Laptop won't boot.

[el_novato]

Ok fellas,

Got an old Compaq Presario 1200. Win 98SE. It won't boot period. I've created a boot disk but it says Non-System disk or disk error. I've gone into BIOS and set it to boot from the CD ROM. BIOS sees the drive, but it still boots from the floppy. Yes I've saved the changes before exiting. ScanDisk says it encountered and error the prevents it from continuing. Scanreg says that files needed to run Scanreg are missing or corrupted. Can someone provide me with solution? I don't care if I have to do a clean install.

I tried Fdisk and it says error reading fixed disk. Upon first boot, it indicates IFSHLP.SYS is missing or corrupted. M$ knowledge base says to boot from a Win ME disc, which of course I don't have. Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

e.n.

[magicdog]

If you have another way to connect to the internet, try this:

download the utility program from the relevant Hard drive manufacturer, create a boot floppy and run it - this will enable you to scan and test the HDD for errors before continuing to reload.
Often these utility programs can repair minor errors successfully.

HTH

[el_novato]

Only problem with that is, the file is 2.13MB. Are there floppys larger than 1.44MB? Burning it to a CD won't do much good either since it won't boot from there. Thanks!

e.n.

[magicdog]

Download the file on a good PC and save it on the desktop.

Put a blank floppy in the drive and double click the file you downloaded - it will create a bootable floppy to use on your Presario.

HTH

[el_novato]

I tried that Magic, but it won't pickup the disk, I can hear it checking the floppy upon boot, but then it goes to loading Windows. A friend of mine sent me a bootdisk called Ultimate Boot Disk. I got it to boot using that but I got the following errors:

Bad or missing file: A:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
Error in CONFIG.SYS line 18

Bad or missing file: A:\DOS\RAMDRIVE.SYS
Error in CONFIG.SYS line 19

Bad or missing file: A:\DOS\COUNTRY.SYS
Error in CONFIG.SYS line 20
HMA not available: Loading DOS low
Bad command or file name
Bad command or file name
Loading DFT ...
Invalid directory
Bad command or file name
A:\>

Can someone decipher this for me please? Thanks!

e.n.

[magicdog]

I need to get this straight - If you create the test floppy, set the BIOS to boot floppy first and start the PC, it doesn't read the test floppy?

[el_novato]

That's right Magic. I double checked BIOS to make sure the floppy was first. I can hear it checking the disk but then it goes to the boot screen like it's loading Windows and it will sit there forever. I did leave it running for at least 3 hours, came back and hadn't changed.

e.n.

[glc]

You have bad ram in that thing.

[el_novato]

Well, it wasn't the RAM either. Went out and bought a brand new 128MB Mushkin stick. I got crazy and swapped the HDD into the Gateway notebook. Used the Gateway XP disc and got to the point of formatting. (I did delete the old partition) It sits at 0% and won't move. The HDD is just clicking like it wants to write but it never does. So I'm just guessing the HDD is dead.

e.n.

[magicdog]

If you've got the HDD in the Gateway, try setting it to boot floppy first and try to boot from the HDD test floppy disk you made before.

If that doesn't work, I think you may have a dodgy HDD.

HTH

[el_novato]

Yup Magic...I tried that as well...I did everything again with the HDD in the Gateway...I forgot to mention that earlier . So I guess the verdict stands! Now just gotta find a HDD. Thanks for your help Magic and Glc.

e.n.

[glc]

If it's a laptop hard drive, you can't have another drive on the same IDE channel, you have to run it standalone on the cable and it should be a 40 wire cable - unless your 2.5 to 3.5 adapter card has jumpers.

[el_novato]

Not quite sure I understand what you are saying Glc. I only had one HDD on the laptop. Took one out and put in the Compaq HDD. Is that what you are referring to?

e.n.

[glc]

Oops - thought you were testing the laptop hard drive in a desktop computer.