Unable to boot up after Power Failure

I have an older Pentium Computer running Windows 98. It was working just
fine until there was a power outage last night and now it will not reboot.
I tried using the Windows Starts here disk and it will not even allow that
to run. I just get a black screen verifying some hardware and showing the 2
CD Rom drives are present as well as the Floppy drive, and saying HDD error
on Prime Master and Prime Slave Drives. Is there anything I can do for this
problem?

"Ola" wrote in message
...
| I have an older Pentium Computer running Windows 98. It was working just
| fine until there was a power outage last night and now it will not reboot.
| I tried using the Windows Starts here disk and it will not even allow that
| to run. I just get a black screen verifying some hardware and showing the
2
| CD Rom drives are present as well as the Floppy drive, and saying HDD
error
| on Prime Master and Prime Slave Drives. Is there anything I can do for
this
| problem?
|
|

Try accessing your BIOS/CMOS and check your settings.
If the main drive was being accessed at the time of power outage [writing
to disk] you may have to look at the disk with a DOS based tool, OR
pre-check with a the command FDISK /status. Post back with what it shows, if
necessary. The group may have to advise how to re-establish the disk [MBR,
sys, and/or other].

--
MEB
http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com/
BLOG - http://peoplescounsel.spaces.live.com/ Public Notice or the "real
world"
http://groups.google.com/group/the-peoples-law?hl=en - discussion group for
general aspects of Law verses the Peoples' of the world

"Most people, sometime in their lives, stumble across truth.
Most jump up, brush themselves off, and hurry on about their business as if
nothing had happen." Winston Churchill
Or to put it another way:
Morpheus can offer you the two pills;
but only you can choose whether you take the red pill or the blue one.
_______________

Unless you are technically savvy, you should take that machine to a
reputable computer repair shop (NOT a big-box computer store or their
service branch.) There are lots of things that need checking, many of them
inside the case.

If you aren't technically challenged, then MEB has you started on the right
track with the BIOS check, but I *think* you said that the floppy drive
doesn't work? You've tried a bootable Windows Setup floppy (aka Emergency
Boot Disk)? If unsure, go to www.bootdisk.com and download an appropriate
boot disk image to make a new floppy out of. Does the machine boot to the
floppy drive with a new boot disk?

Frankly, I don't hold out a lot of hope for your machine if the floppy drive
will also not function. If it will, then you can answer MEB's queries.

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

"Ola" wrote in message
...
I have an older Pentium Computer running Windows 98. It was working just
fine until there was a power outage last night and now it will not reboot.
I tried using the Windows Starts here disk and it will not even allow that
to run. I just get a black screen verifying some hardware and showing the
2
CD Rom drives are present as well as the Floppy drive, and saying HDD
error
on Prime Master and Prime Slave Drives. Is there anything I can do for
this
problem?

"Ola" wrote in message
...

I have an older Pentium Computer running Windows 98. It was working just
fine until there was a power outage last night and now it will not reboot.
I tried using the Windows Starts here disk and it will not even allow that
to run. I just get a black screen verifying some hardware and showing the
2
CD Rom drives are present as well as the Floppy drive, and saying HDD
error
on Prime Master and Prime Slave Drives. Is there anything I can do for
this
problem?

Power outages often cause this sort of damage (more
often to software than to hardware.) The overall fastest
solution is usually to reinstal Windows (and read first
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html
about how to proceed, e.g. checking you have the
Product ID number written down.)

Because hard drives are now so cheap, if you plan
to keep using this PC, consider buying a new HDD
(anything up to 120 Gb) for your IDE1 master drive C:
(and D:, E: etc.) Connect your old C: as IDE1 slave
drive, and after reinstallation you can copy over
anything convenient. (But if you create a new
Registry, preferable on reinstallation of the OS,
you will need to reinstal from CD all your apps.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

This sort of damage is normal

Note that the HDD and/or the entire Primary IDE controller are not being
recognized. That's more likely hardware or BIOS.

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

"Don Phillipson" wrote in message
...
"Ola" wrote in message
...

I have an older Pentium Computer running Windows 98. It was working just
fine until there was a power outage last night and now it will not
reboot.
I tried using the Windows Starts here disk and it will not even allow
that
to run. I just get a black screen verifying some hardware and showing
the
2
CD Rom drives are present as well as the Floppy drive, and saying HDD
error
on Prime Master and Prime Slave Drives. Is there anything I can do for
this
problem?

Power outages often cause this sort of damage (more
often to software than to hardware.) The overall fastest
solution is usually to reinstal Windows (and read first
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html
about how to proceed, e.g. checking you have the
Product ID number written down.)

Because hard drives are now so cheap, if you plan
to keep using this PC, consider buying a new HDD
(anything up to 120 Gb) for your IDE1 master drive C:
(and D:, E: etc.) Connect your old C: as IDE1 slave
drive, and after reinstallation you can copy over
anything convenient. (But if you create a new
Registry, preferable on reinstallation of the OS,
you will need to reinstal from CD all your apps.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

This sort of damage is normal

Start the computer and watch the screen carefully for something like "Press
del for setup". Press the appropriate key, then find and select "Load Defaults".
Also, make sure the hard drive is properly configured. Use autodetect if
available. Be sure to save the changes when exiting.

Ben

"Ola" wrote in message ...
I have an older Pentium Computer running Windows 98. It was working just
fine until there was a power outage last night and now it will not reboot.
I tried using the Windows Starts here disk and it will not even allow that
to run. I just get a black screen verifying some hardware and showing the 2
CD Rom drives are present as well as the Floppy drive, and saying HDD error
on Prime Master and Prime Slave Drives. Is there anything I can do for this
problem?

Won't work if the cmos is corrupted.
Dave
"Ben Myers" wrote in message
...
Start the computer and watch the screen carefully for something like "Press
del for setup". Press the appropriate key, then find and select "Load
Defaults".
Also, make sure the hard drive is properly configured. Use autodetect if
available. Be sure to save the changes when exiting.

Ben

"Ola" wrote in message
...
I have an older Pentium Computer running Windows 98. It was working just
fine until there was a power outage last night and now it will not reboot.
I tried using the Windows Starts here disk and it will not even allow that
to run. I just get a black screen verifying some hardware and showing the
2
CD Rom drives are present as well as the Floppy drive, and saying HDD
error
on Prime Master and Prime Slave Drives. Is there anything I can do for
this
problem?