can not boot.

Correct, Mart. No light activity, thou I've never actually listen for or
heard the noise .. will check that out.
Yes, the power connector. can go only one way,,,,, ? I swear I can find
many but , best fit , no force......
I believe you've made me realized Im using wrong cables....
I need to do some work around the building but will be b ack in 3 hrs to try
out your suggestion minus the getting new drive.... not yet... You are
helping me great deal, Thank you.

"Mart" wrote:

Again, I seem to have missed something (probably due to the timing and
interleaving of your posts and my replies) but I *may* have misled both you
and myself a little. I (mis)understood you to have implied that the A: drive
light was permanently lit - a sure sign that the 34way cable is reversed
(upside-down). However, if I now understand you correctly, you are
suggesting that you get no light activity at all from the A: drive.

That light would 'normally' flash a couple of times (and you might also hear
some mechanical activity) during the POST (Power-On-Self-Test) stage of the
boot process - with or without a floppy disk in the drive - even before the
computer tries to start Windows.

Confirm that the 34way signal cable is correctly connected at BOTH ends and
its connectors are firmly seated - and whilst your about it, check the
seating of your CD-ROM and DVD cables.

Note also that the 34way connector which is connected to the A: drive is the
end connector - the one AFTER the twist in the ribbon cable. (The middle
connector is for a second floppy (B: drive), if fitted!)

You may also need to confirm that the A: drive is enabled in your BIOS.

Not too sure what you mean by :- "what about the other connector, the one
with the color wires." - Do you mean the 4way power cable connectors? -
they will (should!) only connect one way - unless you've forced them.

If you are in some doubt about the interconnections to your drives etc., -
it *might* be worth consulting your local PC store or technician for
advice - something we can't visually check over the internet g But then
again, a replacement A: drive is not expensive (as I suggested earlier) only
a couple of $/£ or so.

Mart



"rpmsfpr" wrote in message
...
Ok Mart , red stripe with pin 1. /what about the other connector, the
one
with the color wires. not sure where it goes. Is at the end of the
connectors connected to the cd/dvd roms. It has a number 6 on it. Then I
have
another just like it with a bigger one just hanging by itself.That one has
a
number 8 ,, and then the one connected to hard drive with another I
believe
is for the slave hard drive...... but I tell you, no light goes on the
floppy
when I turn machine on
"Mart" wrote:

Sorry Ricardo, I missed that in your previous post. Sounds like you've
got
the 34 way signal cable plugged in upside-down.

The black (or red) stripe on the edge of the cable should be near the
middle
of the back of the drive (pin 1) and NOT towards the outer edge of the
drive
(pin 34)

Mart


"rpmsfpr" wrote in message
...
Done, Mart.
Got me EBD just like you instructed me.
Mart, I ' ve notice that when I turn machine on, lights for cd and dvd
rom
come on but the light for the floppy does not. Is that an issue?
Perhpaps
my floppy drive is not connected properly . I have disconnected it
before,
not sure if I connected it back the right way. Any way of telling?

"Mart" wrote:

OK Ricardo, let's just recap : I ASS-U-ME that you are still using
your
friend's laptop pc AND it has a working A: drive, and that you have
floppy
disk available.

I've just tried this myself, so I know it works OK here in the UK (see
later
note) :-
Go to http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm and Insert the floppy disk
into
the A: drive. Click on "Windows Me OEM | MIRROR1" option. (DO NOT
download
the "Custom, No Ramdrive" option)

Select the "Run" option and follow the screen prompts which will
create
the
WinMe Startup (floppy) Disk - it may take a couple of minutes or so to
complete and then you should have a 'good' WinMe Strartup Disk.

(N.B. MIRROR sites are various 'download sites' around the world, some
may
work for you - some may not. Here in the UK, MIRROR1 worked for me.
If
necessary, you *may* need to try MIRROR" or MIRROR3)

BTW - The WinMe Startup Disk is sometimes referred to as the EBD
(Emergency
Boot Disk)

Good luck

Mart



"rpmsfpr" wrote in message
...
Im sorry Mart. I'll stick to the problem.
Indeed, something wrong with hard drive, but before this mess
happened
and
hard drive was ok, I was not able to access neither floppy a: drive
nor
dvd
cd-rom, only my cd burner which I have replaced with a dvd burner
and
was
working ok 'til now.
I did download boot up floppy from bootdisk.com and inserted it when
pc
asked me to "Replace invalid disk and press any key" and nothing
happened..
You say I'm suppose to run the floppy to actually create bootdisk...
Im
afraid I do not understand.. I downloaded file from bootdisk.com
directly
into a floppy disk using my friend's laptop. Is that not creating a
boot
disk?

"Mart" wrote:

Ricardo, very interesting though your life story may be to some,
long
rambling replies are not going to help solve your problem.

You didn't directly answer my previous question -

Exactly what error message do you see on your screen?

However, if I understand your 'verbose messages' elsewhere in this
thread,
it would appear that your hard drive is badly affected and
therefore
you
MUST HAVE a working A: drive AND a 'good' WinMe Startup (floppy)
disk
before
we can proceed.

If you haven't got a 'good' WinMe Startup (floppy) disk, you can
download
a
WinMe bootdisk making utility (Windows Me OEM) from
http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm - (**But be sure to read the
instructions on how to actually create the bootdisk**.)

Don't just copy the download to a floppy disk, you need to run the
downloaded file on your computer (any computer, with an A:drive)
for
it
to
actually create the Startup (floppy) disk.

Good luck

Mart


"rpmsfpr" wrote :-

Hola Mart.. I just spent couple hours responding to you and
Heirloom's
messages..

snipped in the interests of brevity

As Mart said, if the floppy drive is not set up in the BIOS as part of the
boot sequence, I don't think the light will come on during boot. Regarding
the POST beep, you may not have a speaker connected to hear this. My mobo
did not come with one, however, a local computer shop gave me one (they are
cheap). You will need to check your mobo manual or website for info on
where to connect it. Normally, it will have a two prong connector labeled
"spkr." They are handy if there is a failure during the period when you
first turn on the computer.....hence, Power On Self Test or POST. A single
'beep' is normal, anything other than that, i.e. two beeps, three beeps, is
a code for a particular failure and I beleive this varies with the make of
the mobo. Beep codes can be found on Google.

the wiring to your floppy drive, you should have the data cable and
power cable. The power cable is polarized and should fit only one
way.....the data cable explained in previous posts.
Heirloom, old and really need a
nap



"rpmsfpr" wrote in message
...
Correct, Mart. No light activity, thou I've never actually listen for or
heard the noise .. will check that out.
Yes, the power connector. can go only one way,,,,, ? I swear I can find
many but , best fit , no force......
I believe you've made me realized Im using wrong cables....
I need to do some work around the building but will be b ack in 3 hrs to
try
out your suggestion minus the getting new drive.... not yet... You are
helping me great deal, Thank you.

"Mart" wrote:

Again, I seem to have missed something (probably due to the timing and
interleaving of your posts and my replies) but I *may* have misled both
you
and myself a little. I (mis)understood you to have implied that the A:
drive
light was permanently lit - a sure sign that the 34way cable is reversed
(upside-down). However, if I now understand you correctly, you are
suggesting that you get no light activity at all from the A: drive.

That light would 'normally' flash a couple of times (and you might also
hear
some mechanical activity) during the POST (Power-On-Self-Test) stage of
the
boot process - with or without a floppy disk in the drive - even before
the
computer tries to start Windows.

Confirm that the 34way signal cable is correctly connected at BOTH ends
and
its connectors are firmly seated - and whilst your about it, check the
seating of your CD-ROM and DVD cables.

Note also that the 34way connector which is connected to the A: drive is
the
end connector - the one AFTER the twist in the ribbon cable. (The middle
connector is for a second floppy (B: drive), if fitted!)

You may also need to confirm that the A: drive is enabled in your BIOS.

Not too sure what you mean by :- "what about the other connector, the one
with the color wires." - Do you mean the 4way power cable connectors? -
they will (should!) only connect one way - unless you've forced them.

If you are in some doubt about the interconnections to your drives
etc., -
it *might* be worth consulting your local PC store or technician for
advice - something we can't visually check over the internet g But
then
again, a replacement A: drive is not expensive (as I suggested earlier)
only
a couple of $/£ or so.

Mart



"rpmsfpr" wrote in message
...
Ok Mart , red stripe with pin 1. /what about the other connector,
the
one
with the color wires. not sure where it goes. Is at the end of the
connectors connected to the cd/dvd roms. It has a number 6 on it. Then
I
have
another just like it with a bigger one just hanging by itself.That one
has
a
number 8 ,, and then the one connected to hard drive with another I
believe
is for the slave hard drive...... but I tell you, no light goes on the
floppy
when I turn machine on
"Mart" wrote:

Sorry Ricardo, I missed that in your previous post. Sounds like you've
got
the 34 way signal cable plugged in upside-down.

The black (or red) stripe on the edge of the cable should be near the
middle
of the back of the drive (pin 1) and NOT towards the outer edge of the
drive
(pin 34)

Mart


"rpmsfpr" wrote in message
...
Done, Mart.
Got me EBD just like you instructed me.
Mart, I ' ve notice that when I turn machine on, lights for cd and
dvd
rom
come on but the light for the floppy does not. Is that an issue?
Perhpaps
my floppy drive is not connected properly . I have disconnected it
before,
not sure if I connected it back the right way. Any way of telling?

"Mart" wrote:

OK Ricardo, let's just recap : I ASS-U-ME that you are still using
your
friend's laptop pc AND it has a working A: drive, and that you have
floppy
disk available.

I've just tried this myself, so I know it works OK here in the UK
(see
later
note) :-
Go to http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm and Insert the floppy
disk
into
the A: drive. Click on "Windows Me OEM | MIRROR1" option. (DO NOT
download
the "Custom, No Ramdrive" option)

Select the "Run" option and follow the screen prompts which will
create
the
WinMe Startup (floppy) Disk - it may take a couple of minutes or so
to
complete and then you should have a 'good' WinMe Strartup Disk.

(N.B. MIRROR sites are various 'download sites' around the world,
some
may
work for you - some may not. Here in the UK, MIRROR1 worked for me.
If
necessary, you *may* need to try MIRROR" or MIRROR3)

BTW - The WinMe Startup Disk is sometimes referred to as the EBD
(Emergency
Boot Disk)

Good luck

Mart



"rpmsfpr" wrote in message
...
Im sorry Mart. I'll stick to the problem.
Indeed, something wrong with hard drive, but before this mess
happened
and
hard drive was ok, I was not able to access neither floppy a:
drive
nor
dvd
cd-rom, only my cd burner which I have replaced with a dvd burner
and
was
working ok 'til now.
I did download boot up floppy from bootdisk.com and inserted it
when
pc
asked me to "Replace invalid disk and press any key" and nothing
happened..
You say I'm suppose to run the floppy to actually create
bootdisk...
Im
afraid I do not understand.. I downloaded file from bootdisk.com
directly
into a floppy disk using my friend's laptop. Is that not creating
a
boot
disk?

"Mart" wrote:

Ricardo, very interesting though your life story may be to some,
long
rambling replies are not going to help solve your problem.

You didn't directly answer my previous question -

Exactly what error message do you see on your screen?

However, if I understand your 'verbose messages' elsewhere in
this
thread,
it would appear that your hard drive is badly affected and
therefore
you
MUST HAVE a working A: drive AND a 'good' WinMe Startup (floppy)
disk
before
we can proceed.

If you haven't got a 'good' WinMe Startup (floppy) disk, you can
download
a
WinMe bootdisk making utility (Windows Me OEM) from
http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm - (**But be sure to read
the
instructions on how to actually create the bootdisk**.)

Don't just copy the download to a floppy disk, you need to run
the
downloaded file on your computer (any computer, with an A:drive)
for
it
to
actually create the Startup (floppy) disk.

Good luck

Mart


"rpmsfpr" wrote :-

Hola Mart.. I just spent couple hours responding to you and
Heirloom's
messages..

snipped in the interests of brevity