Problem with partitioned HD...

[j1d10t]

Ok, here is the situation: I tried to partition my (6 year old) sons HD, so we could run Windows98 on one part, and WindowsXP on the other - because some of his games won't run on Win98, only on XP, and some of his games won't run on XP, only on 98. It had Windows98 (first edition) installed. The whole HD is 16GBs, and the part that has 98 installed on it I resized to 7 (approximately), so that would make the other part about 9GB. I used Partition Magic on it, and told it that I was going to install another operation system on the partition, and let it do it's thing. Now when I start the computer it says that there is no operation system installed (Partition Magic said to expect this), and that I need to install an OS. I insert my CD of WinXP, and the set-up starts. But after about 2 minutes, it stops - it stops right after saying that it is detecting my system configuration. It still says "Installing", but nothing happens, it just sits there with a blue screen, saying "installing" at the top - and I've let it sit for over an hour, and there is no change. Even the CD drive stops spinning. After trying, and trying to install it, I thought maybe it was my XP CD - it came with my computer (which had XP pre-installed), and I've never had to test it. So I thought that to at least get the computer running I'd install 98, then delete the partition, and start over. Didn't work. It won't even let me install 98. It starts to install, and then says that the drive is not formatted correctly, and would I like to format it. About half way through formatting, it stops and says that it can't complete the format. And the funny thing is, is that when it starts formatting, it says the drive is only about 9GB, not 16, so the other partition is still there, I just can't get to it. Any idea how I can get to that other partition (the one that has Win98 on it), so I can delete the 9GB partition? Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

[gmatov]

Josh,

Firt mistake, Partition Magic. It CAN be useful, but also dangerous to your data. I have it, used it once, won't use it again. 60 bucks wasted.

If you have nothing on the machine you need, do an fdisk, delete any partitions found and make 2 new partitions, make a new C and set as active, then a new D. Format both, install 98, then install XP.

Best I can advise.

Cheers,

George

[unclebud]

If your hard drive is FAT32 and not NTFS I'd try a boot disk (Win98) and take a look at the partittions. Partitions OK?
Then re-install Windows 98 over itself. You will keep the settings and most of the patches already installed and should fix the Win98 installation.

Then when you get Windows 98 running you can install XP in a dual boot system, at least that's how I do it.

Hope this helps
UB

[j1d10t]

George,
So at the command prompt, when it's telling me that there is no OS, just type fdisk? I haven't used DOS in a long, long time, and then I wasn't very knowledgeable There is nothing on the HD that I don't have backed up on a CD, so that's no problem. Yeah, I'm not liking Partition Magic right now. And I can't even contact the people that make Partition Magic, because I downloaded it, and all the info (that I would need to give them) is on my sons computer - I know, stupid move

unclebud,
The funny thing is that the system doesn't seem to acknowledge the floppy drive (I've checked in the BIOS settings, and everything is set correctly) - I can put any disk in, and it does nothing. Would copying the Windows 98 boot disk to CD (since it recognizes the CDROM drive) work?

Thanks for your help guys

[808smokey]

in the BIOS boot to your floppy 1st. make sure the win98 start up disk is in there. after a minute or so select boot without CD-ROM support. When it's done type FDISK. then follow the instuctions. since it doesn't read the floppy make sure the cable isn't on backwords. You can make a bootable CD but it's a waste. it's like 12k or something in size.

[gmatov]

Josh

If you can boot from CD you shouldd be able to make a bootable CD.

I don't know why you can't see your floppy. Usually when I had THAT problem it was a bad drive.

I can see one problem here and that is if your ins stall disk for 98 iss an upgrade version. If you don't have an older version for a Compliance Check, an upgrade disk won't let you. Even Win 3.11 dikettes will work.

When you do get it to boot to a boot disk, it will ask if you want to start with CD-ROM support, hi-light that and >Enter, will install RAMDrive, will come to a:\ prompt. Type fdisk: (Don't forget the semi-colon)

Choose Option 4, I think, Display Part Info. (This is off the top of my head, don't feel like booting with a floppy, but I've done this over the phone countless times with friends).

At this point it is possible you will see your partitions,and see that C: is not set to "active". I have fixed a few that that happened to don't know how.

It's possible that Part Magic set the D: as active or you have no active partition.


If partitions do exist, and C: is set as active, hit escape to go back to main menu select Delete Partitions, delete any Logical partions, then any Extended partitions, then the main DOS partition.

Escape to an A: prompt, I think and reboot with the boot disk still in the drive. Do as you did before, with CD-ROM, etc., till you get an A: prompt, fdisk:>enter, it will show you 16 gigs, ask if you want to use it all, type in the size of your primary partition (Here's where you have to do ssome thinking: most of your son's games are probably 98, so mayhap you should make the C: larger than D:..

The other option is to use maybe 3 or 4 gigs for each OS and make an E: drive to install to. You just hve to make the choice, when you install, and the install program tells you it will install to C:\Whatever.

Select E:\ and the files will be installed to E:.

If you wish to do this, when fdisk says do you want to use 16 gigs for the Primary DOS partition, type in, say, 3000, down in the right hand corner where it says some 16000.Those are megabytes so 3000 will be 3 gigs. It will verify, tell you you can do whatever hit Escape, choose Create Partition, Create Extended DOS Partition, Do you want to use all the space, Yes, will verify,Escape, Create Partition, Create Logical Partition, Type in 3000, will make D: drive, will verify, will ask if you want to make Logical Partitions, type in 3000 or what you decide you need, will ask if you want to use the rest for another Logical Partition. Here, you will make some 10 gigs for an E:\ drive, hit Enter. Will I think, verify, hit Escape, Escape till you get to A: prompt.

Reboot, go through all the previous,at A: type format c: [Enter], when done, format d: [Enter], format e: [Enter].

At this point you have a pristine computer just waiting for you tofill it up with OSes programs,games, whatever.

Good luck, it is not hard to do. I don't own a chine with a proprietary disk to set it up to factory spec, so I had to learn to do it this way and worse, keep doing it this way as I build all mine and my kids and g'kids. No OEM BIOS or OEM disks.

George

[gmatov]

Josh,

Before you do this you know you should be able to put the drive into your other machine, pull any files you don't want to lose to your drive.
PM in particular as, I'm assuming it is a paid version, it won't work as a demo.

Do make a bootable CD if you have to. CD-Rs are 10-20 cents. A boot disk is 1.2 megabytes, not 12 K.

And, if you don't make it boot with CD-ROM support, you will NOT have mscdex.exe loaded and will NOT see any CD-ROMs at all.

Forewarned is forearmed.

Luck,

George

edit, I'm getting pisssed with my keyboard. Double strikes with a fast hit and the board ddoess not give me the option to set repeat keysstroke. keep getting double s and d aandd have to proofread. Now i see I'm getting double a as welland the damned space bar isn't working well. All in one KBwithtouchpad, hate to get rid of itwill need a mouse urface,and it's a pain when I ddo thi stuff in my recliner.

[j1d10t]

Yeah, you're right - I don't have a copy of Partition Magic, and I'd hate to have wasted $35. So I can just unhook the drive from the one computer, and add it to mine as a second HD... I hadn't thought of that... If I do that, I should be able to get at all the files, correct? And if I have it hooked up to my computer, can I then delete the partition on that drive, and re-format it, and get it ready for an OS? If so, that may be the best way for me to go.

I don't mind copying the Win98 boot disk, as I have a whole spindle of CDs that I got from Costco. And it's not a Windows upgrade, it's the full Win98(first edition), that came with that computer.

And I'm not sure why the floppy isn't working - as I said, I checked all the BIOS settings, and it's set to boot from the floppy first, then the CD-ROM, then the HD. And the floppy was working right before I partitioned the HD... Oh well.

Thanks for your help

[gmatov]

Joh,

Yes, if you have, or can make room on one of the cables in your good machine, you can salvage your data and fdisk/format, but not set the Active Partition.

That can be only the first partition on the C:\ drive.

As to your floppy, try pulling off and reconnecting the cable both drive and board ends.Sometimes the connectionss get a little corrosion build-up.

You can also set the drive as Primary Master in the good machine to fdisk and format, that way you can set C:\ as Active. It's no different than intalling a new drive.

Install as drive 2, pull your data, re-install as Drive 1, fdisk/format.

Simple

Holler if you get stuck.

Cheers,

George

BTW, I prefer Floppy, HD 0, CD-ROM for boot order normally. This should still let you boot from a CD-ROM, as it can't find an OS on the HDD or floppy.