Another computer question...

[lawdog]

I got so much info on the new computer search, I thought maybe somebody could tell me what the problem with the old one is...

I get this message when I try to start the machine, and no idea how to fix it and no matter what key I hit it just pops up more of the same messages:

Invalid System disk

Replace the disk and then press any key

I'm a little leery of doing anything to this machine, we already had to replace the hard drive not more than 5-6 months ago and that was the second hard drive in it in 2-3 years.

Any thoughts or ideas? I don't think we have the Windows ME disk anymore either.

[Surface Tension]

Do you have a disc in the floppy drive? If so take it out.

[lawdog]

nope...

[MN Mike]

Probably not what you want to hear but if there isn't a disk in the floppy drive like S.T. said, you probably lost another hard drive or got hit with a bug. Might not hurt to check you drive connections too, inside the comptuer, you just never know.

By rights, if the hard drive was new, it should be under warranty and can be replaced free of charge, there are utilities out there you can put on a floppy disk and test your hard drive.

What kind of computer is it? Maybe you don't have a ME disk but maybe you have a system restore cd.

Mike

[lawdog]

Its a Gateway and I asked the better half about disks and she said whatever we have was in the three ring binder that came with it from gateway and all I saw for disks was the add on stuff like Microsoft word and such. I thought for sure there was a system restore disk, but who knows where it may be with the kids using the machine!!!!

I think the thing might be eating hard drives, that was what I was fearing and I don't think I'm going to replace another one... The guy who put the new one in last time said something about it maybe being overpowered or something like that???

It has the Grisoft virus programming, but we don't have a firewall I guess.

[PierBridge]

Time to upgrade the operating system and or the PC it self.

[Surface Tension]

Check in the Bios to see if you have the HDD selected in the Boot sequence. I explained the procedure in the other puter thread.

Something else you can do is run the utilities program that came with the new harddrive. It'll run a test and report any bad clusters and repair them. If you can't find that floppy then go to the your HDD site and download it. You'll need the model and serial numbers off the harddrive to find the correct diagnostics utility.

About the lost restore/windows disc. Get the serial number off the back of the puter case and contact the manufactor to purchase a replacement. If that is no longer an option you'll need to find an other windows cd and registration numbers. If you find version of Windows XP it'll probably have most the device drivers. Or I'd recommend downloading new device drives for all you hardware. Find out what motherboard and hardware that model puter has by visiting the manufacturers web site, like Dell for example. There you'll be able to look up all the device and motherboard drivers for that system. Of coarse that new install would be after formatting the harddrive.

After the clean Windows install get yourself a firewall before you attemp to get on-line. Zone Alarm is what I use and its works.

[MN Mike]

Time for a new system.

[lawdog]

Thanks guys. I couldn't even get it to do that Bios thing I tried that lastnight as I'd read that other thread already.

I think its a goner.

[Surface Tension]

I'm not sure what key you need to hold down to get into the bios of your Gateway. Could be the delete or F1. You should be able to get in there even with a shot hard drive. Tell me what model you have and I can do so investigation.

[jigginjerk]

Just a thought but try unplugging your floppy drive and reboot. your floppy drive may be bad.

[Valv]

If the floppy drive is bad it won't influence boot.

Hard drive is bad, and lost the boot sector or FAT (file allocation table). If you have a used hard drive around you can try the swap to see if it boots, otherwise......it's a bye, bye.

BTW how's your skid steer loader treating you ? Do you like still ?

[Surface Tension]

It depends where the floppy drive is on the boot sequence. If its before the HDD then it could stall at that point.

Theres so many possibilities of what could be wrong you just have to start with the easy things first and a hunch.

[lawdog]

Hey Val, the Skid is a heck of a lot more reliable than any computer I have! Had to put a new battery in it, but otherwise its great, was a much better decision than a blower for my purposes!

[Valv]

Quote:

---

Hey Val, the Skid is a heck of a lot more reliable than any computer I have!

---

Yeah, these are a lot tougher to "kill", I knew you would enjoy it and find a good use for.

[Tyler Holm]

Like ST said, you'll want to check the boot sequence to make sure the HD is above/before your floppy.

Restart your computer and on the first screen that is show (maybe 2nd), it should say something like "Press F1 to enter system bios". Sometimes it's F2, or F9. Once in your bios, poke around until you find the boot/startup sequence/options.

[nluchau]

Did the PC come with a Recovery CD? If so pop that in and reboot the machine. It will load an operating system along with previously installed programs that the pc came with.

If this is not an option I would pop in a Windows XP Pro or Home bootable cd and reboot the computer. That will begin a new Operating System Install. Don't forget to do a FULL Format of the HDD and not a Quick Format. After this is done you may need to install device drivers if you have installed new devices since purchasing the machine.

Hope this helps a bit.

Nick

[upnorth]

Also make sure you don't have a CD in in the reader, some PCs are set to boot from the floppy then the CD and then the hard drive. I would also pop the case and unplug and replug in the cables leading from the hard drive and the motherboard, sometimes the connections go bad.

Like ST said you really need to look at the bios and see if the PC is seeing the hard drive. If it is you probably lost the FAT (file allocation table) and will need to re-install the operating system and your apps. I hope you backed everything up.

If it is a gateway you may be able to call them and they will walk you through a few things.

[Valv]

In your Boot Sequence you do not want the hard Drive to be before your floppy or CD or you will never be able to re-load/install another operating system without getting into the Bios again.

The correct sequence of booting devices is CD,Floppy, Hard Drive.

In the old days was Floppy, CD, Hard drive.

If a disk is inserted into the floppy drive and it's not bootable the computer will display the message you saw, eject/remove disk and retry.

If there is a non bootable CD in the drive it will not bother at all, it will keep trying to boot fron floppy or hard drive.

If drive has been formatted, erased, unpartitioned, or damaged it will show the message you saw.

If the computer has not recognized the hard drive it will also show same message.

Most of newer systems (from 1999 up) have auto detection of HDD.

When you power up system listen for the hard drive take off, if not there you have a bad drive, also if you hear some loud clicking, your heads are gone, bad hdd.