Operating Sys Not Found

[KenP]

Hi, I hope you are doing well.

I am having the Op Sys NF problem. I can boot from a floppy disk and change
to the C drive, but can't get a file/directory list. If I run the DIR
command, I get what appears to be a list of DOS commands residing on the
floppy disk. I say that because the byte size of the C drive is represented
as the same size as a floppy disk. I used bootdisk I created and one I
downloaded from bootdisk.com with same results. I did not use the SPINRITE
program cause I do not want to purchase it without some assurance it will
work--I know, cheapskate.

Does anyone know of another option I might have for accessing the files on
the hard drive?

I posted this in GENERAL thread but did not anything helpful. I appreciate
the two individuals who replied but just am not having any luck.

Thanks for any help you can provide and have a great weekend.

[Noel Paton]

Boot with a floppy - type
DIR C:
what's reported?

Type
FDISK /STATUS

What's reported??


--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2005, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's

"KenP" > wrote in message
...
> Hi, I hope you are doing well.
>
> I am having the Op Sys NF problem. I can boot from a floppy disk and
> change
> to the C drive, but can't get a file/directory list. If I run the DIR
> command, I get what appears to be a list of DOS commands residing on the
> floppy disk. I say that because the byte size of the C drive is
> represented
> as the same size as a floppy disk. I used bootdisk I created and one I
> downloaded from bootdisk.com with same results. I did not use the SPINRITE
> program cause I do not want to purchase it without some assurance it will
> work--I know, cheapskate.
>
> Does anyone know of another option I might have for accessing the files on
> the hard drive?
>
> I posted this in GENERAL thread but did not anything helpful. I appreciate
> the two individuals who replied but just am not having any luck.
>
> Thanks for any help you can provide and have a great weekend.

[KenP]

When I run Dir C command I get a list of DOS commands. No directories and
nothing that indicates the Dir actually reported on C drive.

When I run FDISK, I get no disks found.

"Noel Paton" wrote:

> Boot with a floppy - type
> DIR C:
> what's reported?
>
> Type
> FDISK /STATUS
>
> What's reported??
>
>
> --
> Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2005, Windows)
>
> Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
> http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm
>
> http://tinyurl.com/6oztj
>
> Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
>
> "KenP" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi, I hope you are doing well.
> >
> > I am having the Op Sys NF problem. I can boot from a floppy disk and
> > change
> > to the C drive, but can't get a file/directory list. If I run the DIR
> > command, I get what appears to be a list of DOS commands residing on the
> > floppy disk. I say that because the byte size of the C drive is
> > represented
> > as the same size as a floppy disk. I used bootdisk I created and one I
> > downloaded from bootdisk.com with same results. I did not use the SPINRITE
> > program cause I do not want to purchase it without some assurance it will
> > work--I know, cheapskate.
> >
> > Does anyone know of another option I might have for accessing the files on
> > the hard drive?
> >
> > I posted this in GENERAL thread but did not anything helpful. I appreciate
> > the two individuals who replied but just am not having any luck.
> >
> > Thanks for any help you can provide and have a great weekend.
>
>
>

[Noel Paton]

Hmm - sounds like you HD has died - terminally!
I hope you have backups?

The RAMDisk is being allocated to drive C:, because there's no visible HD

It may be worth checking the IDE connectors to the HD and making sure that
they're properly seated, and that the power leads are OK

--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2005, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's

"KenP" > wrote in message
...
> When I run Dir C command I get a list of DOS commands. No directories and
> nothing that indicates the Dir actually reported on C drive.
>
> When I run FDISK, I get no disks found.
>
> "Noel Paton" wrote:
>
>> Boot with a floppy - type
>> DIR C:
>> what's reported?
>>
>> Type
>> FDISK /STATUS
>>
>> What's reported??
>>
>>
>> --
>> Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2005, Windows)
>>
>> Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
>> http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/6oztj
>>
>> Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
>>
>> "KenP" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > Hi, I hope you are doing well.
>> >
>> > I am having the Op Sys NF problem. I can boot from a floppy disk and
>> > change
>> > to the C drive, but can't get a file/directory list. If I run the DIR
>> > command, I get what appears to be a list of DOS commands residing on
>> > the
>> > floppy disk. I say that because the byte size of the C drive is
>> > represented
>> > as the same size as a floppy disk. I used bootdisk I created and one I
>> > downloaded from bootdisk.com with same results. I did not use the
>> > SPINRITE
>> > program cause I do not want to purchase it without some assurance it
>> > will
>> > work--I know, cheapskate.
>> >
>> > Does anyone know of another option I might have for accessing the files
>> > on
>> > the hard drive?
>> >
>> > I posted this in GENERAL thread but did not anything helpful. I
>> > appreciate
>> > the two individuals who replied but just am not having any luck.
>> >
>> > Thanks for any help you can provide and have a great weekend.
>>
>>
>>

[N. Miller]

In article >, =?Utf-8?B?
S2VuUA==?= says...

> When I run Dir C command I get a list of DOS commands. No directories and
> nothing that indicates the Dir actually reported on C drive.

> When I run FDISK, I get no disks found.

Have you made any recent changes? If not, as Noel says, it is a dead HDD.

However, in the remote possibility that you might have change; I got that
error after a BIOS update. After flashing the latest HP BIOS image, on
reboot the "System Not Found" error appeared. I rebooted, but used the F2
key to get to the BIOS configuration. For some reason the BIOS had switched
the cables, and the boot sequence. I physically swapped the cables, and re-
configured the BIOS options to match what had been configured before
flashing the latest HP BIOS version; after that I was back in business.

--
Norman
~Win dain a lotica, En vai tu ri, Si lo ta
~Fin dein a loluca, En dragu a sei lain
~Vi fa-ru les shutai am, En riga-lint

[Rick T]

KenP wrote:
> Hi, I hope you are doing well.
>
> I am having the Op Sys NF problem. I can boot from a floppy disk and change
> to the C drive, but can't get a file/directory list. If I run the DIR
> command, I get what appears to be a list of DOS commands residing on the
> floppy disk. I say that because the byte size of the C drive is represented
> as the same size as a floppy disk. I used bootdisk I created and one I
> downloaded from bootdisk.com with same results. I did not use the SPINRITE
> program cause I do not want to purchase it without some assurance it will
> work--I know, cheapskate.
>
> Does anyone know of another option I might have for accessing the files on
> the hard drive?
>
> I posted this in GENERAL thread but did not anything helpful. I appreciate
> the two individuals who replied but just am not having any luck.
>
> Thanks for any help you can provide and have a great weekend.

Well, so far the weekend is going rather mediocrely... there's still
time though.

As Noel said, the reason you seem to have a "C:" when you boot from the
EBD is that the RAMDisk which the EBD creates is being assigned that letter.

Looks like you have a dead disk, *but* you'll want to check a few things
before you turn it into an industrial-art paperweight.

BIOS - ensure drive detection is set to AUTO.

Does the red light come on when you boot up ? Do you hear the drive
spinning up?

Cables - may be a bum power or data cable.


Rick