OSR2 performs the format is the disk is not formatted. I could be entirely wrong about earlier versions of Win95.
Alternatively, you can format the hard disk, then copy the CD over to your hard disk and run it from the hard disk. I have (unfortunately) always copied the entire CD over. I would like to know exactly what all the files needed are, but another time.
From my bootable disk I use the following:
a:>md c:\Wincopy
a:>xcopy d:\*.* c:\Wincopy /s /e This takes a while.
a:>c:
c:>cd Wincopy
c:\Wincopy>setup
Hope this helps.
McDee
My experience with OSR2 is that after an Fdisk, you can start "setup" and if the disk is not properly formated, set up will format the disk before it will start to install Windows. My experience also leads me to believe that versions lower than OSR2 was not compatible with large disk support. The reason as I recall has to do with partitioning. OSR2 allows 1 large partition, but prior versions, required 2 partitions. One for the DOS area, and the other for Windows. The DOS area was a small partion, but was required for earlier versions. If your hard drive is only 500 MB, then I would not enable large disk support, which would mean you would have to Fdisk again, not enable it, then reinstall Win95.
If you were to do this, you would:
Boot with a bootable disk, then Fdisk, then access your CD-ROM. You should be able to run setup without the format command. Win95 should proceed to say that this disk is not formatted, and that it is recommended. Press enter and away you should go. I will clarify this with one statement however. I know that OSR2 performs the format is the disk is not formatted. I could be entirely wrong about earlier versions of Win95.
Alternatively, you can format the hard disk, then copy the CD over to your hard disk and run it from the hard disk. I have (unfortunately) always copied the entire CD over. I would like to know exactly what all the files needed are, but another time.
From my bootable disk I use the following:
a:>md c:\Wincopy
a:>xcopy d:\*.* c:\Wincopy /s /e This takes a while.
a:>c:
c:>cd Wincopy
c:\Wincopy>setup
Hope this helps.
McDee
McDorman: All you need to copy to the hard drive is the Win95 folder on the CD. If the setup requires anything else (like specific driver files) it will ask for the CD, but the default path will still be the directory that setup was run from. I've never heard of earlier Win95 versions requiring a seperate partition for DOS, no matter what size the hard drive. While it may be that OSR2 will initiate a format if it hasn't been done, I would still rather run the format command, with the /s switch to transfer system files, then reboot. That will ensure that the hard drive is bootable. Then copy mscdex.exe to the hard drive, run the CD driver disk, reboot, and then run setup from the CD (or hard drive, if you've copied the Win95 folder from the CD to the hard drive).
The suggestion about step-by-step confirmation is a good one... just a thought, but check to be sure the RAM is seated in their slots. You said that Win95 was giving you trouble before you did all this...what kind of troubles? Maybe it isn't Win95, but a hardware problem in its early stages...
The suggestion about step-by-step confirmation is a good one... just a thought, but check to be sure the RAM is seated in their slots. You said that Win95 was giving you trouble before you did all this...what kind of troubles? Maybe it isn't Win95, but a hardware problem in its early stages...
have you tried f5 to bypass all start up and go straight to dos. from there you
can transfer you sys to c or whatever.
CJ
can transfer you sys to c or whatever.
CJ
nbdyfool,
Good suggestion.
My system started acting up. I simply switched my 2 32mg simms in there slots and all has been well sence???
Regards, Bud
http://www.geocities.com/~budallen/
Good suggestion.
My system started acting up. I simply switched my 2 32mg simms in there slots and all has been well sence???
Regards, Bud
http://www.geocities.com/~budallen/
*smiling*
advice, wait longer, i have had systems that have stalled with little apparent activity for 20 mins or more at this point, there is a lot of hardware testing going on, be patient, particularly if you have a slower (read less than Pent 150ish) machine. *smile* i have the last machine this happened on, and after setting up, and the first full boot. it runs fine and normally only stalls a few seconds at this point now. *smile*
hope that helps.
Road Warrior.
advice, wait longer, i have had systems that have stalled with little apparent activity for 20 mins or more at this point, there is a lot of hardware testing going on, be patient, particularly if you have a slower (read less than Pent 150ish) machine. *smile* i have the last machine this happened on, and after setting up, and the first full boot. it runs fine and normally only stalls a few seconds at this point now. *smile*
hope that helps.
Road Warrior.
ASKER
Ok, Here are the sequence of events that I performed on the hard drive.
(1) I fdisked the hard drive to remove the partition
(2) I fdisked the hard drive to create a new Primary Partition
(3) I fdisked the hard drive to check that the partition is active
(4) I formatted the hard drive
(5) I formatted the hard drive witht the /s for the system files
(6) I try to boot from the hard drive, but it stops at the splash screen
(7) I try to boot from the hard drive, but once again stops at the splash screen
And that is where I am now.
It refuses to pass the splash screen
I have tried F8 and command prompt, and it freezes at the splash screen still
I have tried F8 and Step by Step Configuration, and it freezes at the splash screen still
Maybe these helped.
(1) I fdisked the hard drive to remove the partition
(2) I fdisked the hard drive to create a new Primary Partition
(3) I fdisked the hard drive to check that the partition is active
(4) I formatted the hard drive
(5) I formatted the hard drive witht the /s for the system files
(6) I try to boot from the hard drive, but it stops at the splash screen
(7) I try to boot from the hard drive, but once again stops at the splash screen
And that is where I am now.
It refuses to pass the splash screen
I have tried F8 and command prompt, and it freezes at the splash screen still
I have tried F8 and Step by Step Configuration, and it freezes at the splash screen still
Maybe these helped.
*smiling*
get yourself a win95 dos command prompt of some description and type fdisk /mbr, which will re-write the master boot record, just in case it still is looking at your old one (which may cause it to think you have a full install of 95 still)
hope that helps,
Road Warrior
get yourself a win95 dos command prompt of some description and type fdisk /mbr, which will re-write the master boot record, just in case it still is looking at your old one (which may cause it to think you have a full install of 95 still)
hope that helps,
Road Warrior
After step 5??
You need to install windows/
Did you.
What splash screen are you speaking of?
Regards, Bud
http://www.geocities.com/~budallen/
You need to install windows/
Did you.
What splash screen are you speaking of?
Regards, Bud
http://www.geocities.com/~budallen/
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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Protarian1,
The problem is that you are trying to boot from your hard drive, which doesn't have anything on it but a few system files and a logo.
If you want to install Win 95, then after formatting the hard drive (using a normal format, don't bother with /S), bootup with the Win 95 floppy and proceed with the installation as normal.
If you're installing from CD ROM, then ensure CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT have the correct CD ROM drivers in.
Simple ?
Tim
The problem is that you are trying to boot from your hard drive, which doesn't have anything on it but a few system files and a logo.
If you want to install Win 95, then after formatting the hard drive (using a normal format, don't bother with /S), bootup with the Win 95 floppy and proceed with the installation as normal.
If you're installing from CD ROM, then ensure CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT have the correct CD ROM drivers in.
Simple ?
Tim
Tim Holman:
The problem is, the system hangs before it even boots all the way. While Protorian1 could do what you say, it would not solve the problem. A format with /s and subsequent boot to the hard disk is a good way to be sure that you have no other problems, like the one Protorian1 is having. It wouldn't matter if he had Windows loaded or not, the system still wouldn't boot. There's nothing wrong with your suggestion, it just doesn't solve his problem.
The problem is, the system hangs before it even boots all the way. While Protorian1 could do what you say, it would not solve the problem. A format with /s and subsequent boot to the hard disk is a good way to be sure that you have no other problems, like the one Protorian1 is having. It wouldn't matter if he had Windows loaded or not, the system still wouldn't boot. There's nothing wrong with your suggestion, it just doesn't solve his problem.
A quick suggestion is to start your computer with a bootable floppy. Then, do a scandisk. You might have some bad sectors on your hard drive that is preventing you from doing anything with it.
ASKER
Road aarrior has given me the right answer.
How can I award him the points?
Since, his answer has passed., I was not in the country, and I have just gotten int.
Sorry bout that.
I want to award Road Warrior his points.
:)
How can I award him the points?
Since, his answer has passed., I was not in the country, and I have just gotten int.
Sorry bout that.
I want to award Road Warrior his points.
:)
Which comment from Road Warrior was the solution. Waiting longer, or fdisk /mbr?
Tom
Tom
Protorian 1
Reject the proposed answer and have RoadWarrior re-answer the question. The first answer will be rejected. Everyone else has been comments only. So if Road Warrior answers it as an "answer" not a "comment" he will get the points.
McD
Reject the proposed answer and have RoadWarrior re-answer the question. The first answer will be rejected. Everyone else has been comments only. So if Road Warrior answers it as an "answer" not a "comment" he will get the points.
McD