Try running fdisk from the floppy, since the drives get recognized in BIOS maybe they simply don't have any partition defined.

Are your drives much newer (larger) than the broken one?

Hi all:

No one is smaller and one is the same size - 60gb and 40gb.

I don't have any floppies, would Hirens work?

Thanks

Graham

Graham1982 wrote on 2020-01-30, 20:27:

As soon as I try to boot from Windows 98 CD and then boot with HD support, I get given an A:\ but C:\ doesn't exist. When putting the old, broken HD in, this is recognisable and I can list the directory.

That's completely normal. You need to run FDISK and create and format a partition first before you can access C: (and D: etc. if you create more than one partition).

FDISK is actually on the Win98 CD. If you boot with CD-ROM support, you should be able to completely set up the hard disk from the Win98 CD.

Hi everyone:

I did the FDISK and that has moved the situation on a bit, thank you.

I used this to partition the drive, deleting the presumably XP partition and putting on a DOS partition. The machine said reboot and then format.

Herein lies the problem, the boot cd doesn't seem to have the format command, I tried format c:\ from memory but that doesn't work, presumably because the command doesn't exist.

Also if this helps, when I tried to Dir the c:\ prompt it said something about unrecognisable file system (or something)

Thanks

Graham

Hi derSammler:

Just re-read your post regarding fdisk, is there a format command in fdisk?

Thanks

Graham

fdisk, format and sys are on first disk of dos 6.22 3 disk set. 5.0x Dos don't know but you can obtain the boot disk from a website and create one using external usb floppy drive.

Cheers,

Graham1982 wrote on 2020-01-30, 21:51:

Herein lies the problem, the boot cd doesn't seem to have the format command, I tried format c:\ from memory but that doesn't work, presumably because the command doesn't exist.

Help us a bit here. What's the error you're getting? Bad command or file name? You shouldn't, if I remember correctly format is in the same place where fdisk is so you should be able to run it.
Another thing that comes to mind without having much feedback is the syntax: it's "format c:" without the "\".
In any case since you're able to boot from the win98 cdrom everything you need is either on the virtual drive or the cd it self. After you format the drive you can run setup.

format.com should be in the win98 folder on the CD.

derSammler wrote on 2020-01-31, 08:24:

format.com should be in the win98 folder on the CD.

I remember that catching me out in the past being too hasty to set up PCs.

Installed a fresh windows 98 on a machine today and remembered that 😀

cd win98
format c:

Job done 😁

Graham1982 wrote on 2020-01-30, 21:58:

Hi derSammler: […]
Show full quote

Hi derSammler:

Just re-read your post regarding fdisk, is there a format command in fdisk?

Thanks

Graham

Hi,

FDISK is on the Win98 Floppy (or, when booting from CD on virtual drive A)
FORMAT is in the Win98 directory of the CD. (boot disks MSCDEX should report the drive letter for the CD drive)

Dear all:

Many thanks for answering my queries - I was totally unaware this forum existed until a friend pointed me in its direction.

The machine is now working and is ready to be collected by the customer tomorrow.

I think that special thanks are needed because unlike on several Facebook enthusiast groups (I won't name names, not the point), you answered the question I asked and did so politely, without over engineering the situation.

All too often on the aforementioned groups if you pose a question you will get a silly response. For example, old guy doesn't want to upgrade his machine can he still use XP?

No, if I were him I would use Debian/Linux.

Clearly not a sensible option for an older person, 🤣.

Anyway, sincere gratitude, I will be back if someone decides to, I dunno, run their company accounts on a Sinclair/Timex!

Thanks

Graham