Winxp will not boot to DOS

[Quarkrad]

My winxp PC will boot to a DOS floppy but not run (e.g. if I need to install new partition image, Acronis requies reboot to DOS). I can read floppy files from within XP and even create a DOS start up floppy but when I reboot the system just hangs. Is there something missing from 'C' root that is stopping me running a DOS floppy? Everything else on the PC is fine (four separate wnxp partitons).

 

[Freestone]

While swapping the floppy hardware you might as well check the condition of the capacitors on your motherboard. Though your symptoms aren't typical, you will be inside the case so check them and rule out that possibility. Also, did you get a chance to create the ME boot CD I mentioned earlier? DOS 6.22 is rather useless for FAT32 or NTFS as we have determined.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague

 

[Quarkrad]

OK

Put Floopy h/w inc cable from wifes PC into mine - no change. Still cannot read seagate tools or winxp create start up floppy.

Can read the boot floppy that gives the option of booting me to CD or hd though. I know I can boot CD (keep rebuilding win/xp) but that is not really the issue. My fundamental problem is where apps like Acronis True Image or Partition Magic require a re eboot from within their windows app to continue either building an image or partitining. On reboot the PC will not go into the ow level 'DOS' type environment.

Thinking of giving up on this one!

 

[Freestone]

For what it is worth, Acronis boots into a Linux environment, not any type of DOS.

The point of the DOS CD wasn't to check CD booting ability, but the ability of the PC to actually boot a newer version of DOS, and to see what the newer version of that DOS' FDISK would show.

Check jumpering on the hard drives and CD-ROM. How are these cabled? Both hard drives on primary IDE and CD by itself on the secondary?

 

[Quarkrad]

Both hard drives are on the primary IDE configured as master slave. There are two CD ROM on the secondary IDE channel.

I crerate the boot CD from the image and rebooting the PC fired up the CD. The menue came on the screen asking to boot from the CD or HD. When I selected the CD (i.e. floppy image) I then get a blank (black) screen with a flashing cursor top left. It will not boot.

Does this help?

 

[Freestone]

It helps only by confirming that the problem is not your floppy drive or diskettes, rather something DOS does that XP doesn't.

Are you positive the IDE jumpering on the hard drives and CD-ROM drives are set correctly?

 

[Quarkrad]

Actually I was wrong. Both drives configured as Cable Select.

Reset as Master / Slave on Primary IDE (with 80 lead ribbon cable). No difference 'not' reading floppies. Try 40 pin ribbon cable, again as master/slave - no differnce to reading floppies.

 

[Freestone]

How about removing the IDE from the picture? Remove both the primary and secondary IDE cables from the motherboard. Does the floppy boot?

 

[Quarkrad]

YES!

Removed both IDE cables and PC boots to a DOS7.1 floppy and the seagate tools floppy

 

[Freestone]

Time to isolate the failure...add 1 or the other IDE cable to the motherboard and retest.

 

[Quarkrad]

Brilliant – can’t thank you enough - although not out of the woods. The problem is my 2nd HD (400G Seagate ST 3400832A). If I take this out of the loop and have only my 200G Master on the primary and the two CDROM on the secondary the PC boots to the DOS 7 and MS DOS start up floppy. With the 2nd HD connected the PC just hangs. Looking on back of the 400G there are jumper options for Master, cable select or Limited drive capacity. Maybe you cannot configure this drive as a slave or connect it with another drive as cable select (my original config). Looking at the Seagate site now.

 

[Freestone]

I've seen cases where hard drives insist on being Master. You can try swapping Master/Slave pin assignments and see if that is the case here. Probably easier moving jumper than try Cable Select and moving IDE cablle positioning.

 

[Quarkrad]

Another mistake - this has gone on too long. You can config 400G as slave - will try and let you know what happens.

 

[Freestone]

Serial troubleshooting via forums is sometimes long and frustrating. You are almost home. Let us know the outcome...

 

[Quarkrad]

Thanks for all your help. In a way I'm back to the start but at least I know the problem - my 2nd HD. I have configured drives as Master/Slave and cable select by changing jumpers but what ever the config if the 2nd drive is connected to the ribbon cable the floppy will not read certain disks. I will contact Seagate tech support to see if anything can be done.

 

[Freestone]

I don't think the problem is reading a diskette so much as it is the DOS boot procedure getting hung up in whatever hard drive detection it performs.

I am wondering if leaving the 400GB drive unattached allows Acronis to boot too. I bet it does...

 

[edfair]

Or the possibility that something on the drive is either accidentally or intentionally reading on bootup that is munging the floppy settings.

Something on the order of boot sector virii that prevent basic I/O operations to fix them.

Since it is traced to the hard drive, I wonder if a zero fill, either the full one from seagate or the shortened version through debug would overwrite any problem stuff being read on boot?

Don't sweat the duration of the thread. It isn't near the record. And at least there is a light at the end of the tunnel.