Formatted the disk on my (seldom used) laptop. Now I'm stuck.

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Author Topic:   Formatted the disk on my (seldom used) laptop. Now I'm stuck.

yin26 posted 03-08-99 11:59 PM ET
This isn't a SMAC problem, but there are some very talented computer people here, so I hope I can sneak this in.
I formatted the drive on my laptop (too many reasons to list here). It's a Toshiba 4000 series. The problem, as far as I can tell, is that I have to swap the disk and CD ROM so that I can't seem to boot from the disk and tell the system to switch to the CD for Windows 98 install, even if I swap the drives etc.
Needless to say, I didn't forsee this problem.
How do I get around this? Do I need to make a special boot disk (beyond the one I already have)?
I'm not in a panic, but I would like to save this dying machine.
Brother (Greg), can you spare a time?
zengaian posted 03-09-99 02:31 AM ET
Use the boot disk you've got to format the hard disk as a system disk - format C: \s - then install your cd using the setup disk that (hopefully) came with it. You may need to find a copy of Mscdex.exe to get this to work under under the dos promt. You should be then able to run setup off the CD.
zengaian posted 03-09-99 02:33 AM ET
Actually me thinks that might be "format C: /s" Oops!
yin26 posted 03-09-99 05:42 AM ET
zengaian,
Thanks for the help. I'm going to try that now. If it works, I'll send you my SMAC tech poster (I never use it, do you?).
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Author	Topic: Formatted the disk on my (seldom used) laptop. Now I'm stuck.
yin26	posted 03-08-99 11:59 PM ET This isn't a SMAC problem, but there are some very talented computer people here, so I hope I can sneak this in. I formatted the drive on my laptop (too many reasons to list here). It's a Toshiba 4000 series. The problem, as far as I can tell, is that I have to swap the disk and CD ROM so that I can't seem to boot from the disk and tell the system to switch to the CD for Windows 98 install, even if I swap the drives etc. Needless to say, I didn't forsee this problem. How do I get around this? Do I need to make a special boot disk (beyond the one I already have)? I'm not in a panic, but I would like to save this dying machine. Brother (Greg), can you spare a time?
zengaian	posted 03-09-99 02:31 AM ET Use the boot disk you've got to format the hard disk as a system disk - format C: \s - then install your cd using the setup disk that (hopefully) came with it. You may need to find a copy of Mscdex.exe to get this to work under under the dos promt. You should be then able to run setup off the CD.
zengaian	posted 03-09-99 02:33 AM ET Actually me thinks that might be "format C: /s" Oops!
yin26	posted 03-09-99 05:42 AM ET zengaian, Thanks for the help. I'm going to try that now. If it works, I'll send you my SMAC tech poster (I never use it, do you?).