Just a blinking curser on my HP

Well, I think I really messed up my HP Pavilion 8550C. Is there any hope?
I was having all kinds of problems with my system so I decided to reformat.
I couldn't get my recovery disks to work. I went into Dos and did a Format.
It came back with No Operating System. I used a bootable floppy and was
able to get into Dos. It then told me I had no partitions, so I set a
partition for DOS using the maximum usage. I used Fdisk and was told to
restart my computer. When I restarted.....All I got was a blinking cursor.
Thats where I am left. It won't even read the floppy now. Any suggestions
other than buying a new computer? The HP Logo screen, the one thing I can
live without, is the only thing active.(Yikes!!!) Many Thanks.

17GB, Win98SE

Get a utility to crate a new startup disk at www.bootdisk.com. Make sure
that the floppy drive is set as the first boot device in BIOS setup. Then
create the new floppy, boot to it, and format the hard drive again (deleting
and re-creating partitions destroys the previous format).
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"kay47" wrote in message
...
Well, I think I really messed up my HP Pavilion 8550C. Is there any hope?
I was having all kinds of problems with my system so I decided to
reformat.
I couldn't get my recovery disks to work. I went into Dos and did a
Format.
It came back with No Operating System. I used a bootable floppy and was
able to get into Dos. It then told me I had no partitions, so I set a
partition for DOS using the maximum usage. I used Fdisk and was told to
restart my computer. When I restarted.....All I got was a blinking
cursor.
Thats where I am left. It won't even read the floppy now. Any
suggestions
other than buying a new computer? The HP Logo screen, the one thing I can
live without, is the only thing active.(Yikes!!!) Many Thanks.

17GB, Win98SE

Thank you Jeff........I set the Floppy as the first boot device...created
the startup disk from Bootdisk.com and am now formating the drive. I used
the OEM version for the startup disk. I have an original 98se disk that I
would rather install than my recovery disk. Will this be possible since I
used the OEm
startup disk? When done formatting how do I get the CD to install? Could
you tell me why the startup disk that I made from the original CD stopped
functioning before?


"Jeff Richards" wrote in message
...
Get a utility to crate a new startup disk at www.bootdisk.com. Make sure
that the floppy drive is set as the first boot device in BIOS setup. Then
create the new floppy, boot to it, and format the hard drive again
(deleting
and re-creating partitions destroys the previous format).
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"kay47" wrote in message
...
Well, I think I really messed up my HP Pavilion 8550C. Is there any
hope?
I was having all kinds of problems with my system so I decided to
reformat.
I couldn't get my recovery disks to work. I went into Dos and did a
Format.
It came back with No Operating System. I used a bootable floppy and
was
able to get into Dos. It then told me I had no partitions, so I set a
partition for DOS using the maximum usage. I used Fdisk and was told to
restart my computer. When I restarted.....All I got was a blinking
cursor.
Thats where I am left. It won't even read the floppy now. Any
suggestions
other than buying a new computer? The HP Logo screen, the one thing I
can
live without, is the only thing active.(Yikes!!!) Many Thanks.

17GB, Win98SE

Formatting is complete and transfer was successful....it is now asking me
about volume label (11 characters, press enter for none)?


"kay47" wrote in message
...
Thank you Jeff........I set the Floppy as the first boot device...created
the startup disk from Bootdisk.com and am now formating the drive. I used
the OEM version for the startup disk. I have an original 98se disk that I
would rather install than my recovery disk. Will this be possible since I
used the OEm
startup disk? When done formatting how do I get the CD to install?
Could
you tell me why the startup disk that I made from the original CD stopped
functioning before?


"Jeff Richards" wrote in message
...
Get a utility to crate a new startup disk at www.bootdisk.com. Make
sure
that the floppy drive is set as the first boot device in BIOS setup.
Then
create the new floppy, boot to it, and format the hard drive again
(deleting
and re-creating partitions destroys the previous format).
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"kay47" wrote in message
...
Well, I think I really messed up my HP Pavilion 8550C. Is there any
hope?
I was having all kinds of problems with my system so I decided to
reformat.
I couldn't get my recovery disks to work. I went into Dos and did a
Format.
It came back with No Operating System. I used a bootable floppy and
was
able to get into Dos. It then told me I had no partitions, so I set a
partition for DOS using the maximum usage. I used Fdisk and was told
to
restart my computer. When I restarted.....All I got was a blinking
cursor.
Thats where I am left. It won't even read the floppy now. Any
suggestions
other than buying a new computer? The HP Logo screen, the one thing I
can
live without, is the only thing active.(Yikes!!!) Many Thanks.

17GB, Win98SE

Press ENTER for none.

"kay47" wrote in message
...
Formatting is complete and transfer was successful....it is now asking me
about volume label (11 characters, press enter for none)?


"kay47" wrote in message
...
Thank you Jeff........I set the Floppy as the first boot device...created
the startup disk from Bootdisk.com and am now formating the drive. I
used
the OEM version for the startup disk. I have an original 98se disk that
I
would rather install than my recovery disk. Will this be possible since
I
used the OEm
startup disk? When done formatting how do I get the CD to install?
Could
you tell me why the startup disk that I made from the original CD stopped
functioning before?


"Jeff Richards" wrote in message
...
Get a utility to crate a new startup disk at www.bootdisk.com. Make
sure
that the floppy drive is set as the first boot device in BIOS setup.
Then
create the new floppy, boot to it, and format the hard drive again
(deleting
and re-creating partitions destroys the previous format).
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"kay47" wrote in message
...
Well, I think I really messed up my HP Pavilion 8550C. Is there any
hope?
I was having all kinds of problems with my system so I decided to
reformat.
I couldn't get my recovery disks to work. I went into Dos and did a
Format.
It came back with No Operating System. I used a bootable floppy
and
was
able to get into Dos. It then told me I had no partitions, so I set
a
partition for DOS using the maximum usage. I used Fdisk and was told
to
restart my computer. When I restarted.....All I got was a blinking
cursor.
Thats where I am left. It won't even read the floppy now. Any
suggestions
other than buying a new computer? The HP Logo screen, the one thing
I
can
live without, is the only thing active.(Yikes!!!) Many Thanks.

17GB, Win98SE

kay47 wrote:
Thank you Jeff........I set the Floppy as the first boot
device...created the startup disk from Bootdisk.com and am now
formating the drive. I used the OEM version for the startup disk. I
have an original 98se disk that I would rather install than my
recovery disk. Will this be possible since I used the OEm
startup disk?

That's not a problem. What is a problem is specialized HP hardware
drivers if you don't use the recovery disc.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Thank you Jeff and dadiOH. It is nice to have someone to turn to in a
crisis.
(a friend of mine just spent over $900.00 at two different repair shops and
ended up having to buy a new computer anyway) It's a learning curve for me
right now and I maybe coming back for more assistance. Until then, many
thanks for your help.


"dadiOH" wrote in message
...
kay47 wrote:
Thank you Jeff........I set the Floppy as the first boot
device...created the startup disk from Bootdisk.com and am now
formating the drive. I used the OEM version for the startup disk. I
have an original 98se disk that I would rather install than my
recovery disk. Will this be possible since I used the OEm
startup disk?

That's not a problem. What is a problem is specialized HP hardware
drivers if you don't use the recovery disc.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Thanks for letting us know that you got it sorted out.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"kay47" wrote in message
...
Thank you Jeff and dadiOH. It is nice to have someone to turn to in a
crisis.
(a friend of mine just spent over $900.00 at two different repair shops
and
ended up having to buy a new computer anyway) It's a learning curve for me
right now and I maybe coming back for more assistance. Until then, many
thanks for your help.