Boot error

The has been removed already, but the drive seems to be damaged beyond
repair.

"MEB" meb@not wrote in message
...

"astroview120mm" wrote in message
...
| In addition, I connected the hard drive with another computer and found
a
| boot virus: AntiCMOS. A.Dropper. I suspect his has something to do with
the
| problem, but how do I repair the hard drive?
| "astroview120mm" wrote in message
| ...
| I have a problem with my computer. When I start it up, it won't boot,
and
| to make matters worse, the computer says it can't read drive C. I have
also
| used different boot disks to fix the computer, but no luck. I would
| appreciate any help. Also, is there any way I can install Windows 98
into
a
| USB or other device? Thanks in advance.
|


Many have posted DOS based virus cleanup but here's a recent one.
Make sure you make the disk on an uninfected computer [you need to check
the one you installed the infected one into as well]:


Running an anti-virus scan from a DOS floppy boot:

Download and unzip F-Prot for DOS:
http://www.f-prot.com/products/home_use/dos/

http://www.f-prot.com/download/home_...oad_fpdos.html

Then get the latest virus definition files and unzip them into the same
folder you
unzipped the program files, overwriting the old copies:
http://www.f-prot.com/download/signaturefiles.html


Running F-PROT From Floppy Disks:
(from http://members.aol.com/don5408/fprot.html)

While the files necessary to run F-PROT exceed the capacity of a single
1.44MB
floppy disk F-PROT can be run from diskette using either a set of two
disks
(without
Word/Excel macro virus coverage) or a set of three disks (with Word/Excel
macro
virus coverage).

Instructions for F-PROT disks (two-disk set)
Copy the following four files to disk #1:

F-PROT.EXE
ENGLISH.TX0
SIGN2.DEF
NOMACRO.DEF

Rename the NOMACRO.DEF file on disk #1 MACRO.DEF

Copy the following file to disk #2:

SIGN.DEF

To run F-PROT insert disk #1 Go to an A:\ prompt in DOS Type F-PROT
/LOADDEF
and tap ENTER. Follow the prompts, inserting disk #2 when requested.

NOTE: Disk #1 can be a bootable system disk (961kb free space required for
F-PROT
files) created on a non-infected PC, allowing F-PROT to be run from
diskette
bypassing possibly infected files on the hard disk altogether.


Instructions for F-PROT disks (three-disk set)

Copy the following three files to disk #1:

F-PROT.EXE
ENGLISH.TX0
MACRO.DEF

Copy the following file to disk #2:

SIGN2.DEF

Copy the following file to disk #3:

SIGN.DEF

To run F-PROT insert disk #1 Go to an A:\ prompt in DOS Type F-PROT
/LOADDEF
and tap ENTER. Follow the prompts, inserting disks #2 and #3 when
requested.

NOTE: Disk #1 can be a bootable system disk (853kb free space required for
F-PROT
files) created on a non-infected PC, allowing F-PROT to be run from
diskette
bypassing possibly infected files on the hard disk altogether.

Updating F-PROT:

The virus signature/definition files can be kept current by downloading
the
following two files (which are updated regularly) and extracting them to
the
directory to which you extracted the F-PROT.EXE program (allowing the
newer
files to
overwrite the existing copies).

[
[cut materials]
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
http://dts-l.org/
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

"astroview120mm" wrote in message
...
| The has been removed already, but the drive seems to be damaged beyond
| repair.

Well, last ditch effort, try the manufacturer's tools to see if it can
repair or reset the drive if you haven't done so. A zero wipe sometimes
helps to reset the drive.

If this is an old computer, might check/replace the motherboard CMOS
battery while your digging around in the computer.

|
| "MEB" meb@not wrote in message
| ...
|
| "astroview120mm" wrote in message
| ...
| | In addition, I connected the hard drive with another computer and
found
| a
| | boot virus: AntiCMOS. A.Dropper. I suspect his has something to do
with
| the
| | problem, but how do I repair the hard drive?
| | "astroview120mm" wrote in message
| | ...
| | I have a problem with my computer. When I start it up, it won't boot,
| and
| | to make matters worse, the computer says it can't read drive C. I
have
| also
| | used different boot disks to fix the computer, but no luck. I would
| | appreciate any help. Also, is there any way I can install Windows 98
| into
| a
| | USB or other device? Thanks in advance.
| |
|
|
| Many have posted DOS based virus cleanup but here's a recent one.
| Make sure you make the disk on an uninfected computer [you need to check
| the one you installed the infected one into as well]:
|
|
| Running an anti-virus scan from a DOS floppy boot:
|
| Download and unzip F-Prot for DOS:
| http://www.f-prot.com/products/home_use/dos/
|
| http://www.f-prot.com/download/home_...oad_fpdos.html
|
| Then get the latest virus definition files and unzip them into the same
| folder you
| unzipped the program files, overwriting the old copies:
| http://www.f-prot.com/download/signaturefiles.html
|
|
| Running F-PROT From Floppy Disks:
| (from http://members.aol.com/don5408/fprot.html)
|
| While the files necessary to run F-PROT exceed the capacity of a single
| 1.44MB
| floppy disk F-PROT can be run from diskette using either a set of two
| disks
| (without
| Word/Excel macro virus coverage) or a set of three disks (with
Word/Excel
| macro
| virus coverage).
|
| Instructions for F-PROT disks (two-disk set)
| Copy the following four files to disk #1:
|
| F-PROT.EXE
| ENGLISH.TX0
| SIGN2.DEF
| NOMACRO.DEF
|
| Rename the NOMACRO.DEF file on disk #1 MACRO.DEF
|
| Copy the following file to disk #2:
|
| SIGN.DEF
|
| To run F-PROT insert disk #1 Go to an A:\ prompt in DOS Type F-PROT
| /LOADDEF
| and tap ENTER. Follow the prompts, inserting disk #2 when requested.
|
| NOTE: Disk #1 can be a bootable system disk (961kb free space required
for
| F-PROT
| files) created on a non-infected PC, allowing F-PROT to be run from
| diskette
| bypassing possibly infected files on the hard disk altogether.
|
|
| Instructions for F-PROT disks (three-disk set)
|
| Copy the following three files to disk #1:
|
| F-PROT.EXE
| ENGLISH.TX0
| MACRO.DEF
|
| Copy the following file to disk #2:
|
| SIGN2.DEF
|
| Copy the following file to disk #3:
|
| SIGN.DEF
|
| To run F-PROT insert disk #1 Go to an A:\ prompt in DOS Type F-PROT
| /LOADDEF
| and tap ENTER. Follow the prompts, inserting disks #2 and #3 when
| requested.
|
| NOTE: Disk #1 can be a bootable system disk (853kb free space required
for
| F-PROT
| files) created on a non-infected PC, allowing F-PROT to be run from
| diskette
| bypassing possibly infected files on the hard disk altogether.
|
| Updating F-PROT:
|
| The virus signature/definition files can be kept current by downloading
| the
| following two files (which are updated regularly) and extracting them to
| the
| directory to which you extracted the F-PROT.EXE program (allowing the
| newer
| files to
| overwrite the existing copies).
|
| [
| [cut materials]
| --
| Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
| http://dts-l.org/
| http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
|
|
--
MEB
http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com/
_______________

On Wed, 9 May 2007 19:32:22 -0700, "astroview120mm"
put finger to keyboard and composed:

The error message is "disk boot failure, insert system disk and press
enter".

From Trend Micro's virus database:

http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/viru...ame=ANTICMOS.A

"This memory resident boot virus infects the hard boot sector and
stays in memory after booting a system from an infected floppy disk.
Thereafter, it infects all unprotected floppy disks that are accessed
in the infected system. It has a destructive payload of trashing the
cmos RAM and Hard Drive C:\."

First verify that the CMOS setup identifies your drive's parameters
correctly.

Next reboot from a startup diskette using the reset button, not
Ctrl-Alt-Del, as your virus may be memory resident.

Now type ...

fdisk /status

If the partitions look OK, then I'd type ...

fdisk /mbr

.... to refresh the Master Boot Record.

I'd then type ...

sys c:

.... to refresh the boot sector(s) and the critical system files.

Then type ...

dir c:\

.... to see the drive's root directory.

Then run scandisk to check the file system, and enable a thorough
surface scan.

As suggested elsewhere, run the disc manufacturer's diagnostic
software to perform a final check. Or you may like to do this before
you start.

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

PCR wrote:
astroview120mm wrote:
| I have a problem with my computer. When I start it up, it won't boot,
| and to make matters worse, the computer says it can't read drive C. I
| have also used different boot disks to fix the computer, but no luck.
| I would appreciate any help. Also, is there any way I can install
| Windows 98 into a USB or other device? Thanks in advance.

What is the exact wording of the error message? Is it really one of
these...?...

By the word of Starman, these are the error messages of the MBR code...
http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/STDMBR.htm

Invalid partition table.
Error loading operating system.
Missing operating system.

And these are of PBR code...
http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/MSWIN41.htm

Invalid system disk.
Disk I/O error.
Replace the disk, and then press any key.


The solution of this seems easy enough, but the Microsoft website
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/128730. However, I cannot reinstall
Windows. Please help!!

"astroview120mm" wrote in message ...
astroview120mm wrote:
| I have a problem with my computer. When I start it up, it won't boot,
| and to make matters worse, the computer says it can't read drive C. I
| have also used different boot disks to fix the computer, but no luck.
| I would appreciate any help. Also, is there any way I can install
| Windows 98 into a USB or other device? Thanks in advance.
snip

Unplug the computer, open the case and remove and reseat the cable that
connects the hard drive to the motherboard. If this doesn't help, go into
the BIOS setup and make sure the settings for the hard drive are correct.
Use autodetect if available and be sure to save the changes when exiting.

Ben

astroview120mm wrote:
|| PCR wrote:
|| astroview120mm wrote:
|| | I have a problem with my computer. When I start it up, it won't
|| | boot, and to make matters worse, the computer says it can't read
|| | drive C. I have also used different boot disks to fix the
|| | computer, but no luck. I would appreciate any help. Also, is
|| | there any way I can install Windows 98 into a USB or other
|| | device? Thanks in advance.
||
|| What is the exact wording of the error message? Is it really one of
|| these...?...
||
|| By the word of Starman, these are the error messages of the MBR
|| code... http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/STDMBR.htm
||
|| Invalid partition table.
|| Error loading operating system.
|| Missing operating system.
||
|| And these are of PBR code...
|| http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/MSWIN41.htm
||
|| Invalid system disk.
|| Disk I/O error.
|| Replace the disk, and then press any key.
||
||
|| The solution of this seems easy enough, but the Microsoft website
|| http://support.microsoft.com/kb/128730. However, I cannot reinstall
|| Windows. Please help!!

When you connected the hard drive to another computer, did it say
definitively it had the AntiCMOS.A virus? Did it remove the virus? What
happens now when you try to boot on the original computer? Did you
remember to make it a Master again?

If you cannot reinstall Windows, it's possible you can get by with...

(a) Boot a write-protected Startup Diskette of your OS.
(b) FDISK /MBR
Re-writes boot code to the Master Boot Record.
(c) SYS C:
Copies certain system files to C:\ & puts it into the bootstrap.

WARNINGS:

(1) If you have a drive overlay as mentioned below in the MS article,
those instructions would wipe it.

(2) If the virus hid your partitions, you may be able to recover them
with...
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/utilities.html MBRWork
Free MBR utility. I have more details about it, if necessary.

|| Error Message "Invalid System Disk" After Setup Reboots
||
|| Error Message "Invalid System Disk" After Setup Reboots
|| View products that this article applies to.
|| Article ID : 128730
|| Last Review : January 19, 2007
|| Revision : 1.2
||
|| This article was previously published under Q128730
||
|| SYMPTOMS
|| During the first reboot in Windows Setup, you may
|| receive the following error message: Invalid system disk
|| Replace the disk, and then press any key
|| You may also receive this error message when you start
|| your computer by using a Windows Startup disk, or you
|| may receive the following error message: This version of
|| Windows does not run on DOS 7.0 or earlier. Back to the top
||
|| CAUSE
|| This issue can be caused by any of the following
|| conditions: • Your computer may be infected with
|| a boot-sector virus such as the AntiCMOS.A virus.
|| • Your computer is running an anti-virus
|| program. • Your computer is using hard disk
|| management software (such as Disk Manager, EZ-Drive, or DrivePro)
|| for hard disk geometry translation. These tools provide support for
|| large hard disks (more than 1024 cylinders) when your computer's
|| Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) does not support large hard disks.
|| • Windows Setup was unable to copy the system files to the hard
|| disk. • Security software has disabled access to drive C.
||
|| RESOLUTION
|| Use one of the following methods to correct the problem.
|| Back to the top
||
|| Computer Is Infected with a Virus
|| Use an anti-virus program to detect and remove the
|| virus, and then reinstall Windows. Boot-sector viruses
|| infect computers by copying information either to the boot sector on
|| a floppy disk or the partition table on a hard disk. During startup,
|| the virus is loaded into memory. Once in memory, the virus typically
|| infects any non-infected disks that your computer is connected to.
||
|| Computer Is Running Anti-Virus Software
|| Start your computer by using the Windows Startup disk
|| you created during Windows Setup, and then use the sys command from
|| the Windows Startup disk to restore the system files to the hard
|| disk.
||
|| Some computers use built-in anti-virus software that
|| must be disabled in the computer's BIOS. For information
|| about how to change settings in the BIOS, view the computer's
|| documentation or contact the manufacturer of your computer.
||
|| Computer Is Using Disk Management Software
|| In some cases, Windows may not properly detect that you
|| are using disk management software and may overwrite the master boot
|| record (MBR) information. Refer to the documentation for the disk
|| management software you are using for information about restoring
|| the MBR.
||
|| Also, check the Setuplog.txt file for the following
|| statement: FSLog: BIOS Heads=:64:, BootPart Heads=:64:
|| The preceding number (64 in this example) may vary from
|| computer to computer. If these two numbers are
|| different, replace the system files on your hard disk
|| according to the instructions in the following "Reinstall the
|| Windows System Files" section. For additional information about how
|| to determine if your computer is using a drive overlay program,
|| click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft
|| Knowledge Base: 186057
|| (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/186057/EN-US/) How to Tell If Drive
|| Overlay Program Is Installed in Windows Back to the top
||
|| Reinstall the Windows System Files
|| WARNING: If you are using Disk Manager or any other disk
|| drive overlay program on a hard disk, make sure that the overlay
|| driver is loaded before you use the sys command on that hard disk.
|| If the overlay driver is not loaded and you use the sys command on
|| the hard disk, the drive may not be recognized as being partitioned
|| by the disk drive overlay program and you could experience loss of
|| data or an inability to boot from the drive.
||
|| Although you can use the sys command with Ontrack Disk
|| Manager and later versions of MicroHouse EZ-Drive (or EZ-Max) after
|| the overlay driver is loaded, earlier versions such as EZ-Drive
|| 2.01s require that operating system files be copied to the overlay
|| installation disk and installed by the overlay utility. In such
|| cases, the overlay may be damaged if you use the sys command on the
|| hard disk. 1. Start your computer by using the Windows 95 or Windows
|| 98 Startup disk.
|| 2. At the command prompt, type the following
|| commands, pressing ENTER after each command: c:
|| cd\windows\command
|| attrib c:\msdos.sys -s -h -r
|| copy c:\msdos.sys c:\msdos.xxx
|| a:
|| sys c:
|| attrib c:\msdos.sys -s -h -r
|| del c:\msdos.sys
|| copy c:\msdos.xxx c:\msdos.sys
|| attrib c:\msdos.sys +s +h +r
||
||
|| 3. Remove the Windows Startup disk, and then
|| restart the computer.
||
|| Back to the top
||
|| Security Software Enabled
|| Some third-party programs prevent (lock) access to hard
|| disks in your computer. If this software is installed,
|| contact the manufacturer about how to remove this
|| software and safely restart Windows 98 Setup. For additional
|| information about Windows Setup and troubleshooting steps, click the
|| article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge
|| Base: 129260 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/129260/EN-US/) Windows
|| 95 Setup: Description and Troubleshooting Steps Back to the top
||
|| MORE INFORMATION
|| For additional information about boot-sector viruses,
|| click the article number below to view the article in
|| the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 82923
|| (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/82923/EN-US/) Methods to Detect a
|| Boot-Sector Virus
||
||
|| The third-party products that are discussed in this
|| article are manufactured by companies that are independent of
|| Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise,
|| regarding the performance or reliability of these products.
||
|| Back to the top
||
||
|| --------------------------------------------------------------------
||
|| APPLIES TO
|| • Microsoft Windows 95
|| • Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition
||
|| Back to the top
||
|| Keywords:Â kberrmsg kbfaq kbprb kbsetup KB128730
||
|| Back to the top
|| Search Support (KB)
||
||
|| Switch to Advanced Search
|| Article Translations
|| FrenchGermanItalianPortuguese (Brazil)Portuguese
|| (Portugal)Simplified ChineseSpanishTraditional Chinese
||
|| Related Support Centers
|| a.. Windows 98
||
||
|| Other Support Options
|| a.. Contact Microsoft
|| Phone Numbers, Support Options and Pricing,
|| Online Help, and more. b.. Customer Service
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|| purchases, subscriptions, online services,
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|| Use |Trademarks |Privacy Statement

--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
Should things get worse after this,
PCR

Yes, it was the virus, but after I put the hard disk back and made it
master, it still happened. The virus was removed, I think.

"PCR" wrote in message
...
astroview120mm wrote:
|| PCR wrote:
|| astroview120mm wrote:
|| | I have a problem with my computer. When I start it up, it won't
|| | boot, and to make matters worse, the computer says it can't read
|| | drive C. I have also used different boot disks to fix the
|| | computer, but no luck. I would appreciate any help. Also, is
|| | there any way I can install Windows 98 into a USB or other
|| | device? Thanks in advance.
||
|| What is the exact wording of the error message? Is it really one of
|| these...?...
||
|| By the word of Starman, these are the error messages of the MBR
|| code... http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/STDMBR.htm
||
|| Invalid partition table.
|| Error loading operating system.
|| Missing operating system.
||
|| And these are of PBR code...
|| http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/MSWIN41.htm
||
|| Invalid system disk.
|| Disk I/O error.
|| Replace the disk, and then press any key.
||
||
|| The solution of this seems easy enough, but the Microsoft website
|| http://support.microsoft.com/kb/128730. However, I cannot reinstall
|| Windows. Please help!!

When you connected the hard drive to another computer, did it say
definitively it had the AntiCMOS.A virus? Did it remove the virus? What
happens now when you try to boot on the original computer? Did you
remember to make it a Master again?

If you cannot reinstall Windows, it's possible you can get by with...

(a) Boot a write-protected Startup Diskette of your OS.
(b) FDISK /MBR
Re-writes boot code to the Master Boot Record.
(c) SYS C:
Copies certain system files to C:\ & puts it into the bootstrap.

WARNINGS:

(1) If you have a drive overlay as mentioned below in the MS article,
those instructions would wipe it.

(2) If the virus hid your partitions, you may be able to recover them
with...
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/utilities.html MBRWork
Free MBR utility. I have more details about it, if necessary.

|| Error Message "Invalid System Disk" After Setup Reboots
||
|| Error Message "Invalid System Disk" After Setup Reboots
|| View products that this article applies to.
|| Article ID : 128730
|| Last Review : January 19, 2007
|| Revision : 1.2
||
|| This article was previously published under Q128730
||
|| SYMPTOMS
|| During the first reboot in Windows Setup, you may
|| receive the following error message: Invalid system disk
|| Replace the disk, and then press any key
|| You may also receive this error message when you start
|| your computer by using a Windows Startup disk, or you
|| may receive the following error message: This version of
|| Windows does not run on DOS 7.0 or earlier. Back to the top
||
|| CAUSE
|| This issue can be caused by any of the following
|| conditions: â?¢ Your computer may be infected with
|| a boot-sector virus such as the AntiCMOS.A virus.
|| â?¢ Your computer is running an anti-virus
|| program. â?¢ Your computer is using hard disk
|| management software (such as Disk Manager, EZ-Drive, or DrivePro)
|| for hard disk geometry translation. These tools provide support for
|| large hard disks (more than 1024 cylinders) when your computer's
|| Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) does not support large hard disks.
|| â?¢ Windows Setup was unable to copy the system files to the hard
|| disk. â?¢ Security software has disabled access to drive C.
||
|| RESOLUTION
|| Use one of the following methods to correct the problem.
|| Back to the top
||
|| Computer Is Infected with a Virus
|| Use an anti-virus program to detect and remove the
|| virus, and then reinstall Windows. Boot-sector viruses
|| infect computers by copying information either to the boot sector on
|| a floppy disk or the partition table on a hard disk. During startup,
|| the virus is loaded into memory. Once in memory, the virus typically
|| infects any non-infected disks that your computer is connected to.
||
|| Computer Is Running Anti-Virus Software
|| Start your computer by using the Windows Startup disk
|| you created during Windows Setup, and then use the sys command from
|| the Windows Startup disk to restore the system files to the hard
|| disk.
||
|| Some computers use built-in anti-virus software that
|| must be disabled in the computer's BIOS. For information
|| about how to change settings in the BIOS, view the computer's
|| documentation or contact the manufacturer of your computer.
||
|| Computer Is Using Disk Management Software
|| In some cases, Windows may not properly detect that you
|| are using disk management software and may overwrite the master boot
|| record (MBR) information. Refer to the documentation for the disk
|| management software you are using for information about restoring
|| the MBR.
||
|| Also, check the Setuplog.txt file for the following
|| statement: FSLog: BIOS Heads=:64:, BootPart Heads=:64:
|| The preceding number (64 in this example) may vary from
|| computer to computer. If these two numbers are
|| different, replace the system files on your hard disk
|| according to the instructions in the following "Reinstall the
|| Windows System Files" section. For additional information about how
|| to determine if your computer is using a drive overlay program,
|| click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft
|| Knowledge Base: 186057
|| (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/186057/EN-US/) How to Tell If Drive
|| Overlay Program Is Installed in Windows Back to the top
||
|| Reinstall the Windows System Files
|| WARNING: If you are using Disk Manager or any other disk
|| drive overlay program on a hard disk, make sure that the overlay
|| driver is loaded before you use the sys command on that hard disk.
|| If the overlay driver is not loaded and you use the sys command on
|| the hard disk, the drive may not be recognized as being partitioned
|| by the disk drive overlay program and you could experience loss of
|| data or an inability to boot from the drive.
||
|| Although you can use the sys command with Ontrack Disk
|| Manager and later versions of MicroHouse EZ-Drive (or EZ-Max) after
|| the overlay driver is loaded, earlier versions such as EZ-Drive
|| 2.01s require that operating system files be copied to the overlay
|| installation disk and installed by the overlay utility. In such
|| cases, the overlay may be damaged if you use the sys command on the
|| hard disk. 1. Start your computer by using the Windows 95 or Windows
|| 98 Startup disk.
|| 2. At the command prompt, type the following
|| commands, pressing ENTER after each command: c:
|| cd\windows\command
|| attrib c:\msdos.sys -s -h -r
|| copy c:\msdos.sys c:\msdos.xxx
|| a:
|| sys c:
|| attrib c:\msdos.sys -s -h -r
|| del c:\msdos.sys
|| copy c:\msdos.xxx c:\msdos.sys
|| attrib c:\msdos.sys +s +h +r
||
||
|| 3. Remove the Windows Startup disk, and then
|| restart the computer.
||
|| Back to the top
||
|| Security Software Enabled
|| Some third-party programs prevent (lock) access to hard
|| disks in your computer. If this software is installed,
|| contact the manufacturer about how to remove this
|| software and safely restart Windows 98 Setup. For additional
|| information about Windows Setup and troubleshooting steps, click the
|| article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge
|| Base: 129260 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/129260/EN-US/) Windows
|| 95 Setup: Description and Troubleshooting Steps Back to the top
||
|| MORE INFORMATION
|| For additional information about boot-sector viruses,
|| click the article number below to view the article in
|| the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 82923
|| (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/82923/EN-US/) Methods to Detect a
|| Boot-Sector Virus
||
||
|| The third-party products that are discussed in this
|| article are manufactured by companies that are independent of
|| Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise,
|| regarding the performance or reliability of these products.
||
|| Back to the top
||
||
|| --------------------------------------------------------------------
||
|| APPLIES TO
|| â?¢ Microsoft Windows 95
|| â?¢ Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition
||
|| Back to the top
||
|| Keywords:Â kberrmsg kbfaq kbprb kbsetup KB128730
||
|| Back to the top
|| Search Support (KB)
||
||
|| Switch to Advanced Search
|| Article Translations
|| FrenchGermanItalianPortuguese (Brazil)Portuguese
|| (Portugal)Simplified ChineseSpanishTraditional Chinese
||
|| Related Support Centers
|| a.. Windows 98
||
||
|| Other Support Options
|| a.. Contact Microsoft
|| Phone Numbers, Support Options and Pricing,
|| Online Help, and more. b.. Customer Service
|| For non-technical assistance with product
|| purchases, subscriptions, online services,
|| events, training courses, corporate sales,
|| piracy issues, and more. c.. Newsgroups Pose a question to other
|| users. Discussion groups and Forums about specific Microsoft
|| products, technologies, and services.
||
||
|| Page Tools
|| a.. Print this page
|| b.. E-mail this page
|| c.. Microsoft Worldwide
|| d.. Save to My Support Favorites
|| e.. Go to My Support Favorites
|| emuitl.. Send Feedback
|| f..
||
||
||
|| Manage Your Profile |Contact Us
|| © 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of
|| Use |Trademarks |Privacy Statement

--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
Should things get worse after this,
PCR

astroview120mm wrote:
| Yes, it was the virus, but after I put the hard disk back and made it
| master, it still happened. The virus was removed, I think.

(A) Do you have a Win98 Startup Diskette that you are sure is clean of
the virus? IOW, you never inserted it without write-protecting it? If
not, get a new one from...
http://www.bootdisk.com/

(B) By the word of the following article, you are clear of a boot sector
virus, if CHKDSK reports "655,360 total bytes memory"...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/82923/EN-US/
Methods to Detect a Boot-Sector Virus

So...
(1) WRITE-PROTECT & boot the Startup Diskette
(2) At the A:\prompt, enter: CHKDSK

Here was my result...
C:\chkdsk
....snip
655,360 total bytes memory
....snip...

But some variation may be acceptable, as stated in the article. Report
your figure, if different from mine, & I'll try to figure the arithmetic
mentioned therein.

(C) At the A:\prompt, try:

(1) DIR C:\ /on /p
(2) DIR C:\Windows /on /p

Do you get listings or error messages?

(D) Here are some requirements for a successful boot to Windows...

Absent an odd MSDOS.sys or other shenanigan, to boot to Windows or DOS,
a partition must...

1. Be on an HDD that is jumpered Master or Single.
If another is on the cable, that must be jumpered Slave,
unless, maybe, they are both jumpered cable select.

2. Be a Primary Partition (not a Volume in an Extended Partition).

3. Be the Active partition.
FDISK option 2 makes a partition the Active one.

4. Be on an HDD with boot code in its MBR (Master Boot Record).
FDISK /MBR puts it there, but there are cautions about that.

5. Be in the bootstrap.
The PBR (Partition Boot Record) drive number must be x'80'.
SYS does that... "SYS C:", if (as you say) it is back as primary
master in the original computer.

To check some of those...

(a) FDISK
(b) Press ENTER to accept Large Disk Support.
(c) Select option 4 (Display Partition Information), & hit ENTER.
(f) ESC your way OUT, when done.

Here is what mine showed.
NOTES: "PRI" is Primary, "EXT" is Extended...
"A" under "Status" means "Active".

Display Partition Information
Current fixed disk drive: 1

Partition Status Type Volume Label Mbytes System Usage
C: 1 A PRI DOS P C R HARD 7996 FAT32 42%
2 EXT DOS 11096
58%

But, remember, SYS & FDISK /MBR could be troublesome, if you have an
overlay or a 3rd party boot manager installed, per the article you
posted (below)...

| "PCR" wrote in message
| ...
| astroview120mm wrote:
| || PCR wrote:
| || astroview120mm wrote:
| || | I have a problem with my computer. When I start it up, it
| || | won't boot, and to make matters worse, the computer says it
| || | can't read drive C. I have also used different boot disks to
| || | fix the computer, but no luck. I would appreciate any help.
| || | Also, is there any way I can install Windows 98 into a USB or
| || | other device? Thanks in advance.
| ||
| || What is the exact wording of the error message? Is it really
| || one of these...?...
| ||
| || By the word of Starman, these are the error messages of the MBR
| || code... http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/STDMBR.htm
| ||
| || Invalid partition table.
| || Error loading operating system.
| || Missing operating system.
| ||
| || And these are of PBR code...
| || http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/MSWIN41.htm
| ||
| || Invalid system disk.
| || Disk I/O error.
| || Replace the disk, and then press any key.
| ||
| ||
| || The solution of this seems easy enough, but the Microsoft website
| || http://support.microsoft.com/kb/128730. However, I cannot
| || reinstall Windows. Please help!!
|
| When you connected the hard drive to another computer, did it say
| definitively it had the AntiCMOS.A virus? Did it remove the virus?
| What happens now when you try to boot on the original computer? Did
| you remember to make it a Master again?
|
| If you cannot reinstall Windows, it's possible you can get by with...
|
| (a) Boot a write-protected Startup Diskette of your OS.
| (b) FDISK /MBR
| Re-writes boot code to the Master Boot Record.
| (c) SYS C:
| Copies certain system files to C:\ & puts it into the bootstrap.
|
| WARNINGS:
|
| (1) If you have a drive overlay as mentioned below in the MS article,
| those instructions would wipe it.
|
| (2) If the virus hid your partitions, you may be able to recover them
| with...
| http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/utilities.html MBRWork
| Free MBR utility. I have more details about it, if necessary.
|
| || Error Message "Invalid System Disk" After Setup Reboots
| ||
| || Error Message "Invalid System Disk" After Setup
| || Reboots View products that this article applies to.
| || Article ID : 128730
| || Last Review : January 19, 2007
| || Revision : 1.2
| ||
| || This article was previously published under Q128730
| ||
| || SYMPTOMS
| || During the first reboot in Windows Setup, you may
| || receive the following error message: Invalid system
| || disk Replace the disk, and then press any key
| || You may also receive this error message when you start
| || your computer by using a Windows Startup disk, or you
| || may receive the following error message: This version
| || of Windows does not run on DOS 7.0 or earlier. Back to the top
| ||
| || CAUSE
| || This issue can be caused by any of the following
| || conditions: â?¢ Your computer may be infected
| || with a boot-sector virus such as the AntiCMOS.A
| || virus. â?¢ Your computer is running an
| || anti-virus program. â?¢ Your computer is using
| || hard disk
| || management software (such as Disk Manager, EZ-Drive, or DrivePro)
| || for hard disk geometry translation. These tools provide support
| || for large hard disks (more than 1024 cylinders) when your
| || computer's Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) does not support
| || large hard disks. â?¢ Windows Setup was unable to copy the system
| || files to the hard disk. â?¢ Security software has disabled access
| || to drive C.
| ||
| || RESOLUTION
| || Use one of the following methods to correct the
| || problem. Back to the top
| ||
| || Computer Is Infected with a Virus
| || Use an anti-virus program to detect and remove the
| || virus, and then reinstall Windows. Boot-sector viruses
| || infect computers by copying information either to the boot sector
| || on a floppy disk or the partition table on a hard disk. During
| || startup, the virus is loaded into memory. Once in memory, the
| || virus typically infects any non-infected disks that your computer
| || is connected to.
| ||
| || Computer Is Running Anti-Virus Software
| || Start your computer by using the Windows Startup disk
| || you created during Windows Setup, and then use the sys command
| || from the Windows Startup disk to restore the system files to the
| || hard disk.
| ||
| || Some computers use built-in anti-virus software that
| || must be disabled in the computer's BIOS. For
| || information about how to change settings in the BIOS, view the
| || computer's documentation or contact the manufacturer of your
| || computer.
| ||
| || Computer Is Using Disk Management Software
| || In some cases, Windows may not properly detect that
| || you are using disk management software and may overwrite the
| || master boot record (MBR) information. Refer to the documentation
| || for the disk management software you are using for information
| || about restoring the MBR.
| ||
| || Also, check the Setuplog.txt file for the following
| || statement: FSLog: BIOS Heads=:64:, BootPart Heads=:64:
| || The preceding number (64 in this example) may vary
| || from computer to computer. If these two numbers are
| || different, replace the system files on your hard disk
| || according to the instructions in the following "Reinstall the
| || Windows System Files" section. For additional information about
| || how to determine if your computer is using a drive overlay
| || program, click the article number below to view the article in
| || the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 186057
| || (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/186057/EN-US/) How to Tell If
| || Drive Overlay Program Is Installed in Windows Back to the top
| ||
| || Reinstall the Windows System Files
| || WARNING: If you are using Disk Manager or any other
| || disk drive overlay program on a hard disk, make sure that the
| || overlay driver is loaded before you use the sys command on that
| || hard disk. If the overlay driver is not loaded and you use the
| || sys command on the hard disk, the drive may not be recognized as
| || being partitioned by the disk drive overlay program and you could
| || experience loss of data or an inability to boot from the drive.
| ||
| || Although you can use the sys command with Ontrack Disk
| || Manager and later versions of MicroHouse EZ-Drive (or EZ-Max)
| || after the overlay driver is loaded, earlier versions such as
| || EZ-Drive
| || 2.01s require that operating system files be copied to the overlay
| || installation disk and installed by the overlay utility. In such
| || cases, the overlay may be damaged if you use the sys command on
| || the hard disk. 1. Start your computer by using the Windows 95 or
| || Windows 98 Startup disk.
| || 2. At the command prompt, type the following
| || commands, pressing ENTER after each command: c:
| || cd\windows\command
| || attrib c:\msdos.sys -s -h -r
| || copy c:\msdos.sys c:\msdos.xxx
| || a:
| || sys c:
| || attrib c:\msdos.sys -s -h -r
| || del c:\msdos.sys
| || copy c:\msdos.xxx c:\msdos.sys
| || attrib c:\msdos.sys +s +h +r
| ||
| ||
| || 3. Remove the Windows Startup disk, and then
| || restart the computer.
| ||
| || Back to the top
| ||
| || Security Software Enabled
| || Some third-party programs prevent (lock) access to
| || hard disks in your computer. If this software is
| || installed, contact the manufacturer about how to
| || remove this
| || software and safely restart Windows 98 Setup. For additional
| || information about Windows Setup and troubleshooting steps, click
| || the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft
| || Knowledge Base: 129260
| || (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/129260/EN-US/) Windows 95 Setup:
| || Description and Troubleshooting Steps Back to the top
| ||
| || MORE INFORMATION
| || For additional information about boot-sector viruses,
| || click the article number below to view the article in
| || the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 82923
| || (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/82923/EN-US/) Methods to Detect a
| || Boot-Sector Virus
| ||
| ||
| || The third-party products that are discussed in this
| || article are manufactured by companies that are independent of
| || Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise,
| || regarding the performance or reliability of these products.
| ||
| || Back to the top
| ||
| ||
|
|| --------------------------------------------------------------------
| ||
| || APPLIES TO
| || â?¢ Microsoft Windows 95
| || â?¢ Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition
| ||
| || Back to the top
| ||
| || Keywords:Â kberrmsg kbfaq kbprb kbsetup
| || KB128730
| ||
| || Back to the top
| || Search Support (KB)
| ||
| ||
| || Switch to Advanced Search
| || Article Translations
| || FrenchGermanItalianPortuguese
| || (Brazil)Portuguese (Portugal)Simplified ChineseSpanishTraditional
| || Chinese
| ||
| || Related Support Centers
| || a.. Windows 98
| ||
| ||
| || Other Support Options
| || a.. Contact Microsoft
| || Phone Numbers, Support Options and Pricing,
| || Online Help, and more. b.. Customer Service
| || For non-technical assistance with product
| || purchases, subscriptions, online services,
| || events, training courses, corporate sales,
| || piracy issues, and more. c.. Newsgroups Pose a question to other
| || users. Discussion groups and Forums about specific Microsoft
| || products, technologies, and services.
| ||
| ||
| || Page Tools
| || a.. Print this page
| || b.. E-mail this page
| || c.. Microsoft Worldwide
| || d.. Save to My Support Favorites
| || e.. Go to My Support Favorites
| || emuitl.. Send Feedback
| || f..
| ||
| ||
| ||
| || Manage Your Profile |Contact Us
| || © 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of
| || Use |Trademarks |Privacy Statement
|
| --
| Thanks or Good Luck,
| There may be humor in this post, and,
| Naturally, you will not sue,
| Should things get worse after this,
| PCR
|

--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
Should things get worse after this,
PCR

I have reformatted the hard disk using another computer. After putting back
the HD and auto detecting it, the same result happened, with the same
message as before. I can't reinstall Windows, either, due to not being able
to read the disk. The CD drive has become C, and the HD does not have a
drive letter.

"PCR" wrote in message
...
astroview120mm wrote:
| Yes, it was the virus, but after I put the hard disk back and made it
| master, it still happened. The virus was removed, I think.

(A) Do you have a Win98 Startup Diskette that you are sure is clean of
the virus? IOW, you never inserted it without write-protecting it? If
not, get a new one from...
http://www.bootdisk.com/

(B) By the word of the following article, you are clear of a boot sector
virus, if CHKDSK reports "655,360 total bytes memory"...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/82923/EN-US/
Methods to Detect a Boot-Sector Virus

So...
(1) WRITE-PROTECT & boot the Startup Diskette
(2) At the A:\prompt, enter: CHKDSK

Here was my result...
C:\chkdsk
...snip
655,360 total bytes memory
...snip...

But some variation may be acceptable, as stated in the article. Report
your figure, if different from mine, & I'll try to figure the arithmetic
mentioned therein.

(C) At the A:\prompt, try:

(1) DIR C:\ /on /p
(2) DIR C:\Windows /on /p

Do you get listings or error messages?

(D) Here are some requirements for a successful boot to Windows...

Absent an odd MSDOS.sys or other shenanigan, to boot to Windows or DOS,
a partition must...

1. Be on an HDD that is jumpered Master or Single.
If another is on the cable, that must be jumpered Slave,
unless, maybe, they are both jumpered cable select.

2. Be a Primary Partition (not a Volume in an Extended Partition).

3. Be the Active partition.
FDISK option 2 makes a partition the Active one.

4. Be on an HDD with boot code in its MBR (Master Boot Record).
FDISK /MBR puts it there, but there are cautions about that.

5. Be in the bootstrap.
The PBR (Partition Boot Record) drive number must be x'80'.
SYS does that... "SYS C:", if (as you say) it is back as primary
master in the original computer.

To check some of those...

(a) FDISK
(b) Press ENTER to accept Large Disk Support.
(c) Select option 4 (Display Partition Information), & hit ENTER.
(f) ESC your way OUT, when done.

Here is what mine showed.
NOTES: "PRI" is Primary, "EXT" is Extended...
"A" under "Status" means "Active".

Display Partition Information
Current fixed disk drive: 1

Partition Status Type Volume Label Mbytes System Usage
C: 1 A PRI DOS P C R HARD 7996 FAT32 42%
2 EXT DOS 11096
58%

But, remember, SYS & FDISK /MBR could be troublesome, if you have an
overlay or a 3rd party boot manager installed, per the article you
posted (below)...

| "PCR" wrote in message
| ...
| astroview120mm wrote:
| || PCR wrote:
| || astroview120mm wrote:
| || | I have a problem with my computer. When I start it up, it
| || | won't boot, and to make matters worse, the computer says it
| || | can't read drive C. I have also used different boot disks to
| || | fix the computer, but no luck. I would appreciate any help.
| || | Also, is there any way I can install Windows 98 into a USB or
| || | other device? Thanks in advance.
| ||
| || What is the exact wording of the error message? Is it really
| || one of these...?...
| ||
| || By the word of Starman, these are the error messages of the MBR
| || code... http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/STDMBR.htm
| ||
| || Invalid partition table.
| || Error loading operating system.
| || Missing operating system.
| ||
| || And these are of PBR code...
| || http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/MSWIN41.htm
| ||
| || Invalid system disk.
| || Disk I/O error.
| || Replace the disk, and then press any key.
| ||
| ||
| || The solution of this seems easy enough, but the Microsoft website
| || http://support.microsoft.com/kb/128730. However, I cannot
| || reinstall Windows. Please help!!
|
| When you connected the hard drive to another computer, did it say
| definitively it had the AntiCMOS.A virus? Did it remove the virus?
| What happens now when you try to boot on the original computer? Did
| you remember to make it a Master again?
|
| If you cannot reinstall Windows, it's possible you can get by with...
|
| (a) Boot a write-protected Startup Diskette of your OS.
| (b) FDISK /MBR
| Re-writes boot code to the Master Boot Record.
| (c) SYS C:
| Copies certain system files to C:\ & puts it into the bootstrap.
|
| WARNINGS:
|
| (1) If you have a drive overlay as mentioned below in the MS article,
| those instructions would wipe it.
|
| (2) If the virus hid your partitions, you may be able to recover them
| with...
| http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/utilities.html MBRWork
| Free MBR utility. I have more details about it, if necessary.
|
| || Error Message "Invalid System Disk" After Setup Reboots
| ||
| || Error Message "Invalid System Disk" After Setup
| || Reboots View products that this article applies to.
| || Article ID : 128730
| || Last Review : January 19, 2007
| || Revision : 1.2
| ||
| || This article was previously published under Q128730
| ||
| || SYMPTOMS
| || During the first reboot in Windows Setup, you may
| || receive the following error message: Invalid system
| || disk Replace the disk, and then press any key
| || You may also receive this error message when you start
| || your computer by using a Windows Startup disk, or you
| || may receive the following error message: This version
| || of Windows does not run on DOS 7.0 or earlier. Back to the top
| ||
| || CAUSE
| || This issue can be caused by any of the following
| || conditions: â?¢ Your computer may be infected
| || with a boot-sector virus such as the AntiCMOS.A
| || virus. â?¢ Your computer is running an
| || anti-virus program. â?¢ Your computer is using
| || hard disk
| || management software (such as Disk Manager, EZ-Drive, or DrivePro)
| || for hard disk geometry translation. These tools provide support
| || for large hard disks (more than 1024 cylinders) when your
| || computer's Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) does not support
| || large hard disks. â?¢ Windows Setup was unable to copy the system
| || files to the hard disk. â?¢ Security software has disabled access
| || to drive C.
| ||
| || RESOLUTION
| || Use one of the following methods to correct the
| || problem. Back to the top
| ||
| || Computer Is Infected with a Virus
| || Use an anti-virus program to detect and remove the
| || virus, and then reinstall Windows. Boot-sector viruses
| || infect computers by copying information either to the boot sector
| || on a floppy disk or the partition table on a hard disk. During
| || startup, the virus is loaded into memory. Once in memory, the
| || virus typically infects any non-infected disks that your computer
| || is connected to.
| ||
| || Computer Is Running Anti-Virus Software
| || Start your computer by using the Windows Startup disk
| || you created during Windows Setup, and then use the sys command
| || from the Windows Startup disk to restore the system files to the
| || hard disk.
| ||
| || Some computers use built-in anti-virus software that
| || must be disabled in the computer's BIOS. For
| || information about how to change settings in the BIOS, view the
| || computer's documentation or contact the manufacturer of your
| || computer.
| ||
| || Computer Is Using Disk Management Software
| || In some cases, Windows may not properly detect that
| || you are using disk management software and may overwrite the
| || master boot record (MBR) information. Refer to the documentation
| || for the disk management software you are using for information
| || about restoring the MBR.
| ||
| || Also, check the Setuplog.txt file for the following
| || statement: FSLog: BIOS Heads=:64:, BootPart Heads=:64:
| || The preceding number (64 in this example) may vary
| || from computer to computer. If these two numbers are
| || different, replace the system files on your hard disk
| || according to the instructions in the following "Reinstall the
| || Windows System Files" section. For additional information about
| || how to determine if your computer is using a drive overlay
| || program, click the article number below to view the article in
| || the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 186057
| || (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/186057/EN-US/) How to Tell If
| || Drive Overlay Program Is Installed in Windows Back to the top
| ||
| || Reinstall the Windows System Files
| || WARNING: If you are using Disk Manager or any other
| || disk drive overlay program on a hard disk, make sure that the
| || overlay driver is loaded before you use the sys command on that
| || hard disk. If the overlay driver is not loaded and you use the
| || sys command on the hard disk, the drive may not be recognized as
| || being partitioned by the disk drive overlay program and you could
| || experience loss of data or an inability to boot from the drive.
| ||
| || Although you can use the sys command with Ontrack Disk
| || Manager and later versions of MicroHouse EZ-Drive (or EZ-Max)
| || after the overlay driver is loaded, earlier versions such as
| || EZ-Drive
| || 2.01s require that operating system files be copied to the overlay
| || installation disk and installed by the overlay utility. In such
| || cases, the overlay may be damaged if you use the sys command on
| || the hard disk. 1. Start your computer by using the Windows 95 or
| || Windows 98 Startup disk.
| || 2. At the command prompt, type the following
| || commands, pressing ENTER after each command: c:
| || cd\windows\command
| || attrib c:\msdos.sys -s -h -r
| || copy c:\msdos.sys c:\msdos.xxx
| || a:
| || sys c:
| || attrib c:\msdos.sys -s -h -r
| || del c:\msdos.sys
| || copy c:\msdos.xxx c:\msdos.sys
| || attrib c:\msdos.sys +s +h +r
| ||
| ||
| || 3. Remove the Windows Startup disk, and then
| || restart the computer.
| ||
| || Back to the top
| ||
| || Security Software Enabled
| || Some third-party programs prevent (lock) access to
| || hard disks in your computer. If this software is
| || installed, contact the manufacturer about how to
| || remove this
| || software and safely restart Windows 98 Setup. For additional
| || information about Windows Setup and troubleshooting steps, click
| || the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft
| || Knowledge Base: 129260
| || (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/129260/EN-US/) Windows 95 Setup:
| || Description and Troubleshooting Steps Back to the top
| ||
| || MORE INFORMATION
| || For additional information about boot-sector viruses,
| || click the article number below to view the article in
| || the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 82923
| || (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/82923/EN-US/) Methods to Detect a
| || Boot-Sector Virus
| ||
| ||
| || The third-party products that are discussed in this
| || article are manufactured by companies that are independent of
| || Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise,
| || regarding the performance or reliability of these products.
| ||
| || Back to the top
| ||
| ||
|
|| --------------------------------------------------------------------
| ||
| || APPLIES TO
| || â?¢ Microsoft Windows 95
| || â?¢ Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition
| ||
| || Back to the top
| ||
| || Keywords:Â kberrmsg kbfaq kbprb kbsetup
| || KB128730
| ||
| || Back to the top
| || Search Support (KB)
| ||
| ||
| || Switch to Advanced Search
| || Article Translations
| || FrenchGermanItalianPortuguese
| || (Brazil)Portuguese (Portugal)Simplified ChineseSpanishTraditional
| || Chinese
| ||
| || Related Support Centers
| || a.. Windows 98
| ||
| ||
| || Other Support Options
| || a.. Contact Microsoft
| || Phone Numbers, Support Options and Pricing,
| || Online Help, and more. b.. Customer Service
| || For non-technical assistance with product
| || purchases, subscriptions, online services,
| || events, training courses, corporate sales,
| || piracy issues, and more. c.. Newsgroups Pose a question to other
| || users. Discussion groups and Forums about specific Microsoft
| || products, technologies, and services.
| ||
| ||
| || Page Tools
| || a.. Print this page
| || b.. E-mail this page
| || c.. Microsoft Worldwide
| || d.. Save to My Support Favorites
| || e.. Go to My Support Favorites
| || emuitl.. Send Feedback
| || f..
| ||
| ||
| ||
| || Manage Your Profile |Contact Us
| || © 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of
| || Use |Trademarks |Privacy Statement
|
| --
| Thanks or Good Luck,
| There may be humor in this post, and,
| Naturally, you will not sue,
| Should things get worse after this,
| PCR
|

--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
Should things get worse after this,
PCR

Does BIOS show the disk as existing? What about FDISK? Are you sure you have
it hooked up and jumpered correctly?

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"astroview120mm" wrote in message
...
I have reformatted the hard disk using another computer. After putting back
the HD and auto detecting it, the same result happened, with the same
message as before. I can't reinstall Windows, either, due to not being
able
to read the disk. The CD drive has become C, and the HD does not have a
drive letter.

"PCR" wrote in message
...
astroview120mm wrote:
| Yes, it was the virus, but after I put the hard disk back and made it
| master, it still happened. The virus was removed, I think.

(A) Do you have a Win98 Startup Diskette that you are sure is clean of
the virus? IOW, you never inserted it without write-protecting it? If
not, get a new one from...
http://www.bootdisk.com/

(B) By the word of the following article, you are clear of a boot sector
virus, if CHKDSK reports "655,360 total bytes memory"...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/82923/EN-US/
Methods to Detect a Boot-Sector Virus

So...
(1) WRITE-PROTECT & boot the Startup Diskette
(2) At the A:\prompt, enter: CHKDSK

Here was my result...
C:\chkdsk
...snip
655,360 total bytes memory
...snip...

But some variation may be acceptable, as stated in the article. Report
your figure, if different from mine, & I'll try to figure the arithmetic
mentioned therein.

(C) At the A:\prompt, try:

(1) DIR C:\ /on /p
(2) DIR C:\Windows /on /p

Do you get listings or error messages?

(D) Here are some requirements for a successful boot to Windows...

Absent an odd MSDOS.sys or other shenanigan, to boot to Windows or DOS,
a partition must...

1. Be on an HDD that is jumpered Master or Single.
If another is on the cable, that must be jumpered Slave,
unless, maybe, they are both jumpered cable select.

2. Be a Primary Partition (not a Volume in an Extended Partition).

3. Be the Active partition.
FDISK option 2 makes a partition the Active one.

4. Be on an HDD with boot code in its MBR (Master Boot Record).
FDISK /MBR puts it there, but there are cautions about that.

5. Be in the bootstrap.
The PBR (Partition Boot Record) drive number must be x'80'.
SYS does that... "SYS C:", if (as you say) it is back as primary
master in the original computer.

To check some of those...

(a) FDISK
(b) Press ENTER to accept Large Disk Support.
(c) Select option 4 (Display Partition Information), & hit ENTER.
(f) ESC your way OUT, when done.

Here is what mine showed.
NOTES: "PRI" is Primary, "EXT" is Extended...
"A" under "Status" means "Active".

Display Partition Information
Current fixed disk drive: 1

Partition Status Type Volume Label Mbytes System Usage
C: 1 A PRI DOS P C R HARD 7996 FAT32 42%
2 EXT DOS 11096
58%

But, remember, SYS & FDISK /MBR could be troublesome, if you have an
overlay or a 3rd party boot manager installed, per the article you
posted (below)...

| "PCR" wrote in message
| ...
| astroview120mm wrote:
| || PCR wrote:
| || astroview120mm wrote:
| || | I have a problem with my computer. When I start it up, it
| || | won't boot, and to make matters worse, the computer says it
| || | can't read drive C. I have also used different boot disks to
| || | fix the computer, but no luck. I would appreciate any help.
| || | Also, is there any way I can install Windows 98 into a USB or
| || | other device? Thanks in advance.
| ||
| || What is the exact wording of the error message? Is it really
| || one of these...?...
| ||
| || By the word of Starman, these are the error messages of the MBR
| || code... http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/STDMBR.htm
| ||
| || Invalid partition table.
| || Error loading operating system.
| || Missing operating system.
| ||
| || And these are of PBR code...
| || http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/MSWIN41.htm
| ||
| || Invalid system disk.
| || Disk I/O error.
| || Replace the disk, and then press any key.
| ||
| ||
| || The solution of this seems easy enough, but the Microsoft website
| || http://support.microsoft.com/kb/128730. However, I cannot
| || reinstall Windows. Please help!!
|
| When you connected the hard drive to another computer, did it say
| definitively it had the AntiCMOS.A virus? Did it remove the virus?
| What happens now when you try to boot on the original computer? Did
| you remember to make it a Master again?
|
| If you cannot reinstall Windows, it's possible you can get by with...
|
| (a) Boot a write-protected Startup Diskette of your OS.
| (b) FDISK /MBR
| Re-writes boot code to the Master Boot Record.
| (c) SYS C:
| Copies certain system files to C:\ & puts it into the bootstrap.
|
| WARNINGS:
|
| (1) If you have a drive overlay as mentioned below in the MS article,
| those instructions would wipe it.
|
| (2) If the virus hid your partitions, you may be able to recover them
| with...
| http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/utilities.html MBRWork
| Free MBR utility. I have more details about it, if necessary.
|
| || Error Message "Invalid System Disk" After Setup Reboots
| ||
| || Error Message "Invalid System Disk" After Setup
| || Reboots View products that this article applies to.
| || Article ID : 128730
| || Last Review : January 19, 2007
| || Revision : 1.2
| ||
| || This article was previously published under Q128730
| ||
| || SYMPTOMS
| || During the first reboot in Windows Setup, you may
| || receive the following error message: Invalid system
| || disk Replace the disk, and then press any key
| || You may also receive this error message when you start
| || your computer by using a Windows Startup disk, or you
| || may receive the following error message: This version
| || of Windows does not run on DOS 7.0 or earlier. Back to the top
| ||
| || CAUSE
| || This issue can be caused by any of the following
| || conditions: â?¢ Your computer may be infected
| || with a boot-sector virus such as the AntiCMOS.A
| || virus. â?¢ Your computer is running an
| || anti-virus program. â?¢ Your computer is using
| || hard disk
| || management software (such as Disk Manager, EZ-Drive, or DrivePro)
| || for hard disk geometry translation. These tools provide support
| || for large hard disks (more than 1024 cylinders) when your
| || computer's Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) does not support
| || large hard disks. â?¢ Windows Setup was unable to copy the system
| || files to the hard disk. â?¢ Security software has disabled access
| || to drive C.
| ||
| || RESOLUTION
| || Use one of the following methods to correct the
| || problem. Back to the top
| ||
| || Computer Is Infected with a Virus
| || Use an anti-virus program to detect and remove the
| || virus, and then reinstall Windows. Boot-sector viruses
| || infect computers by copying information either to the boot sector
| || on a floppy disk or the partition table on a hard disk. During
| || startup, the virus is loaded into memory. Once in memory, the
| || virus typically infects any non-infected disks that your computer
| || is connected to.
| ||
| || Computer Is Running Anti-Virus Software
| || Start your computer by using the Windows Startup disk
| || you created during Windows Setup, and then use the sys command
| || from the Windows Startup disk to restore the system files to the
| || hard disk.
| ||
| || Some computers use built-in anti-virus software that
| || must be disabled in the computer's BIOS. For
| || information about how to change settings in the BIOS, view the
| || computer's documentation or contact the manufacturer of your
| || computer.
| ||
| || Computer Is Using Disk Management Software
| || In some cases, Windows may not properly detect that
| || you are using disk management software and may overwrite the
| || master boot record (MBR) information. Refer to the documentation
| || for the disk management software you are using for information
| || about restoring the MBR.
| ||
| || Also, check the Setuplog.txt file for the following
| || statement: FSLog: BIOS Heads=:64:, BootPart Heads=:64:
| || The preceding number (64 in this example) may vary
| || from computer to computer. If these two numbers are
| || different, replace the system files on your hard disk
| || according to the instructions in the following "Reinstall the
| || Windows System Files" section. For additional information about
| || how to determine if your computer is using a drive overlay
| || program, click the article number below to view the article in
| || the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 186057
| || (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/186057/EN-US/) How to Tell If
| || Drive Overlay Program Is Installed in Windows Back to the top
| ||
| || Reinstall the Windows System Files
| || WARNING: If you are using Disk Manager or any other
| || disk drive overlay program on a hard disk, make sure that the
| || overlay driver is loaded before you use the sys command on that
| || hard disk. If the overlay driver is not loaded and you use the
| || sys command on the hard disk, the drive may not be recognized as
| || being partitioned by the disk drive overlay program and you could
| || experience loss of data or an inability to boot from the drive.
| ||
| || Although you can use the sys command with Ontrack Disk
| || Manager and later versions of MicroHouse EZ-Drive (or EZ-Max)
| || after the overlay driver is loaded, earlier versions such as
| || EZ-Drive
| || 2.01s require that operating system files be copied to the overlay
| || installation disk and installed by the overlay utility. In such
| || cases, the overlay may be damaged if you use the sys command on
| || the hard disk. 1. Start your computer by using the Windows 95 or
| || Windows 98 Startup disk.
| || 2. At the command prompt, type the following
| || commands, pressing ENTER after each command: c:
| || cd\windows\command
| || attrib c:\msdos.sys -s -h -r
| || copy c:\msdos.sys c:\msdos.xxx
| || a:
| || sys c:
| || attrib c:\msdos.sys -s -h -r
| || del c:\msdos.sys
| || copy c:\msdos.xxx c:\msdos.sys
| || attrib c:\msdos.sys +s +h +r
| ||
| ||
| || 3. Remove the Windows Startup disk, and then
| || restart the computer.
| ||
| || Back to the top
| ||
| || Security Software Enabled
| || Some third-party programs prevent (lock) access to
| || hard disks in your computer. If this software is
| || installed, contact the manufacturer about how to
| || remove this
| || software and safely restart Windows 98 Setup. For additional
| || information about Windows Setup and troubleshooting steps, click
| || the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft
| || Knowledge Base: 129260
| || (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/129260/EN-US/) Windows 95 Setup:
| || Description and Troubleshooting Steps Back to the top
| ||
| || MORE INFORMATION
| || For additional information about boot-sector viruses,
| || click the article number below to view the article in
| || the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 82923
| || (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/82923/EN-US/) Methods to Detect a
| || Boot-Sector Virus
| ||
| ||
| || The third-party products that are discussed in this
| || article are manufactured by companies that are independent of
| || Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise,
| || regarding the performance or reliability of these products.
| ||
| || Back to the top
| ||
| ||
|
|| --------------------------------------------------------------------
| ||
| || APPLIES TO
| || â?¢ Microsoft Windows 95
| || â?¢ Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition
| ||
| || Back to the top
| ||
| || Keywords:Â kberrmsg kbfaq kbprb kbsetup
| || KB128730
| ||
| || Back to the top
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|
| --
| Thanks or Good Luck,
| There may be humor in this post, and,
| Naturally, you will not sue,
| Should things get worse after this,
| PCR
|

--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
Should things get worse after this,
PCR