dos scan incompatable

[paigettie]

I went to start my computer the other day and couldn't get past my memory scan. I had to use a boot disk, and my c: is not recognized as even existing. I've tried the dos scan program v 3.11 and 3.12 from f-prot, but i get the error that the sign.def file is either incompatable with my version of dos, or it is damaged. their tech support wasn't any help either, just said try new release. I also tried a norton dos emergency disk, but it said something about write protected? Do you have any suggestions for me to try? ( I know they work on my husbands computer, newer, only 2 yrs. old. because I ran them both successfully. Mine is 5 yrs.

I would be ever greatful for some help. (even if All I can do is access my c: to save a couple of files that missed my latest backup...) Oh, and I'm also using win98 on it.

[This message has been edited by paigettie (edited 03-21-2002).]

[ralph3124]

Around 5 years old, try replacing the CMOS battery. That holds the values of your BIOS (basic input/output system-which includes your hard drive, etc).

It is usually watch-battery type, and sometimes an easy replacement.

[paigettie]

You know, I've heard of doing that before, but didn't even think of it as an option. How do I do it? (suggestions of where to find the battery?)

[Cliffh]

When you start the system normally (booting from the hard drive), do you see a message similar to "Press CTRL to boot from floppy"? If so, the hard drive has a drive overlay installed. The overlay must start before trying to boot from a boot disk. Try restarting the system with the boot disk out of the floppy drive, wait for the message and follow the prompts to boot from the boot disk.

Is the system hanging while doing the memory scan, and if so, which memory scan? Is it the memory scan that's done as soon as the system is turned on or is it the memory scan that's done after the system starts booting from the hard drive?

Is the hard drive properly recognized in the system CMOS?

[paigettie]

Originally posted by paigettie:
i'm not sure on the cmos, but I did notice that the config.sys file didn't even exist. I'm afraid to find out what's wrong. When I boot up it just askes for the boot disk, then takes me to the a: prompt. right before the a prompt, the computer warns that a virus may be "hiding" my hard drive and to run virus scanner for dos. That's where I've had all my problems because of incompatability.....Oh, and now that I copied over my config.sys file, I can run norton dos scanner, but it doesn't come up with anything. F-prot now says the sign.def file is incompatable for that version of f-prot. I'm so confused...

[Cliffh]

When you start the system normally (booting from the hard drive), do you see a message similar to "Press CTRL to boot from floppy"?

When the system is first starting, do you see a listing for any installed hard drives?

Boot from the boot disk. At the A:\> prompt, type FDISK /STATUS and press Enter. Please post back with what is displayed.

[paigettie]

It doesn't ask for control anything to boot up. It also says (from a: fdisk /status) no fixed disks present. (probably not to good eh?) As for listing for installed drives, it asks if I want cd rom support, and it goes as far as "starting windows 98" then immediately to a: prompt. (It must be recognizing something)

[Vernon Frazee]

> It also says (from a: fdisk /status) no fixed disks present. (probably not to good eh?)

A real "heart stopper" for sure.

The first thing I'd do is get into the CMOS/BIOS Setup and see if the settings for the hard drive are correct. If it's set to something like "No Fixed Disk Present" or "None", the CMOS battery is probably dead (as ralph3124 mentioned above). The CMOS battery is usually a coin-type and is located near the CMOS/BIOS chip, like so:



Note that even with a dead battery, as long as the computer is running it will hold whatever CMOS Settings you setup. In other words, I'd try setting it for Auto-Detect Hard Drive(s) (if available), save the settings and see if it will then boot from the hard drive. If so, but it won't when you power down, wait a minute or two then power back up, it's a dead CMOS battery.

> As for listing for installed drives, it asks if I want cd rom support, and it goes as far as "starting windows 98" then immediately to a: prompt. (It must be recognizing something)

You'll get the "Starting Windows 98 ..." message even when you boot from a bootable Windows 98 System diskette.

[paigettie]

there was nothing in my cmos/bis that I had access to check. darn it. Something I did try with my norton scan (either navex or navc, or something) started up then said it was aborted because it was a windows 95 work station. can that be changed? I'm running win 98. I wonder it that would allow the program to be more complete at scanning...

If I don't figure out something soon, I think I will have to give up this time around and take it somewhere to have some files recovered and then I can have a bon fire with my computer at the guest
of honor:-) Oh the things that make our lives so wonderful are also the things that make it so difficult!

[Vernon Frazee]

No program will be able to access the hard drive until the hard drive is correctly identified in the system's CMOS/BIOS Setup.

Way back in the early 80's, before we even had a CMOS/BIOS Setup, there were tiny little switches on the motherboard that allowed you to tell the system what hardware was attached. And, until these switches were set correctly, the hardware simply wouldn't work.

If your system's CMOS/BIOS settings are currently incorrect and they cannot be changed, the system is pretty much useless ... except maybe for parts.

Here's how you would go about resetting the CMOS/BIOS Setup factory defaults on an example system:[list=1][*]Remove all diskettes and CDs.
[*]Power up the system and when you see this screen:



press the [Delete] key to enter the CMOS/BIOS Setup.

Note: The red outline was added for emphasis.
[*]Press [F5] to reset the factory Setup Defaults and then [F10] to Save & Exit.


[/list=a]That's all there is to it. The system should be at least attempting to boot from the hard drive.

[paigettie]

Well, Here's where We ended up. I finally couldn't take it any more, so I took it to a computer repair place. As it turned out, you were all right about the cmos/bios thing. Get this. I couldn't even get into my bios set up, as it turned out, all values were blank. They suggested....tada a new cmos battery! (I'll let them change it!) if that doesn't take care of it...Bad mother board. We'll hope for the first...

Thanks for all your imput. I wish I could have done better with it. (i missed something somewhere...)

Paige