win 95 won't boot

[Dan]

I was recently given an IBM thinkpad.
When first turned on, the thinkpad splash screen comes up, then hangs. I was able to get to command prompt by pressing f8, but it will not except a c: prompt, it states "invalid drive specification".
I've tried all of the different boot sequences, but it won't boot...it won't do anything at all with out the startup floppy. (It keeps coming back to the a: prompt.....)
Where do I start to work with this thing?
I know very little about it, except that it's being very stubborn...any suggestions???

[andyms18a]

i wood think the person that gave you the computer cleard the hard drive if you boot with a win98 flopy disk at the a prompt type fdisk and hit enter it wil ask you a question hit enter chose option 4 display partition info it may say nothing to display next chose option one create a primory dos partition and hit enter use the hole disk and set to active when it finishes reboot with your floppy and type format c: and hit enter ancer y to conferm when it finishes (just keep hiting y or enter to every question) and your back to the a: type sys c: and hit enter affter that you will need a copy of win95 or 98 to install on the computer post back with any problams

[Dan]

thanks andy,
but the system won't recognise c: prompt
every time I enter it I get the message:
"invalid drive specification".
I tried to reformat, but when I enter format c: it says:
invalid command parameter.....
I am beginning to thing the hdd is fried.....

[andyms18a]

have you tryed fdisk do it from the a prompt ?

[mike breck]

After you boot using the Bootdisk, at the A: prompt type FORMAT C: /s

If it's an IBM HD, then download the IBM Fitness Test software, extract to floppy, and run it on the HD. That should tell you the health of the HD.

[Dan]

thanks mike
I'll try the IBM site and post back...

[andyms18a]

if the hard drive is not partitiond then you cant format it you nead to make a primery dos partition on it first try this boot with a win98 floppy disk and at the A: type the following C:\>fdisk /status This command checks the partitioning status of the c drive all so have a look at this web site for instructions on useing fdisk http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;255867 posk back if you still have problams

[Dan]

thanks andy,
I DLed the IBM DFT...the notebook has a Sanyo HDD, unsupported by the test...is there a similart test for this drive?
I checked the Sanyo site, but it deals mostly with nome appliances.
I'll check out the link you left and post back...

[Dan]

every time I try to access the HDD, I get an error message stating that the drive is not there...so, running fdisk has become fruitless.....
the only command that works is the A: prompt.
the only time I got any positive feed back is when I ran the IBM DFT...unless I am able to find a fitness test for the Sanyo drive I'm going to assume this means the hard drive is fried.

[andyms18a]

when your at the A prompt type FDISK and hit enter you will get a masage asking you to enable support for large hard drive hit enter you will then get a menue chose display partition infomation and post back with the results

[Dan]

andy-
when I type fdisk and enter, I don't get that message...
I get a message that tells me it can't find the drive.
at this point I'm certain the hdd is not operating.
a friend told me he has a used hard drive tthat I can have.
I'll replace it and post back.

[andyms18a]

ok dan can you get into the bios and see what it says for hard disk drive if its reporting none then your hdd is probley shaged but some times if you remove the comos battery and the main battery and leave the computer unpowerd for 30 mins then put the batteryes back it will boot to the bios setup screan and will then find the drive if that dont work and you have another hard disk you can try it but not all laptop hard disks are the same size and it may not fit in the computer

[Dan]

thanks andy,
I'll try the battery trick...
the used hdd is the same size and make, it came from another i series 1400 thinkpad.
it'll be after the weekend before I swap them, I'll post back with the results.