re: Major Mistake
Saturday, April 21, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Windows Me Annoyances Discussion Forum
Posted by Ed
(603 messages posted)
Hi Linda,
For the moment, we won't worry about the FDISK /MBR command. I'll just give you some
simple instructions to try to get your computer working normally. I urge you to read
this entire post through carefully, before doing anything, and make sure that you
understand it.
We are going to try (a) partitioning, and then (b) reformatting, your hard disk.
Because this will *destroy* all data on the hard disk, it is really an action of
last resort. We are doing this because you reported that your tests have found that
there is *no* FAT32 partition on the disk:
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winme/1177090600
What this means is that the partition information in the sector containing the master
boot record (MBR) has been damaged or destroyed.
You will need a Win ME bootable floppy disk (e.g. from http://www.bootdisk.com);
and you may need to add the FORMAT.COM and FDISK.EXE programs to this floppy if they
are not on it already.
Naturally you cannot restore Win ME from CABs, as you have NO access to your operating
system or to any of the files on your hard disk, due to a damaged or wiped primary
DOS partition!
First, a precaution. If you have any other hard disk(s) on your IDE cables, unplug
them (both the data and the power cable) before proceeding. Take proper anti-static
precautions whenever you open the computer's case.
You must be grounded (earthed) always: keep the computer plugged into the wall mains,
but turn the mains power OFF so that the bare metal of the case is earthed through
the mains cable's earth wire into the wall socket. Touch the bare metal inside the
case with your bare hand, to earth yourself, BEFORE touching anything inside the
computer.
Step 1 is to partition the hard disk. So boot to DOS. Then run the FDISK program.
You have to create a primary DOS partition.
At stage one, say YES to the screen that asks if you wish to enable large disk support.
(If you answer [Y] on that screen, FDISK will use a FAT-32 partition table, which
is the type you need!)
At stage two, the next screen that appears, choose option 1, "Create DOS Partition
or Logical DOS Drive".
At stage three, the next screen, choose option 1, "Create Primary DOS Partition".
At stage four, the next screen, FDISK prompts you as to how large you want to make
this partition. If you do not enter a number, it will make the partition as large
as it can. We’re going to make it the maximum size allowed, so just press ENTER to
continue. (At the same time as FDISK creates the partition it will make it Active.)
The partitioning process will take a few minutes, but you'll see a visual display
of progress on the screen.
And that's all you need to do to create a single partition that uses all the space
on your hard disk. So once the partitioning process has finished successfully, press
ESC to exit FDISK.
Step 2 is to use the FORMAT program to format the partition you just created
as Drive C: and this is pretty straightforward. At the A: prompt type this command-
FORMAT C:
and be sure to leave a space before the C. The formatting process will take a few
minutes, but again you'll see a visual display of progress on the screen.
You should now have a hard disk which is partitioned, as one FAT32 partition, and
that is formatted as drive C:, and it will now accept your attempt to install Windows
ME onto it.
You will need an installation CD for a *full* install of Windows ME; an upgrade version
won't work, because there's no operating system on the hard disk now.
Step 3 is therefore to put the installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and reinstall
Windows ME. Your ME reinstall CD is the logical first choice, I would suggest.
You will also need a valid Microsoft serial number. Do a Google search to find one
on the internet, if necessary, but there should be one printed on the installation
CD's documents.
This step 3 will cure the "Operating system not found" error.
Finally, a word about the "magic" command, FDISK /MBR.
This command is an undocumented DOS command; MBR is short for Master Boot Record,
and the MBR sector is the first sector on the hard disk.
The command FDISK /MBR overwrites the first 446 of the 512 bytes in sector 1 of the
disk with zeros, erasing the executable code and data strings that may currently
be there. The remainder of the 512 bytes are left alone.
FDISK /MBR can only replace the executable information with zeros; it does not restore
the code needed to get your computer working again.
There *are* procedures which can restore your MBR sector, without partitioning or
formatting the disk. But they are a bit complex, and the degree of success depends
on the nature and extent of the damage to the MBR sector and to the data structure
on the disk; but it's not impossible.
Even the complete loss of the partition table and both FATs is not necessarily fatal,
if the actual data itself is still largely intact.
I don't claim to currently understand the nature and extent of the damage you've
sustained; but there are DOS utilities available that can analyse the hard disk and
build up a picture of what is wrong.
The one other thing that FDISK can do for you, though, is show you the current partition
data (i.e. the current state of the hard disk), by typing this command at the A:
prompt -
FDISK /STATUS
Ed
On Saturday, April 21, 2007 at 6:54 am, Linda wrote:
>Hi Ed! I'm pleased to know that you and Carol believe the pc is salvagable, as
long as it isn't too costly.
>I don't care about any data/files lost, so, yes, please, I would appreciate any
help you would care to give.
>My humble thanks again........
- Written in response to:
- re: Major Mistake (Linda: Saturday, April 21, 2007 at 6:54 am)
Responses to this message:
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All messages in this thread [show all]
 | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | re: PS (Ed: Sun, Apr 22, 2007, 8:14 pm) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | re: FDISK (Linda: Mon, Apr 23, 2007, 6:38 am) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | re: FDISK (Linda: Wed, Apr 25, 2007, 7:21 am) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | re: FDISK (Linda: Wed, Apr 25, 2007, 12:44 pm) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | re: FDISK (Linda: Wed, Apr 25, 2007, 1:42 pm) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | re: FDISK (Linda: Wed, Apr 25, 2007, 2:05 pm) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | re: FDISK (Linda: Wed, Apr 25, 2007, 2:22 pm) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | re: FDISK (Ms. Eagle: Thu, Apr 26, 2007, 1:13 pm) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | re: FDISK (Ms. Eagle: Thu, Apr 26, 2007, 2:13 pm) |
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