can't get E drive to load on startup

[JBoze3131]

ive been having problems with my computer for a few months now, and im going to reinstall windows (98SE)...but, before i do so, i need to burn 3 CDs worth of files. i would do that, but my cd r drive wont load. i have it set to show the stuff booting up...and it says hard drive, then d drive cd rom, but e doesnt appear. it did every now and then, but it wont at all now.

how can i get to the computer to recognize the burner so i can burn the cds and not lose all my files? i tried adding new hardware, but it doesnt recognize anything. ive made sure its not an issue with the connection to the burner- its got something to do with windows 98, im thinking...

wait- also...how do i reinstall windows? i thought all i had to do was type in format c: and it would delete everything and then i could pop in the windows 98 disc (or is the system restore disc). im seeing stuff online about fdisk, and that sounds familiar from when i had help reinstalling before...but not sure if thats what i need to do or what. i know that you cant just pop the restore cd in, because itll just install windows ontop of windows.

also...ive heard of partitioning a drive, but im not sure what it is exactly. is there any way to save my files (the ones i wanted to burn) on the HD somewhere and have it delete everythign else...and then have a clean reinstall of the OS itself?

[(jj)]

First, you need to make sure that your CDR is in operational shape. It's always possible that it finally died on you (no matter how new it might be). If you have a friend that has a computer, try your CDR in their computer to see if it is recognized.

When your computer starts to boot, before Windblows starts, there should be a screen of BIOS information. If you are quick enough, you can press the "Pause" key on your keyboard and read the information (you can also hit "Esc" when the Win Logo screen appears to see the info). Your hard drive, CD drive and CDR drive should be listed there if the computer is seeing all of the hardware.

You mention both a Windows install CD and a restore CD, which do you have? Most restore CD's come with a boot disk and by using them it will format the drive and reinstall everything just as it was the day you bought the computer.

If you have an OEM install CD and boot disk, then you can boot with the floppy and when the 3 selection menu appears, choose the option to boot to command with no CD. Once it is booted, type fdisk and hit enter. On the next menu, select option 3 (delete partition) and then select option 1 on the next menu (delete primary partition). This is presuming that you only have the one partition on your drive.

After you have deleted your partitions, then you can exit fdisk and reboot with the boot floppy still in the drive. This time when it comes to the 3 option boot menu, select option #1 (Start Windows setup from CD). Once the install process starts, it will prompt you to allocate the disk space (fdisk) and it will automatically do it for you. Your only choice that needs to be taken care of is to select either FAT32 or FAT16 (I suggest FAT32).

The computer will reboot after that and then proceed to format the drive. Then it will install Winblows for you :)

[XJnick]

So you have a CD drive and a CD burner? You might check whether the burner is set as a Master or Slave. Then check that the other CD-rom drive isn't set to the same setting (i.e. One should be set master, the other should be set slave)

If the CD-burner is on the same cable as your hard drive, the burner MUST be set as a slave drive.

[JBoze3131]

it loaded earlier...it didnt load this time. the whole master slave thing is set right.

now, another problem im having is that i can get it to recognize it every now and then...but, i cant burn a cd, because windows always freezes up on me. i deleted almost everything from the HD and have the 3 cds worth of files in 3 folders, but now i cant burn anything without it all freezing! ugh. i cant reinstall because there are files on here that i cant lose.

i looked online for prices on usb hard drives and those mp3 players that double as hard drives, but i cant afford anything like that right now.

what i mentioned about partitioning the HD, is that possible? it seems like there should be some simple way to save your files on the hd AND do a reinstall of the OS.

[satis]

you don't have to format your drive to do a reinstall of the O/S. It's typically better like that because most people are clueless and will screw stuff up, but it's not necessary. I very rarely format when I reinstall.

The trick is to delete a few folders on your c: drive... namely c:\Windows and c:\program files. After that, just install Windows like normal. You lose your programs and any windows settings, but you keep the rest of your data... just make sure that anything you want to keep you move off your desktop and your program files directory to someplace else.

Note...this includes your bookmarks, anything on your desktop (or a subfolder on your desktop), your email, your address book, anything and everything in c:\program files, etc etc. Just put all the stuff you wanna save in like c:\saved or something.

btw, from what you're describing it may be your burner that's bad. If BIOS isn't detecting it on boot, it has nothing to do with your operating system. Just FYI.

[JBoze3131]

i was going to just pop the windows cd in and reinstall win98 (like you mentioned), and not do a clean reinstall...but now i get a message that says it wont do it because built in anti virus protection might be on, but i deleted norton antivirus...it still says it.

i reinstalled it and made sure auto protect wasnt on- still says the same message.

this is frustrating! you think this would be an easier process.

any idea on where to go in and make sure it isnt the anti virus stuff thats preventing this?

[XJnick]

it seems like there should be some simple way to save your files on the hd AND do a reinstall of the OS

You can. Nothing says you have to erase the entire hard drive to reinstall windows...

You won't loose any data except what is in the windows directory.

However, it is usually best to format (erase) the hard drive to prevent having future problems. Note also that repartioning the hard drive erases all data (unless you use some special program).

Hope that helps :D

[JBoze3131]

okay. if i delete programs and windows folder...it should erase the settings with the anti virus software as it, right? now, this question- i know that i can hit ctrl when the computer is starting to start it up and dos, but how do i delete the windows and programs folder in dos mode?

[XJnick]

i was going to just pop the windows cd in and reinstall win98 (like you mentioned), and not do a clean reinstall...but now i get a message that says it wont do it because built in anti virus protection might be on, but i deleted norton antivirus...it still says it.

Are you trying to reinstall windows through windows? Not a good idea. Definately reinstall from DOS, if you choose not to delete the windows directory, I believe it will just write over the existing files

trying to keep up with your posts :D

[JBoze3131]

i have the win98 cd. i was going to install it all from there...by putting it in when i started up. isnt that what you do?

im confused. i have a cd that says win98, and thats the one that had the antivirus message- it was goign to install win98 and all. plus, i have a system restoration cd.

i just want the computer to go back to how it was when i first got it, BUT save my files in the SAVE folder on the c drive. i took it off the desktop and all.

so i guess i need to know which disc (the win98 one im guessing) and also how to do all of this in dos

[XJnick]

I usually boot to dos from the windows boot disk, then just do something like:

del C:\windows\*.*
del C:\windows\system\*.*
del C:\windows\system32\*.*

This just deletes all the files in the directories. Deleting the three listed above should be enough to erase all the old settings. Also deleting large directories in DOS will take some time, so be patient :p

[XJnick]

Now, once that is taken care of, you can either boot the windows 98 boot disk and select start computer with cd-rom support option, then at the prompt type E:\setup and let it install off the windows 98 CD-rom

Or

Boot the computer with the windows 98 CD in the drive and if your computer supports booting off the CD, it should enter setup on it's own

[JBoze3131]

ah. okay then. thanks a lot for the help. im going to try to do this now. lets hope nothing goes wrong! if im gone more than a day, call 911...

[XJnick]

No problem... 911 is in my speed dial :D :D

Good Luck

[JBoze3131]

well this sucks. i reinstalled windows, but it wouldnt do it without formatting c drive. it kept having different errors. so i had to format and reinstall.

now, i need to get everything loaded again, and figure out why i can only choose 16 colors setting on my monitor. PLUS, i started having a weird problem with my video or my monitor...there are suddenly weird lines (kinda grayish) on the screen...and the colors are a bit muted and the text looks weird. im pretty sure the monitor isnt messed up,because the colors look normal when it brings up the self test info when the computer is off.

[JBoze3131]

btw. i checked and i have the updated driver from gateway.com- but still, i only have the option of 2 or 16 colors and 640x480. last time i reinstalled, when it set it all up, i didnt have this problem. im confused.

[XJnick]

If you can only go up to 16 colors, you either don't have the right video card drivers or the video card is having a hardware conflict. What model is the computer? Is the video card seperate or built-on to the motherboard? If it is a separate card, try getting the drivers from the manufacturer's website.

Also, if you have the Gateway restore disc, try seeing if the correct drivers are on that disc.

[JBoze3131]

went to gateways site and ran their update thing, which scanned my computer and i fixed the problem with the colors and resolution. now, i still have this problem that happened BEFORE i reinstalled. it came out of nowhere yesterday.

check out this pic- thats what it looks like with this forum open...all these gray lines thru the screen. and when i click stuff, the gray lines show up where the cursor is too. hard to explain...so i just got a snapshot of it. its in bmp since i have yet to install any software besides paint for this purpose.

http://www.thebluesite.com/graylines.bmp

any idea what could be causing this? i unhooked and reconnected the monitor, but that didnt do anything.

[(jj)]

Perhaps I am blind, but I can see no gray lines of any sort in that image, not even when I've zoomed in to over 300%.

Have you tried a different monitor?

[JBoze3131]

weird. well i hit print screen and thought the gray lines would show up. guess not, huh? i have an old monitor downstairs, and i guess i can try it. i hope its not a broken monitor, because the other one is smaller, old, and nowhere near as nice.

[JBoze3131]

i just hooked the other monitor up, and its doing the very same thing this one is. with the gray lines.

when i went to gateways site and ran their update program, it gave me the newest driver, and i remember that its the same driver i had before i reinstalled windows...so, the wrong driver is not the issue (not anymore at least). and as you mentioned, when i hit print screen and save it as a picture, it doesnt show the gray lines on the pic, just on the monitor(s) themselves. hmm. i made sure the connections are all tight, and they are. so, i guess that means the problems lies in the tower somewhere. i have no other problems, which is good...(windows is running great now with no freezing or anything since i reinstalled the OS)...


one more thing- maybe to clarify a bit with the gray lines. when i open this page...theres gray lines running horizontal- theyre more clear on certain areas- up above, where it says post reply (if youre replying), its a red bar with text...the gray line there is much more pronounced and thicker. the red line and text below me where it says topic review- same thing there. and at the top where the powweb logo is and the red line. not just having the problem with reds of course, but for this page itself, those are the biggest, darkest lines. not sure if all of that helps pinpoint the problem any better, but i guess its worth mentioning just in case.

[satis]

bad video card? Bad vga connection?

Have you checked the pins on the back of your video card connection? I'd check the pins on the monitor connector to make sure some aren't bent and going in the wrong holes. Maybe check the female side and see if there's any damage to that side. :/

I assume a screenshot captures the actual video card output and puts it into a bmp, so since there's no gray in that it's probably not the video card. You don't have any strong magnetic fields around your monitor or cable, do you? Freaky stuff.

[(jj)]

One thing you can try, check your refresh rate for the video card.

Go to "Display" (right click on the desktop and choose "Properties") then "Settings" > "Advanced" and there should be a section where your "Refresh Rate" is listed, usually under the tab "Adapter".

Check to see what it's set at, most are either set as "Optimal" or "Adapter Default" by default. You should be safe trying either of the above or "60 Hz", but be warned, if you choose the wrong one you could mess up your video display. Not all cards will work with all of the options listed in there.

[XJnick]

I see no gray lines either.

Definately sounds like a video card problem. Sometimes taking out the video card and then re-installing it will fix problems caused by loose connections

[JBoze3131]

someone said it wasnt a video card problem and one said it prob was right? just wanna make sure. if both said it was a video card issue, then ill check that. i checked the connector to the monitor, and i dont see any missing pins in there.

i dont know where the video card is in the computer, let alone how to check the connection to it. so, i wont do any of that until i find out how and how safe it is to do so...i chedked the refresh rate and its set to optimal. im not sure what other settings my monitor safely handles (or whatever you wanna call it), so i didnt try 60. how do i find out if i can change it to 60 to see if that helps? or being that its set to optimal, does that mean the problem isnt in the refresh rate setting at all?

[(jj)]

It very well could be your video card.

Being a Gateway computer, your video could be built into the motherboard. If your video connector (where you connect your monitor) is along the bottom or side of the case where the keyboard, mouse, serial ports and printer ports are located, then most likely the video is built into the board.

Finding the video card is simple, you are connecting your monitor directly to it, so with the case opened you can see exactly which card is your video card by looking to see where the monitor attaches to the computer.

If your adapter is set to "Optimal" that should allow for the best refresh rate for the monitor.

[satis]

yep, my vote is video card. It probably is integrated into the mobo like (jj) said. If you've got an AGP slot, then you should be able to buy a video card, disable the onboard one in the BIOS, and you should be all set. If not, and you have a free PCI slot, you should probably be able to find a PCI video card somewhere. If you have neither, then you may be out of luck. If you're still in warranty, definetely talk to Gateway. Don't crack the case, that usually voids the warranty.

It sounds like a vid card issue to me, however I've been wrong more than I'd like to admit. If nothing else pans out for you, you may want to just take it to a pc repair shop and let them diagnose it. Your call either way, of course. And, worst comes to worst, you're just out a motherboard... assuming it's a standard case (don't see why it wouldn't be) a new motherboard only costs between $50-$200 (depending on the bells and whistles).

[JBoze3131]

thanks a lot for the info. (again.)

the warranty is expired...i only have limited phone support left on my acct. i might take it to a local repair shop to see if they can figure out the video issue, and also try to see whats causing the machine to freeze again, even tho i just did a clean install and checked for ad and spyware, scanned for viruses, etc. the machine was freezing again last night, which was a big problem which is why i reinstalled the os.

btw. whats the diff between agp and pci?

im pretty sure the pci is where the ethernet card is...and i guess all the rest like it (the tv tuner card is on one i guess?) are the same thing?

my monitor connects at the bottom where the tv tuner card, sound card, and ethernet are all located.

[satis]

AGP is a graphics-only slot. It's typically brown and set different than the PCI slots. The PCI slots are where basically everything else gets stuck into. As to what's what on your computer, I have no idea. The nic could be PCI, or it could be integrated into the motherboard. Ditto with virtually everything else on your system. Integrating stuff into the motherboard makes the computer alot cheaper to build.

[JBoze3131]

nic is ethernet no? or maybe im way off.

the ethernet thing (is it actually called an ethernet card?) was installed by the company that i used to have my cable modem with. their service was terrible and always down, so some guys came out and put in the card to see if thatd help (it didnt and i changed to a diff cable company), and they popped that into one of the open slots.

[satis]

ah, ok. Yes, nic and ethernet card are synonymous... nic standards for 'network interface card'. Just different ways of saying the same thing, basically.

Yea, if they put it in your computer, it'll almost definetely be PCI.

[JBoze3131]

where's the setting to make sure my browser is accepting cookies? it must be accepting them, because im staying signed in with amazon.com and other sites...but, everytime i come to this forum and the forum on my own site, i have to log in everytime. i went to advanced where i thought it was (i never had to mess with it before), but its not there, as far as i see.

im using slim browser, so maybe that has something to do with it...i never have a problem before today tho. not too big of a problem, but annoying nonetheless :)

thanks for the info on nic and all. net. interface- duh. i remember that now (of course i do!)

[satis]

hehe. I can tell you where the cookie settings are in Internet Explorer (tools, internet options, privacy in IE6..... tools, internet options, security in prior ones, I believe), but I've never heard of 'slim browser', so I don't really know for that one. And no problem. :)