Invalid media type reading drive C

[Robert M]

I don't have a problem, but I noticed a lot of problems on the Windows 95 and Windows 98 Forums dealing with the "invalid media type reading drive C" error message and some questionable advice for people who are having this problem. Can anyone test with a spare computer and find out exactly what causes this error message and what exactly is the solution(s)?
My best guess so far from reading several of these forum posts regarding this error is that a hard drive which has been partitioned and not yet formatted (with or without the s switch) produces this error when the computer is booted from the floppy disk and then at the c: prompt the user tries a command. Is this correct? What about overlays and partitioning products?

[davidgsmith]

Hey Robert,
Check this one out.... http://www.computerhope.com/doserror.htm

It does not show the exact error message but it shows it's parts, by which you can extrapolate it's meaning.

Dave

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[Eeyore]

I would vote for not formatted. If a drive is not partitioned, it will not get a drive letter. Same is true if it is not set up correctly in the CMOS.

However, a FAT32 cannot be read by a FAT16 operating system. So it would report a drive being there but not be able to read it. And of course, it could not format such a drive. I don't know if it would try to format and therefore destroy data on the drive.
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Dennis
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[Igor M]

I agree with Eeyore. This kind of error usually occur if drive is not formated or was formated to incompatible file system.

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Good luck, Igor

[Paleo Pete]

Just to throw my 2¢ in, I concur with the above comments. Unformatted disk, or wrong FAT type.

I don't think DOS will even try to format a FAT 32 drive. Should give the same invalid media type error message. But I could be wrong...

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[Robert M]

Thanks, I'll keep trying, couldn't find anything....
Tried the link Eyeyore gave and got a "Microsoft JScript runtime error"..probably my browser is not optioned correctly for java.

Where's Vernon?.. That guy knows everything.
And hey Vern..How did you create such a GORGEOUS picture of the CMOS battery jumper in one of your recent posts? What type of camera and resolution is that?

[Vernon Frazee]

I too would say you normally see the Invalid media type reading drive C error when the drive has been partitioned but not formatted (or an aborted format).
 
Here are three related links from Microsoft KB:
 
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Invalid media type reading drive X
 

If you use the MS-DOS FORMAT command to reformat a fixed disk drive and
you terminate the command by pressing CTRL+C (or CTRL+BREAK) at the "Proceed
with Format (Y/N)?" prompt, later attempts to access the drive produce the
following error, even if the drive was properly formatted before the abnormal
termination:
 
   Invalid media type reading drive X
   Abort, Retry, Fail?

 
Source: Abnormal FORMAT Termination Yields Invalid Media
 
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Invalid Media Type
 

This error message is displayed when the boot sector of a defined partition is
damaged. The error message is normally received using a new partition that has not
been formatted. However, if the boot sector is damaged, the partition may appear
unformatted to the operating system, and this error message is generated.

 
Source: "Missing Operating System" and "No ROM BASIC" Error Messages
 
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Invalid media type -- track 0 bad
 

When you try to read information from a floppy disk, or format a floppy disk by using the FORMAT command, you receive one of the following error messages:
 
   Invalid media type -- track 0 bad
 
   Parameters not supported by drive

 
Source: Problems Formatting or Reading a Floppy Disk
 
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As far as "knowing everything", don't I wish. May know a bit more than your average folk about stuff like old PCs, MS-DOS and BATch files, but that's only 'cuz I'm gettin old. What I don't know I simply try and lookup on the 'net.
 
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Don't remember now where I got that CMOS jumper photo. I did remember seeing it on one of my hard drives though. (Took a while to find it). Added the box(es) and text (PaintShop Pro) and uploaded it to one of my sites on the web.