HELP: Invalid system disk, replace the disk, then press any key

I recently replaced my Gateway Win 2000 Professional desktop and planned to give it to a needy person.

1. I scrubbed my hard drive using DBAN

2. When I used by System Restoration disks (Win 2000), it asked for Windows 98! Luckily I had a Windows 98 upgrade disk and tried it not expecting much. It started installing!

3. The setup choked because it tried to set up a floppy boot disk and I didn’t have an clean floppy disk. I couldn’t get the system install started again.

4. I decided to try starting all over, thinking I could wipe out the partially installed operating system by reformatting the hard drive. WRONG.

5. Now Nothing works. Whatever I do, results in the following error message:

Invalid System Disk. Replace the disk and then press any key.

I’ve tried changing the boot sequence from hard drive to cd to floppy and every combination. No luck. I’ve tried a variety of disks: a Universal Boot Disk (floppy) for Windows 95, the Ultimate Boot Disk CD, System restoration for Win 2000. Windows 98 etc. All give the same result.

Please help. This could make a huge difference in someone’s life…this person was previously homeless and is now trying very hard to make a life for herself. She has a job offer to help inventory used books on a home computer (it is legitimate…I know the business owner) but she needs a computer to do it.

Thanks in advance!!

Does the BIOS detect the floppy and or CD drive?

Do the drive lights flash on power on?

What is the precise model and number of the Gateway computer?

Perhaps Gateway will have a BIOS (which would require booting a floppy) and or (more importantly) perhaps the manual will have instructions on clearing the CMOS.

You can clear the CMOS in general by removing the motherboard battery and shorting the CCMOS jumper (if relevant).

This might get your floppy and CD drive recognized again.

As to your original intention: Most Recovery OEM (Gateway) Operating System CD's use information on the hard drive to work. They are not complete independent Operating System disks such as a Microsoft CD would be.

Thanks so much for responding!

Gateway Model: PROFESSIONAL M866

The bios did detect both the floppy and cd at first but now I get a message that the Floppy Drive was not found. The cd drive flashes several times before this floppy drive error message is displayed.

I found the Gateway manual for the computer online and instructions for removing the battery. But am a little worried that might put beyond the point of no return .. although I'm there already, aren't I?

Yes. It is strange that the drives would go missing in the BIOS.

Clearing the CMOS only resets the BIOS Settings to Default.

If there is a jumper involved note that you short the jumper (move from pin 1&2 to 2&3) for a few minutes. Return the jumper to pins 1&2 before replacing the battery and rebooting.

I will search Gateway shortly as time permits and look for a BIOS update.

While you are inside there is no harm in checking your Floppy and CD connections to the drives as well as the motherboard.

When you reset your BIOS Settings try the Boot Order at:

1: Floppy
2: CD
3: HDD

Ok.
I can find the battery but where is the jumper and how do I know which are pins 1-2 and 3-4.

The online manual to my computer says the bios configuration jumper is j6a1 and located near the battery. Unfortunately, the manual diagram on page 6 doesn't really jive with the inside of my
Gateway M866 Tower..see: http://support.gateway.com/s/manuals...rs/8507391.pdf

The only jumpers I see inside my computer are labeled j8c1 and j9c1. I'm not a hardware person I could be wrong.

I tried removing the battery and replacing it. Then rebooting. Same error. I'm at a loss ...

In the manual this is the response to diskette drive not detected:

Well... I completely removed the battery, waited an hour or so before trying again.
Set the bios to boot only from cd..disabled all other devices. Disabled the floppy drive from the BIOS.

REmoved Battery (waited an hour before rebooting)

Set the BIOS to boot only from cdrom (disabling other devices)

Disabled the floppy drive as you suggested.

=======================
Results

I'm no longer getting the "Floppy drive was not found error."
However, instead of the "invalid system disk error," I am now getting:

Invalid Boot Diskette. Insert Boot Diskette in A:

If I put a disk in the floppy drive, I get the same error.

What next??

Why does the system look for a boot diskette in Drive A when I've disabled the floppy drive? Could having the battery removed cause that problem?

I would try the jumper closest to the battery.

Move from 1&2 to 2&3 and then start with F1 to see if additional options are offered.

Removing the battery set all settings to default.

If the Floppy drive is the default first boot device then yes; that is what happened.

You did replace the battery?