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Invalid System Disk (My Goof Up...)

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Rae

New Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2003
I'm sooo stupid... Sorry in advance for the length. Trying to be neat and thorough. Plus after reading this you may be thinking this isn't worth the trouble, but I want to try and learn something. So, please read this and thanks for any help.

A friend bought a used computer, but the previous owner deleted personal files and some of them were pertanent to operating the computer! At first, I was able to access win95 and was going to reload win95 cd. Wasn't enough space. Not knowing what I was doing, I created a host drive. DUMB choice. Then I tried to delete the host drive. Couldn't figure that out, so I just started deleting all the files and EVERYTHING in the host drive. (I had the win95 cd, so why not? I'll just reinstall win95.) DUH!

Bottom line, I am now getting the dreaded error message: ""Invalid System Disk" replace the disk & press any key.""

Of course I didn't have a floppy disk, so I went to bootdisk.com and tried a few of their downloads. None of them work. Am I sunk or what?!

The following is all of the information I could write down:

+++DESCRIPTION:
Packard Bell Legend20 CD
Local BUS Video & Hard Drive Interface PCI Upgradeable
Double Speed CD-ROM Drive
16-Bit Stereo Sound Card & Speakers
MPC Level 2 Multimedia Specifications
PB Navigator
Plus Software etc...

+++MORE DESCRIPTION:
80486DX2-66MHz Intel Processor
420 MB Hard Disk Drive
4MB of RAM upgradeable to 64MB
1MB Video Memory
Fax / Modem Installed (9,600/2,400BPS)
Telephone Answering System Built In

+++When I first turn the computer on:
Phoenix BIOS Version 4.03
PB450M PNP release x1.13
CPU=486DX2 66MHz
0000640K System RAM ...PASSED
0007168K Extended RAM ...PASSED
System BIOS ...Shadowed
Video BIOS ...Shadowed
3F8H COM Address ...Conflict
Mouse Initialized
Diskette B ...ERROR
Autotyping Adapter0 Master ...OK
Intel Plug and Play BIOS Extentions Release 1.1u

Press <F1> to resume <F2> to setup
If I press F1 I get "Invalid System Disk Replace and press any key
If I press F2 I go to the Phoenix BIOS
This is the information on the MAIN page:
CPU [66MHz]: 486DX2
Co-processor: Internal
System RAM: 640KB
External RAM: 7168KB
Shadow RAM: NONE
L2 Cache RAM: NONE
Diskette A: 1.44MB, 3-1/2"
Master0: User Defined
Master1: NONE
BIOS DT: 6/13/94 YEP!!! LOL
Display Type: EGA / VGA
PS/2 Mouse Installed
COM Ports: 03F8,02F8
LPT Ports: 0378
Diskette B: 1.2MB, 5-1/4"
Slave0: NONE
Slave1: NONE

OK!!! I dare you to figure this out! I "think" if I can just get access to use the CD I can reinstall??? Of course I've proved to myself thinking is a very scary and dangerous thing for me...:eek:

Thanks again!!!:D
 
Make sure you have the IDE devices set up correctly in the BIOS (see if you an set the to auto). You also have to check to make sure hat you computer is capable of booting from the cdrom, and it is set as the first boot device. Otherwise, you will need a boot floppy with cd drivers. Boot from the floppy or cdrom, and get to a command prompt. Try using fdisk to repartition the harddrive, then running setup from the cd.

edit: Welcome to the forums!
 
Packardbell, don't think you'll get that to boot from cd-rom, I never could. Get a boot disc with mscdex which you can get here: http://www.simtel.net/product.php?url_fb_product_page=42053
Then you will probably have to install from an image off that cd-rom from my experiences with packardbells. If you don't have the 'key' you won't be able to run it like a restore, you have to go into the dir for the cdrom and then pick the image if I remember right and install from there.
Was my first 486 type computer, still running the exact same system in my mother inlaws place.
 
OK!!! I dare you to figure this out!

www.bootdisk.com

Download the 98SE bootdisk image, run it, and boot from it. Access the Win95 CD from there and reinstall 95.

If you really want to keep 95.

I wouldn't.

*barf*

0007168K Extended RAM ...PASSED

Err... if you don't mind me asking, WHY did your friend buy something so archaic? Is he/she going to be playing Doom I and running Word 95 or something?
 
THEPERFECTCORE

LMAO!!!!! I'm trying it and so far so good! I'll reply after I've finished.

The reason he bought it? $50. He's never used a computer and wanted to check one out before making the plunge! ;)
 
Part 2.....

ok. I was able to use the win98 boot disk. I formatted /s and cleared the hard drive. Now I have no cd-rom. NOW WHAT??!!:rolleyes:
 
You need a boot disk with the cdrom drivers included. Then, change to the cd drive (probably D: ) and run setup.

edit: changed D:) to D: )... darn these smilies!
 
Morning Gnufsh!

I'm so relieved to see you online! And NO you are not scary looking! You nut!

I used a win98 startup disk which had the drivers, but, I'm afraid they aren't compatable or something. In the BIOS I can't seem to figure out how to adjust the setting to identify the cd-rom. I think that's where the problem is. The system boots now, but just no cd-rom is identified. I was able to get rid of the error message regarding the B diskette... There's no B diskette! DUH!

You meantioned IDE settings and currently it's set as none. That's because I don't know what to set it at. This is and OLD computer and the BIOS seems pretty manual.

Let me know 'cause I'm stumped!
 
Forget about going to Win98 with only 4MB of ram.

:eh?:

-8MB of RAM.
-He/she's trying to load Win95.

I used a win98 startup disk which had the drivers, but, I'm afraid they aren't compatable or something. In the BIOS I can't seem to figure out how to adjust the setting to identify the cd-rom.

Open the case, look at how the CD drive is hooked up. If it's connected to its own ISA/PCI card, then you're going to have to write your own config.sys and autoexec.bat with proper files to get it to work.

If it's standard IDE, try another CD drive.

And truth be told, I still don't know why you're trying to get this machine to work. If your friend wants an office machine that'll do word processing, then go right ahead. But going back to this:

He's never used a computer

He's going to be in for one hell of a suprise if he purchases a more modern system. Might I suggest taking a CS 101 class at the local community college? He'd definently learn more there than he would messing around with something that was new when I was 7 years old.
 
I think those old Packard Bells used Mitsumi... or was it Matsush*ta... CD-Roms on some wacky non-standard interface off the Sound Card. The drivers for them did work with MSCDEX, but you needed something other than the standard ATAPI CD-Rom driver on the Win95/Win98 boot disk. You may need to pop the hood and pull out the CD-Rom to figure out how its hooked up and who made it. Look for drivers on driverguide.com , they have a lot of old/rare drivers hosted there.

edit:
Or you could pull the HDD and put it in another machine and copy the .cab files over, install, and delete them when done. I think Win95 once installed recognized most of those old interfaces.
 
Last edited:
Problem your going to run into is you need MSDOS loaded before you can get mscdex to work. I've played with three different versions of these packardbell's. Simpleist way to do this is to get MSDOS6.0 comes on 4 floppy disks load that, then load mscdex, then load Win95. The above procedure is "not" a guess, it is a 100% fool proof method that will work if all the hardware is good. MSCDEX will work with the cdrom, but you need MSDOS loaded first as MSCDEX refers to software in MSDOS. I think that if you use the Win98 boot disk it won't work with the version of DOS that Win95 uses.
 
Good Information

skab & poweriu Thank you!
Both gave me somewhere to start/continue
I already opened the ol' thing up to find out what brand cd-rom and it is that Matsush***whatever. Went to www.dewassoc.com and found the drivers and have it on a floppy. But, unless it's a bootdisk I can't download the driver. Is that because I need the 4 floppy prog of DOS? If I find DOS (I think that "dewassoc" site has that too) will I be able to load the DOS?

My head is spinning. I used to work with DOS (about 8 yrs ago).
What's happening is I turn the computer on and the C:\ prompt comes up. Do I do this: C:\A:\whatever? Is that the correct sequence?

I didn't even look at any computers yesterday because they are making me dizzy! LOL.

I feel like I'm so close to fixing this, but I just lack major knowledge. I don't think this should have been such a huge project to fix. BUT...that's how ya learn I guess.

Anyway, glad you guys/gals are here to help. Rae
 
OK, I'm not sure exactly what you have/havn't done, so skip stuff if it dosen't apply :D


First: Does the BIOS detect the CD drive? You said you had it set to "none" earlier, so if it's still on that setting read off all the other settings it can have.
As well as you posted this:
Master0: User Defined
Master1: NONE
Slave0: NONE
Slave1: NONE



Second: Once the BIOS detects the CD drive you need to get DOS onto the system. Since the computer probably won't boot from CD (too old), you need to get yourself a bootdisk with DOS. When the disk has booted, use the command format c: /s. This will erase the contents of the hard drive as well as transfer the basics of the DOS operating system (command.com, io.sys, and some other file) to the drive. Once the drive has been formatted by the method above, the hard drive should be bootable.


Third: Once the hard drive is bootable, now you need to get ahold of a copy of the following files. 1) MSCDEX.EXE 2) A .sys file that will act as the CD driver. Copy both the files from the floppy to the C drive (type copy MSCDEX.exe c: and copy ????.sys c: from the A:\ prompt).


Fourth: Once the files are on the hard drive, it's time to edit the config.sys and autoexec.bat files to run everything. First, add the following line to the config.sys file:
DEVICE=C:\????.sys /d:MSCD001

Next, add the following line to the autoexec.bat file:
C:\MSCDEX.exe /d:MSCD001

The first line loads the device driver, which causes the system to recognize the CD drive as a device. The second line loads MSCDEX and tells it to use the device known as "MSCD001" as the CD drive. It should by default map the CD drive to D:


If you have problems with a certian step, let me know and I'll see what I can do :) This is all mainly based off of what I remember from using DOS a few years ago :D



EDIT: Check this page for a BIG list of different drivers for Matsu****a CD drives. Be sure the OS column says it's for DOS, Win95, or Win98 :)

JigPu
 
Last edited:
Specific Packard Bell Cd-Rom drivers

I saw your model in this list. JigPu has good advice. I'll add that if/once the BIOS detects the CD-Rom, the standard win95 boot disk will probably work.

If you do go the route I suggested about pulling the HDD and putting it in another computer, make sure to copy the whole win95 directory to the drive, not just the .cab files like I said earlier...

edit:
P.S. Bah humbug on the profanity filter's insensetivity to other languages...
 
This is the point where you put the hard drive in another computer (as primary ide master, or whatever) and install windows there. Then, go into the device manager and change all the drivers to the most generic thing you can (especially the ide drivers). Then, move the hdd back and see if it works. I've had this work for me before.
 
Sooner or later,,, you have to load MSCDEX in dos if you want to use the cdrom for any dos programs. Know it sound stupid and ridiculos but that's the way Packardbell did it. When I did what your suggesting Gnufsh everything worked fine until I wanted to play a game, then it would'nt recognize the cdrom drive.
Think that screwy things like this are what caused Packardbell to give up computers?
 
I've had to install mscdex on a GW 2000 Win95 box, so the problem isn't limited to packard bell. IMO, it's easier to install on a working OS, but it has been so long I don't really remember.
 
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