I have a question about Why can't I start Windows when I boot from a floppy?:

I recently installed a broadband router in our office connecting several Macintoshes and 1 PC. I was having difficulty getting the PC to work correctly with the DHCP router. I went to the manufacturer's website and followed the instructions to get it to work correctly. This involved the use of a program call "winipcfg" that allows one to reset the ip address and gateway info for a network card. It partially worked the first time, and then would no longer respond after that. I went so far as to remove the network card and all the configs and protocols, but no luck. Then the computer started doing strange things, booting into safe mode, etc. I decided to just reinstall Windows 98SE and go from there. Here's the problem: the compter will no longer boot from the floppy drive. I have tried the floppy that came with the compter, and one that I made from the control panel. I have replaced the msdos.sys file with the one from the c: drive, as suggested in other posts. The boot sequence in the bios is a, c, scsi. This is the only option that allows the a: drive as the first in the sequence. I know the floppy drive works; I can read floppys when the system is running normally. The drive makes access noise and the light blinks, but then it switches to the c: drive and continues from there. I have even disconnected both hard drives, and tried to boot from the floppy and still no luck. I am at a loss as to what to do next. I have been unable to find an answer anywhere on the net for this situation. HELP!

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I would make another fresh Boot disk on a Win98 machine if possible or download an 
OEM version from the link below for your Version of Win98, I use the first link on 
the page for Bootdisks.

It sounds to me that the Win98 Floppy disk is either corrupt or has been modified, 
so it cannot boot the PC, the Boot disks have all the needed files on it already 
and there is no need to alter anything on there.


Bootdisks

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If you want to make a simple test floppy that will get you to the 'A' prompt fast. Put a blank formatted floppy in, open up My Computer, right click the 'A' drive , format, choose 'copy system files', when it's done just restart the computer and you should boot right up to the 'A' prompt real fast. It will be a good test to see if your machine can boot to the floppy. MrC


On Monday, July 21, 2003 at 8:52 am, Terry Steckert wrote:
>I have a question about Why
>can't I start Windows when I boot from a floppy?:

>I recently installed a broadband router in our office connecting several Macintoshes
>and 1 PC. I was having difficulty getting the PC to work correctly with the DHCP
>router. I went to the manufacturer's website and followed the instructions to get
>it to work correctly. This involved the use of a program call "winipcfg" that allows
>one to reset the ip address and gateway info for a network card. It partially worked
>the first time, and then would no longer respond after that. I went so far as to
>remove the network card and all the configs and protocols, but no luck. Then the
>computer started doing strange things, booting into safe mode, etc. I decided to
>just reinstall Windows 98SE and go from there. Here's the problem: the compter will
>no longer boot from the floppy drive. I have tried the floppy that came with the
>compter, and one that I made from the control panel. I have replaced the msdos.sys
>file with the one from the c: drive, as suggested in other posts. The boot sequence
>in the bios is a, c, scsi. This is the only option that allows the a: drive as the
>first in the sequence. I know the floppy drive works; I can read floppys when the
>system is running normally. The drive makes access noise and the light blinks, but
>then it switches to the c: drive and continues from there. I have even disconnected
>both hard drives, and tried to boot from the floppy and still no luck. I am at a
>loss as to what to do next. I have been unable to find an answer anywhere on the
>net for this situation. HELP!
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

On Monday, July 21, 2003 at 3:03 pm, MrCharlie wrote:
>
>If you want to make a simple test floppy that will get you to the 'A' prompt fast.
>Put a blank formatted floppy in, open up My Computer, right click the 'A' drive ,
>format, choose 'copy system files', when it's done just restart the computer and
>you should boot right up to the 'A' prompt real fast. It will be a good test to see
>if your machine can boot to the floppy. MrC
>
> Thanks for both responses to my query, but so far no luck. I have tried both with new floppys and the same thing happens.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

I was looking around and found a couple of things. One person had the same problem as you and he claims it was a bad power supply. He replaced the PS and that fixed the problem. Another suggestion was to clear the cmos then reset defaults, also reinstall drivers for floppy. I would say check the cables and connection and if you can try another floppy. Good luck, MrC

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

try booting the system by removing the harddisk frm the pc and then connect it to another working desktop, and thus boot the harddisk frm there


On Monday, July 21, 2003 at 8:52 am, Terry Steckert wrote:
>I have a question about Why
>can't I start Windows when I boot from a floppy?:

>I recently installed a broadband router in our office connecting several Macintoshes
>and 1 PC. I was having difficulty getting the PC to work correctly with the DHCP
>router. I went to the manufacturer's website and followed the instructions to get
>it to work correctly. This involved the use of a program call "winipcfg" that allows
>one to reset the ip address and gateway info for a network card. It partially worked
>the first time, and then would no longer respond after that. I went so far as to
>remove the network card and all the configs and protocols, but no luck. Then the
>computer started doing strange things, booting into safe mode, etc. I decided to
>just reinstall Windows 98SE and go from there. Here's the problem: the compter will
>no longer boot from the floppy drive. I have tried the floppy that came with the
>compter, and one that I made from the control panel. I have replaced the msdos.sys
>file with the one from the c: drive, as suggested in other posts. The boot sequence
>in the bios is a, c, scsi. This is the only option that allows the a: drive as the
>first in the sequence. I know the floppy drive works; I can read floppys when the
>system is running normally. The drive makes access noise and the light blinks, but
>then it switches to the c: drive and continues from there. I have even disconnected
>both hard drives, and tried to boot from the floppy and still no luck. I am at a
>loss as to what to do next. I have been unable to find an answer anywhere on the
>net for this situation. HELP!
>
>

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