boot problems

[ArchZ]

I am unable to get to the command prompt using a start up disk in either Win98 or 2k. This is part of a long string of errors that began with Adaptec ezcd (i'll never use it again) corrupting my registry. (I kept getting the "stop" screen on when going into to windows. There was an error with the hardware installation). After all else failed I began to reformat my hard drive. Using the fdisk I wiped 2k from the system and decided I wanted to repartition of the drive to something coordinated with how I work.
At the end of the repartitioning it said to restart the machine to complete the changes. Now if freezes after initial setup. I can get into the bios, but any booting after that is frozen. No fdisk in 98, no non-system disk error, just lock up after the device addresses screen. The bios lists all devices correctly. It just doesn't finish. I've checked the boot disk and it works in other machines so I know it's not the problem.

Help! How do I get to back to a command prompt? How do I begin the windows installation?

 

[OldBear]

Could you give us more details about you system?

<font color=blue>Remember.... You get what you pay for. All advice here is free.</font color=blue>

 

[ArchZ]

Asus a7v133 mother board
256 mg ram
western dig ATA 100 20 gig HD
tbird 900 mhz
Asus v7100 Vid Card.

I had been running Win 2k for about 3 months and totally frustrated with all of the driver issues I have been running into -- scanners, cd writers, I was about ready to cash in the chips about it and go back to 98. The reformatting was only supposed to be a small step.

 

[btvillarin]

I had a problem with my WD hard drive slowing Win2K from booting and being able to start Drive Image 5.0, until I changed the jumper settings to Cable Select. Perhaps you can try that.

<b>My system (fairly similar, I s'pose):</b>
Asus A7V133
TBird 850MHz
2x256MB PC133
IBM 75GXP Deskstar 30GB
Western Digital WD600AB 60GB 5400RPM
HP CD-Writer 9150i 8x4x32
ATI Radeon 32MB SDR
SB Live Value
3Com 3C905B
<i>Running Windows XP just fine for 2 weeks, no problems...</i>

Please check out <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/btvillarin" target="_new">My Website</A> last updated 12/6/01

 

[OldBear]

Have you double checked the BIOS to make sure one of the boot options is floppy disk? It could be the problem. I had the same problem with Win2k and SR2 fixed most of my problems with drivers. Microsoft also is about to release SR3. I am always optimistic. I have used ASUS boards now for around 6 years. I like them but sometimes things just happen.

<font color=blue>Remember.... You get what you pay for. All advice here is free.</font color=blue>

 

[Smilin]

Hey if you do get it running again...

Depending on the version you may have to patch EZ CD creator after the install but BEFORE the first reboot. Otherwise your shiz will never boot again...I learned this the hard way as well.

Roxio will be out of business before to long because of crap like this.

 

[ArchZ]

OK I fixed it, but I still don't know exactly what happened to the HD. I removed the HD completely from the system and was able to get to the windows setup dos screen. I switched to the ide connection (not the ATA100 connection), but still could not access the drive. I went to the Western Digital web site and used their format utility and it worked!!! I reset, reformatted everything and spent the day re-installing all the software.

Oh yeah, then I burned my EZcd creator installer cd.