floppy challenge, trying to ready a machine for win98se install
 

Hi all,

I was given a Gateway 2000 P5-133 desktop computer, I have been
trying to get all the components working so I can install win98 on it,
it currently had win95 and does boot up. My intent is to fdisk and
format the drive to do a clean install of win98se.

I've replaced the floppy drive, the CD drive, removed a Nic card that
seemed to be causing a system resource error on bootup.. and thought
I had it all ready to go, but even though the floppy drive will
display the files on the floppy disk, it won't let me copy them to the
hard drive, or access them in any way... I can highlight them,
either individually or with the Ctrl+A, drag them to the HD, the
transfer window comes up , then I get the following error: "Cannot
copy filename, The system cannot read from the specified device"

This is the 3rd floppy drive I've put in here, the first two wouldn't
even show the files... all these floppy drives came out of working
units. Oh, I've also replaced the ribbon cable to the floppy.

On bootup it does auto detect all the drives (C:, D:, and the CDRom)
and the floppy and tells me it's "installed".

I was able to copy the win98 folder to the D: drive from the CD, and
will install from there, is this a problem that could be fixed by the
O/S or is this a hardware problem?

Thanks for any help or ideas.

niteowl

floppy challenge, trying to ready a machine for win98se install
 

Why don't you fdisk and format the drive and then install W98? If you are
just making sure the floppy drive will work, boot with a W98 start up disk
in the system to ensure the drive works in DOS mode.
The floppy drive will need to be set as the first boot device in the BIOS.

For information on installing W98, go to:
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html



--
Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

"niteowl" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I was given a Gateway 2000 P5-133 desktop computer, I have been
trying to get all the components working so I can install win98 on it,
it currently had win95 and does boot up. My intent is to fdisk and
format the drive to do a clean install of win98se.

I've replaced the floppy drive, the CD drive, removed a Nic card that
seemed to be causing a system resource error on bootup.. and thought
I had it all ready to go, but even though the floppy drive will
display the files on the floppy disk, it won't let me copy them to the
hard drive, or access them in any way... I can highlight them,
either individually or with the Ctrl+A, drag them to the HD, the
transfer window comes up , then I get the following error: "Cannot
copy filename, The system cannot read from the specified device"

This is the 3rd floppy drive I've put in here, the first two wouldn't
even show the files... all these floppy drives came out of working
units. Oh, I've also replaced the ribbon cable to the floppy.

On bootup it does auto detect all the drives (C:, D:, and the CDRom)
and the floppy and tells me it's "installed".

I was able to copy the win98 folder to the D: drive from the CD, and
will install from there, is this a problem that could be fixed by the
O/S or is this a hardware problem?

Thanks for any help or ideas.

niteowl

floppy challenge, trying to ready a machine for win98se install
 

On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 12:47:04 -0500, "Ron Badour"
wrote:

Why don't you fdisk and format the drive and then install W98? If you are
just making sure the floppy drive will work, boot with a W98 start up disk
in the system to ensure the drive works in DOS mode.
The floppy drive will need to be set as the first boot device in the BIOS.

well duh,

ok, I did that and it worked just fine.. so what could have been the
problem?

I just finished fdisking and am in the process of formatting the drive
now...

thanks for your help.

niteowl

floppy challenge, trying to ready a machine for win98se install
 

You were having problems with the drive in Windows as there was apparently
some Windows glitch. However, in that you are installing to a clean drive
from DOS, the problem is irrelevant:-)

--
Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

"niteowl" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 12:47:04 -0500, "Ron Badour"
wrote:

Why don't you fdisk and format the drive and then install W98? If you
are
just making sure the floppy drive will work, boot with a W98 start up
disk
in the system to ensure the drive works in DOS mode.
The floppy drive will need to be set as the first boot device in the
BIOS.

well duh,

ok, I did that and it worked just fine.. so what could have been the
problem?

I just finished fdisking and am in the process of formatting the drive
now...

thanks for your help.

niteowl

floppy challenge, trying to ready a machine for win98se install
 

On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 12:47:04 -0500, "Ron Badour"
wrote:

Why don't you fdisk and format the drive and then install W98? If you are
just making sure the floppy drive will work, boot with a W98 start up disk
in the system to ensure the drive works in DOS mode.
The floppy drive will need to be set as the first boot device in the BIOS.


Darn!! well, win98se installed just fine, eveything works, EXCEPT I
still can't copy or move anything from the floppy to the hard drive.
??????

the files show up, I can highlight them, but they will not transfer,
same error as before... "cannot read from specified device"

any ideas?

thanks,
niteowl

floppy challenge, trying to ready a machine for win98se install
 

Try a different floppy disk. I have seen floppies that were damaged act
that way.

--
Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

"niteowl" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 12:47:04 -0500, "Ron Badour"
wrote:

Why don't you fdisk and format the drive and then install W98? If you
are
just making sure the floppy drive will work, boot with a W98 start up
disk
in the system to ensure the drive works in DOS mode.
The floppy drive will need to be set as the first boot device in the
BIOS.


Darn!! well, win98se installed just fine, eveything works, EXCEPT I
still can't copy or move anything from the floppy to the hard drive.
??????

the files show up, I can highlight them, but they will not transfer,
same error as before... "cannot read from specified device"

any ideas?

thanks,
niteowl

floppy challenge, trying to ready a machine for win98se install
 

On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 15:26:01 -0500, "Ron Badour"
wrote:

Try a different floppy disk. I have seen floppies that were damaged act
that way.

ok, a new one worked, though that old floppy still worked just fine in
the other machine.. ?? very odd..

thanks again,
niteowl

floppy challenge, trying to ready a machine for win98se install
 

If the heads were not aligned perfectly in the drive that made it, another
drive could have problems reading the disk.
--
Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

"niteowl" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 15:26:01 -0500, "Ron Badour"
wrote:

Try a different floppy disk. I have seen floppies that were damaged act
that way.

ok, a new one worked, though that old floppy still worked just fine in
the other machine.. ?? very odd..

thanks again,
niteowl