Windows 98 Stuck in MSDos and cannot format

Greetings to all....
I have a problem that I'd like to relay to you hoping that someone will be able to help me. First of all, I have an old IBM ThinkPad that was setup with Windows 98. All was well until I found myself one day stuck in MSDos and can't seem to get out. I have tried several [tens and tens if not more] Boot disks and all of them to no avail. I cannot get past the windows 98 and the three options that I am given. 1. Setup with CD Rom Support 2. Setup without CD Rom Support etc.....I've tried both of them countless of times...but to no avail. It doesn't recognize any other drive other than A but I've managed to get one setup boot disk to successfully change it over to C: as I've been directed to do so in the past. Another major problem is that I've lost use of the letters QAZ and the number 1. Those are all in line and therefore can't type in simple commands that have the letter a...including format c: . As you can see I've run into several things that are making it harder and harder for one to simple reformat the whole darn pc and lose whatever was on it. I don't care about losing anything other than not losing the laptop. I'd buy another one if I could ...but can't ! Another note is that I must alternate the use of cd drive and floppy drive...what I mean is...that if I want to put in a floppy I put in the floppy drive and if I need to switch over it means taking out the floppy drive [the actual piece of equipment which I lift the keyboard and place into its location ] and putting in the cd drive. [it's old] ........can someone please help me? I'm at a loss of as what to do. I'd really appreciate it. I thank you in advance for taking the time to consider my problem.

Nick

Well, I guess I'll take a stab at this since nobody else is. It sounds to me that when you were swapping out cdrom and floppy by lifting keyboard that some connections might have broken or come loose to give you the key stroke problems. As far as being stuck in DOS can you go into bios and set boot order to cdrom 1st and insert your windows cd to see if it will boot from there?

Another thing I just thought of is if you can get ahold of a Puppy Linux Live CD you could boot from cdrom like I suggested earlier and see if you like it. Being a live cd it won't install unless you tell it to.

Welcome to D-A-L.

Is the machine itself stuck in DOS (discounting any floppy/cd boot media)? When the machine starts (again, less floppy/CD) it's giving you those options? If so, it sounds as though the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files from a boot floppy have been copied to C:\.

It may be going to DOS because the PATH statement is wrong in either C:\autoexec.bat, or C:\msdos.sys.

What is the exact IBM model number of the laptop? (I'm curious, I've never seen a floppy/CD swappable unit where you have to lift the keyboard to swap drives. Plus it'll help working the issues with more information.)

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Thanks for getting involved Dan. I was at a loss as to what to tell him. Kinda like pokin around in the dark.

You were doing fine. You made some good suggestions.

The only thing I'd add to what you stated is that not all 98 CD's are bootable. To the best of my knowledge/experience, 98FE = none were bootable, and only some 98SE are bootable. My 98SE CD isn't, and it's a retail CD "For computers without an operating system". It came with a Microsoft 98SE Boot Floppy, (which contains about 25 languages).

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I have a 98 no edition that is bootable. That is where that suggestion came from. I haven't used it as I am playing with Ubuntu and Mepis lately. I just figured I was Getting a little over my head replying to this post.

If it just says Windows 98, that's First Edition. The term First Edition only really started as a result of 98 Second Edition being released. Technically, it's Windows 98, and Windows 98 Second Edition.

Yours is the first 98(FE) CD that I've heard of that's bootable.

The date/time stamp on the majority of system files will be;

98 = 11/24/1998 8:02 AM

98SE = 4/23/1999 10:22 PM

(c:\command.com and c:\io.sys being two of these files.... At the C:\> prompt type in dir/a/o/p and check the date and time stamps on these two files. This can be performed from a MSDOS Prompt window.)

Trivia;
Note that MS time/date file stamps reflect versions. ie; MSDOS 6.2 had a (files) time stamp of 6:20 PM. Likewise MSDOS 6.22 had a (files) time stamp of 6:22 PM.

Noting the time stamp (above) for 98SE, if you open a MSDOS window and type in ver it reports Windows 98 [Version 4.10.2222].

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Disk Part number is X04-04214.Its for distrobution of New IBM PC only. The Book Number isX04-15747. And you're right Dan. Going through Performing New Install it states you need to install a 98 floppy startup disk then restart computer and type the number 1 and press enter. I just realized I had a computer running windows 95 which I also have when I booted it up. So my bad dude. It takes me awhile to get sharpened up sometimes.

And it just says Windows 98.

For a moment there I thought maybe you had a "collectors item" in your CD. ;>)

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Location: Alberta, CanadaD-A-L Hardware Scan