# Computer Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 22, 2002, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question/99495 "2002-03-22T05:04:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Civil\_Defense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Civil\_Defense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Defense)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question/99495/1 "2002-03-22T05:04:39Z")
I came home this evening to find that my other computer will not boot. Windows 98 was installed on it, and I do not have a boot disk for it (I’m running XP on this machine). I can get a command prompt using an XP emergency startup disk, but beyond that, running MSCDEX and loading CD drivers does not give me access to the CD-ROM. If I try to access drive C, I get an invalid media type error and a “Fail on INT 24” message. I’ve tried everything I know to do to restore, including FDISKing drive C (which was apparently successful), but I am still unable to get a command prompt on it to reinstall Windows… Does anyone have any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question/99495/2 "2002-03-22T05:50:52Z")
Can you access C: now? Does the computer beep or anything? Have you checked the BIOS Settings? You could try to boot from a windows 98 CD. ---
**Author:** ![cerebrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@cerebrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerebrum)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question/99495/3 "2002-03-22T06:35:36Z")
Did you FORMAT after you fdisked your hard drive? ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Defense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Civil\_Defense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Defense)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question/99495/4 "2002-03-22T07:29:37Z")
I can get a C: prompt, but anything thereafter is an “Invalid media reading disk” error. I tried to format before and after the FDISK, both times I got an “Incorrect DOS version” error and FORMAT wouldn’t run. ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question/99495/5 "2002-03-22T08:12:40Z")
use ‘format c: /u’ - it will wipe out EVERYTHING on the disk - this turns the disk into a doorstop, but SHOULD allow the re-install of OS and applications (user data is gone) (this is assuming that the BIOS boot is either C/A or, if A/C, there is not a garbage floppy installed) LOTS of possiblities here - the more info you can provide, the better - any reason for the machine to go bad? are there multiple hard drives? was the operating system on C, or some other drive? can you get a DOS prompt? Did you check/retry the BIOS ‘scan for HDD specs’ function? ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Defense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Civil\_Defense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Defense)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question/99495/6 "2002-03-22T08:31:11Z")
Nevermind guys, I got it-- turns out the [FORMAT.COM](http://FORMAT.COM) file itself was corrupt (!!). Got it all taken care of – reinstalling 98 as I type. Thanks for your help =) ---
**Author:** ![dylan\_73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@dylan\_73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dylan_73)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question/99495/7 "2002-03-22T10:37:09Z")
Although this has been fixed, I thought I should point you to [www.bootdisk.com](http://www.bootdisk.com) where you can get appropriate boot disks for whatever OS you need. Handy in these kind of situations.