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To start, this is a Windows problem, or a hardware problems running under Windows 95. I am trying to installed Linux on the PC, with no luck. I have an old AMD k-6 233 that I want to install Linux on, but for some reason the CD-ROM isn't working. Here is what happens. When I insert a CD, the light comes on and the CD spins, then nothing happens. If I go into My Computer, there is no CD-ROM drive shown. If I go "Start -> Run - D:" it says "D: drive not found." If I right-click on My Computer and go into the hardware listing, it lists the CD-ROM Controllers as being present, with a "Sony Proprietary CD-ROM Controller" as installed and working properly. Now, in my Hard Disks section, there are three things there. First, "Intel 82371SB PCI Bus Master IDE Controller". It is working properly. Next are the "Primary IDE Controller" and "Secondary IDE Controller". Both have little exclamation points next to them in the list, and the message when read their properties is "device is not present, not working properly, or does not hae all drivers installed". So obviously this is the problem...I just have no idea what the heck to do. This system has no frills, I got it from my uncle, who in turn got it from his office. It's a AMD K-6 233 Mhz, 32 MB RAM...uh...I don't even know what else is in it. I don't now ANY of the parts in it, only that I wanted to install Linux on it, and now it's broken. The weird thing is when I used the Restore disk that my uncle gave me, when I rebooted it can read the CD and reformat the hard drive. I thought that the same thing could work with the Linux CD, but no luck. I even tried making a boot disk on another PC, but it STILL can't read the CD-ROM. I've already tried reformatting twice. It doesn't help. Can someone PLEASE help me? I've been looking forward to installing Linux for a good while now, and I am starting to get REALLY pissed off at this PC.
fancypiper
07-12-2002, 08:57 PM
It sounds as if Windows doesn't have the motherboard drivers, but that doesn't matter unless you want to dual boot.
You may not have the bios set up properly.
On boot, press whatever key (usually del) your computer uses to access the bios and make sure you set it up to boot from floppy first, cdrom next, and finally the hard drive.
If you have a good linux CD, it should install now.
I tried changing my BIOS like you said, but it didn't work. Exactly the same as before. I should tell you what happens when I use the boot disk: It reads it, starts up the installation program, but when I get past selecting my language and keyboard make, it says "Cannot find Linux CD. Please put Linux CD in drive and press ENTER". The CD was in there the whole time. I know the disk is good, it's from work, where they used it to install Linux on a server in the back this past week. So I know it's on my end. THanks for the try, though. Anyone else have any ideas?
The Whizzard
07-12-2002, 09:26 PM
Originally posted by fancypiper
It sounds as if Windows doesn't have the motherboard drivers, but that doesn't matter unless you want to dual boot.
You may not have the bios set up properly.
On boot, press whatever key (usually del) your computer uses to access the bios and make sure you set it up to boot from floppy first, cdrom next, and finally the hard drive.
If you have a good linux CD, it should install now.
This computer is probably too old to boot from CD.
I've come across this problem many times when I was running windows 95/98. It seems the problem was the NYB virus. It forces windows into 16-bit compatability mode and unless you have 16-bit CD-ROM drivers loaded on boot, the CD-ROM will disapear. This bugger can be verry tricky to get rid of as it resides in the MBR and can infest it self on floppy disks if they are not write protected. In fact, NYB is most commonly spread through infected floppy disks. The MBR gets infected when an infected floppy is booted(or attempted boot on non-bootable floppys). After fixing the MBR, I recomend changing the BIOS to not boot from floppy(or make it the last boot option).
What you need is a clean windows 95 startup disk. Download this (http://www.mirrors.org/archived_software/www.bootdisk.com/winfiles/boot95b.exe) , insert a brand new, never been used floppy and run the downloaded file. It'll transfer a clean windows 95 startup to the floppy. Make sure you write protect the floppy after the transfer. Next boot with the floppy and type fdisk /mbr. This will refresh the MBR with a clean MBR. Hopefully when you reboot into windows, the CD-ROM will be visable in My Computer.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! IT WORKED!! IT WORKED!!
I am SO happy. This takes such a huge load off of my mind. When I read what you wrote, I went and asked my brother what he had done right before it had died, and he told me he had tried loading up some old game from a floppy that my dad had received a few years ago...and then it had died. He had "neglected" to tell me this because he thought I would be mad. At the time, I would have been, but now I am just estatic that I can now install Linux. Thanks again. Give me your address so that when I get married, I can mail you my first born child. :D
The Whizzard
07-12-2002, 11:21 PM
Happy to hear that you got it working.
There are some things to note about infected floppys. Once it is infected it will always be infected, even if you format it. They are OK to use as long as you don't boot from them(this is when the MBR gets infected). It'll probably be a good idea to transfer the files to a hard drive then to a clean floppy and throw the infected one away. If the infected floppy is bootable, you probably won't be able to make the replacement bootable unless you sys a: after formating it.
Now for some incredible news.......Many people have said it was impossible to run Windows95/98 from CD-ROM. Well, I have just proven them wrong. After several days of hacking, I was able to install Windows 98 onto CD-ROM. The major difficulty is that system.dat and user.dat(the registry files) needs to be written to. The solution is to create a ramdisk which holds these files.
......why did I post the above nonsence or even attempt to do it? Because it is impossible to do.....or at least it was! Is there any usefull purpose for Windows on CD-ROM? Probably not, unless you like playing solitare or something. But it does work and I was able to use Internet Explorer and surf the web.