Installation Problem

[Ryan]

I recently formatted my hard drive and now the only file
on it is "command.com". This allows the hard drive to
boot to a prompt. I have no problem switching to the
floppy drive or both CD-ROM drives. However, when I try
to install Win 2k, it will not let me set it up through
DOS. I cannot boot directly from the CD because the BIOS
will only boot from floppy or hard drive. There are no
BIOS upgrades. When I try to use the four floppy setup
disks, it gives me an I/O error on the first disk. Setup
never loads. I know it is not the floppy disk because I
have tried more than one. Is there any way to install
Win 2k from DOS or does anyone have any other
suggestions? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Ryan

 

[Geoffw]

boot from your CD and run install from there

need to go into pc bios and set boot from CD as first
option,

Geoff

 

[Ryan]

Thanks for your reply Geoff.

The problem I'm having is because I cannot change the
bios to boot from the cd. It will only boot floppy or
hard drive.

 

[Geoffw]

see that now

so you can't browse to setup.exe and run from there ? from a
dos screen I can see and run setup ?
There are drivers for CD ?

Geoff

 

[Mistoffolees]

I recently formatted my hard drive and now the only file
on it is "command.com". This allows the hard drive to
boot to a prompt. I have no problem switching to the
floppy drive or both CD-ROM drives. However, when I try
to install Win 2k, it will not let me set it up through
DOS. I cannot boot directly from the CD because the BIOS
will only boot from floppy or hard drive. There are no
BIOS upgrades. When I try to use the four floppy setup
disks, it gives me an I/O error on the first disk. Setup
never loads. I know it is not the floppy disk because I
have tried more than one. Is there any way to install
Win 2k from DOS or does anyone have any other
suggestions? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Ryan

Are you running setup from the floppy diskette or allowing the floppy
diskette to boot the computer and then have it start setup on its own?

 

[Ryan]

Thanks for your reply.

I cannot use the floppy disks for setup because it gives
me an I/O error for some reason. If I let the hard drive
boot alone, it will give me a DOS prompt because
of "command.com". I also have done "sys c:". I cannot
set the BIOS to boot from the CD either. It just isn't
an option. The problem is that I can't get setup to run
from a floppy or the CD at all. I try to run it from the
DOS prompt, but it says that setup cannot run in DOS mode.

 

[Ryan]

I can browse and see setup.exe on the cd from the cd
drive's prompt. But, when you run setup.exe, it says that
setup cannot run in DOS mode. I have found a fix for this
problem, though. For those that cannot boot by just
letting the cd boot upon turning on the computer and for
those that get some I/O error when trying to use the four
setup floppy disks, these are the steps that I have taken:

First, I booted to a DOS prompt by using a bootable
Windows 98 disk. At the prompt, I formatted the hard disk
drive. I then used FDISK to set a partition and set it
active. I followed this by using the command "sys c:",
which makes the hard disk drive bootable.--This is fine
here, except when your BIOS does not allow you to use the
CD to boot from (and I have that I/O error with the setup
disks for some reason). Windows 2000 needs a Windows
environment to run setup.exe.--Then I had to switch to the
letter of the CD-ROM drive, mine is "D:\>". When browsing
the cd, I found what I needed in the "I386" Folder. I you
change the directory from "D:\>" to "D:\I386\>", there is
an executable setup file that allows you to set up Windows
2000 from DOS. It is "winnt.exe". I just typed it in and
it asks where the setup files are. They are in the "I386"
directory.

This worked brilliantly, EXCEPT....

Now I have a NTLDR is missing message when I rebooted to
run the second of the three Windows 2000 setup sequences.
I'm not sure if this is what happens when you use the
method I described above or not. I can, however, see that
the C drive has "NTLDR" and "ntdetect.com". So now I'm
not sure why I'm getting this message when the NTLDR is on
the Hard Disk Drive. I can see it. I am thinking that it
must not be present in the Boot Sector or Master Boot
Record of the hard disk drive and that is why the BIOS is
not seeing it. Anyone have any ideas here?

 

[Mistoffolees]

Thanks for your reply.

I cannot use the floppy disks for setup because it gives
me an I/O error for some reason. If I let the hard drive
boot alone, it will give me a DOS prompt because
of "command.com". I also have done "sys c:". I cannot
set the BIOS to boot from the CD either. It just isn't
an option. The problem is that I can't get setup to run
from a floppy or the CD at all. I try to run it from the
DOS prompt, but it says that setup cannot run in DOS mode.

Only 2 choices --- troubleshoot/fix/replace the floppy disk drive and/or its
accessory parts, e.g., FDD cable, controller, etc. Or repeat the same for the
cdrom drive. IOW, the situation is all screwed up because NT (or Win2K)
setup does not run in DOS mode.