Stuck in DOS don't know how to go from here

[friedemann 0]

I have a pc stuck in DOS (the first screen to pop up when you power up the computer) It reads as follows: I will skip some stuff which is not relevant

 

Main processor: AMD Athlon Processor

Floppy Drive A: 1.44 MB 3 1/2"

Floppy Drive B: none

AMIBIOS

External Cache : enabled

-------------------------------------------------------

Hard disk Cyl Head Sector Size LBA32Bit Block p10 ATA

Mode Mode Mode Mode Mode

Primary Master: 39838 16 63 20560MB LBA On 16Sec 4 100

Secondary Master: CDROM

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PCI Devices:

Onboard Multimedia Device, IRQ11 Onboard IDE, IRQ14,15

Onboard USB Controller, IRQ11 Onboard USB Controller, IRQ11

Onboard Ethernet, IRQ11 Slot 3 USB Controller, IRQ11

Slot 3 USB Controller, IRQ11 AGP VGA, IRQ5

________________________________________________________________________________

 

Searching for Boot Record from IDE-0..OK

 

cursor is flashing fairly quickly(it might be normal but I don't go into DOS much

 

"""Now, just prior to this hangup I had downloaded and installed and used "Superantispyware" off the net. I have used the program before on the computer I am using right now without a problem. On the problem machine, it scanned and found 3 tracking cookies which I knew were PC repair sites so I left everything alone and closed the antispyware program. After i did that, I did receive a couple of warnings that certain .dll files were missing from say my Lexmark Printer(that one I am familiar with) but then got another warning about a missing file on my USB device(now I can't be certain on that one but it is the only other thing plugged in...in any case it suggested that I fix it by running chkdsk. Which I tried...and got back chkdsk.exe could not be found.

Eh?

I tried to do an error check through Windows/C drive/ check and correct errors. No go. ???

 

I run virus protection 24/7 and keep it updated daily.

 

So, I did the next natural thing. I powered down the computer and went and had a coffee.

 

 

Prior to doing the antispyware download off the net I had pulled the CDRom out, disconnected it and swapped in a different brand of CDROM and plugged it into the wiring, turned on the computer to surf the net > but never used the CDROM(so never put in a driver for it)< Just did not get around to it.

So I ended putting in the CDROM unit I had just pulled out before putting in a disc. I am wondering whether some CD info disappeared when I unplugged it.

The PC recognizes the brand name so I am hoping it is working in that respect.

This particular computer does have a seperate IDE cable to the back of the CDROM and there is no empty 4 pin on the motherboard.>>where 2 other computers have that. (((I am not a shop, just its my computer and my brothers and my friends and I have a older 4th machine))) Just focussing on the one that is stuck in DOS.

It has Windows XP (I have used it for about 2 weeks) It is formatted in NTFS.

 

I had gotten it to read from C drive first and have thrown in a Windows XP disk but it will not start from that disk.

 

I have used this XP disk on another machine that formerly had Win98se and it overwrote that to XP.

 

 

So, with the one stuck in DOS. Is there a way to make it go? Or do I have to format it back to Fat32 from NTFS and then load Windows start up disk, then Win98se and then Win xp and then change the file format to NTFS? to get it to work again. (sounds like a couple of days and I will lose lost file information?)

 

Take your time and reread it a few times. I think I covered everything

 

I have a Win98/Me/Nt boot up disc(3 1/2")

Win 98se cd

Win xp pro cd.

 

The proper way(and fastest and safest way too)

 

Thanking you muchly.

[DosFreak 2]

It's probably incorrect jumper settings.

 

If your sure the hard drive is bootable then unplug all other IDE devices except the HD and see if you can boot from it. (Verify Boot order in BIOS).

 

 

If it boots then unplug the HD and try to get your CDROM working (leave the XP CD in there), Also Verify the Boot order in the BIOS.

 

Once your computer can boot from the XP CD then you know the CDROM is working.

 

 

Then try to get both working together.

 

Ideally you'd have the HD as Primary Master and the CDROM as Secondary Slave but if you cannot then make sure that the HD is Primary and the CDROM is secondary on whatever controller you plug them into and that the jumpers on each IDE device are set correctly.

 

 

As for being stuck in "DOS", your not. What you are currently seeing is your BIOS status screen. "DOS" is an operating system which you do not have installed on your system (Unless you have MS-DOS or Windows 9x on the hard drive of course)

 

 

 

Man, I love SATA. No more of this IDE BS.