Can't install Win 98 on A30

[drumstrings]

I just bought a used A30 and am trying to install Win 98 on a second (new) Hitachi hard disk.
Installation starts then tells me "An error was detected while formatting your primary hard disk partition."

*Press ENTER to quit setup

This unit has no floppy drive and I'm thinking I need to update the BIOS but don't know how it would be done.

Any help?

TIA

[JHEM]

What version of W98? If it's the original, you have to FDISK and format the HD so that the primary (active) partition is 2GB in size.

BTW, do you have the CD set as the first BOOT device?

Regards,

James

[drumstrings]

What version of W98? If it's the original, you have to FDISK and format the HD so that the primary (active) partition is 2GB in size.

BTW, do you have the CD set as the first BOOT device?

It's the second edition and yes,I do.

First time I tried, I put the disk in the primary position and the Laptop said there was no hd or it was damaged - it's brand new.
This time, it's in an Ulta Bay and I've been able to put Linux on it so I know the hardware is ok.
The seller told me to "try" a BIOS update.
Not sure I want to "try" something as I'm told BIOS updates should only be done when you know it will solve the problem.
In any case with no floppy drive, I'm lost on how to flash the BIOS, especially with no OS.
But maybe that is the answer....

[suandmarc]

Do you have a Product Recovery CD?

[suandmarc]

Generally, the target drive needs to be installed as the primary drive and formatted in FAT32. IBM recommends copying the OS CD (CAB files, etc) to a TEMP file on the target drive, and running SETUP from there. It sounds like your challenge is getting the target drive formatted. I doubt that your present BIOS is the problem.

I asked about access to a Recovery CD only because one of those can be used to FDISK and format your drive from a CD. I am told that a Win98 SE CD will FDISK (it asks you) and automatically format your primary drive if you can boot from the CD.

[drumstrings]

Do you have a Product Recovery CD?

Unfortunately, no.

[drumstrings]

Generally, the target drive needs to be installed as the primary drive and formatted in FAT32. IBM recommends copying the OS CD (CAB files, etc) to a TEMP file on the target drive, and running SETUP from there. It sounds like your challenge is getting the target drive formatted. I doubt that your present BIOS is the problem.

I asked about access to a Recovery CD only because one of those can be used to FDISK and format your drive from a CD. I am told that a Win98 SE CD will FDISK (it asks you) and automatically format your primary drive if you can boot from the CD.

Well... I booted from the CD and the install started to format the disk until it reported the problem - or rather, didn't report the problem - just said that there was one!
I tried to format both primary and slave disks but both stopped with the same message.
Guess I could try one of the Linux live CDs to see if Linux fdisk will give me a real DOS partition.
Good opportunity to learn something. Hope I do.

[drumstrings]

I have now created a Fat32 partition on the master hard disk, trying again to run Win98 SE install, it appears to begin to format the disk then tells me to put the Win98 boot disk into the CDROM drive and press Enter - the install disk just keeps giving the same message.

I've burned a bootable CD that is a copy of my Win98 startup disk and the computer starts using the disk but when I attempt to change to the E: drive to try running "setup" from the install CD, the colon key gives a dash instead of a colon and a 6 instead of a P, etc.

Don't know what I did to change the keyboard mapping.

Any ideas on this?

TIA
Drumstrings

[suandmarc]

Most of my experience with problem solving has revolved around using a floppy disk-based approach, so bear with me. Have you actually used FDISK to establish the drive as formattable?

[drumstrings]

Most of my experience with problem solving has revolved around using a floppy disk-based approach, so bear with me. Have you actually used FDISK to establish the drive as formattable?

No worries mate!
Yes, it's FAT32 with LBA and ready to format, I just can't change directories - to the CD (E:) for lack of a :
So I'm left stranded at the A: prompt
Can't even do a 'dir' to see what's on a:

Now I'm thinking that copying the floppy to a CD isn't going to work due to references to A:, which in the laptop, doesn't exist.
Appreciate your time and responses!

[suandmarc]

If the FDISK issue is OK, the Win98SE install CD should take it from there.
I have been through many scenarios with my A31's, but I have always been able to use the floppy drives to debug with. Perhaps you could obtain one for this problem. In the absence of a floppy, a Recovery CD boot would be interesting to watch.

[drumstrings]

The machine was purchased from an independent dealer who took it in after it's lease life - no discs were provided.
Is the recovery disc available somewhere?

Maybe I'll have to price an external floppy drive.

[suandmarc]

Do you have room to use the ULTRABAY Floppy drive? If so, there are some reasonably priced units on eBay. The Recovery CD's are hard to find on the used market, but some are available for purchase from IBM at around $ 40.00. Bill Morrow may also be able to help.

Keep us informed about your progress!

[drumstrings]

No more bays for another ultra.

Maybe I can find a cable to attach a regular floppy to the machine somehow, since I only need it temporarily, I hope. There's some kind of port on the bottom at the back but I don't know what it's for.
Have to give this a little thought.

Thanks for the input!
ds

[smugiri]

Here is a suggestion that I call the "this is ugly but something has to be done" approach:


With the HDD already fomatted FAT 32, boot some flavor of live linux ( knoppix, warty, dsl etc ).

Mount the disk and copy the Windows 98 installer files from the CD onto the formatted FAT32 drive using LINUX. You could also potentially use a 2.5' to 3.5' USB converter/connection cable to do this on a desktop with Windows. They sell on eBay for about $5 to 10.

The objective is to use linux or some other OS to copy files from the network to the FAT32 formatted laptop disk.

Boot laptop with Win 98 install CD, as it boots, press F3 multiple times, this will drop you to a prompt after the install aborts abnormally.

Type FDISK, get into FDISK and mark the first partition as "Active" then exit. The machine might reboot in which case you will have to start the Win98 install and abort it abnormally again to get back to the prompt.

When you have a prompt again after aborting the install, Type "sys c:" to get a Win 98 MBR written on your laptop drive. This writes a new Win 98 MBR.

You must have both an active partition and a good MBR, one alone is not enough.

Now, boot again from the HDD into a C: prompt.

This is Win 98 without any graphical OS - Windows 98 in text mode on the HDD.

Change to the directory to which you copied the Win 98 installation files on the HDD.

Run setup from the prompt. I suspect that you could also at this point say cd D: ( or whatever your CDROM drive letter is ) and install Win 98 from the CD but better safe than sorry.


Tell us if this works.

[drumstrings]

Steve,
Thanks for the tip.
I was finally able to get 2k installed before I found your response.

[Deb Suran]

when I attempt to change to the E: drive to try running "setup" from the install CD, the colon key gives a dash instead of a colon and a 6 instead of a P, etc.

Your number lock key was engaged. This happened to me the other day, very annoying until I figured it out as I was typing in a password so all I saw was asterisks. Disengage by holding down your "Shift" key and pressing "NumLk/ScrLk," above the F11 key.

[drumstrings]

Your number lock key was engaged. This happened to me the other day, very annoying until I figured it out as I was typing in a password so all I saw was asterisks. Disengage by holding down your "Shift" key and pressing "NumLk/ScrLk," above the F11 key.

Arrgh!!!
Amazing how so often it's something simple I overlook.
Thanks!