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Subject:
From:
"Brian L. Sanburn" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
PCBUILD - Personal Computer Hardware discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 23 Nov 2001 15:39:12 -0600
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (42 lines)
My first suggestion is to not "react," if you know what I mean.  The drives
and the data therein may very well still be there, just inaccesible.  I
wouldn't start formatting and fdisking quite yet.  Upon restart does the PC
search the floppy drive?  Can you get into the BIOS to change the boot
order?  Can you get into SafeMode?  You may want to go into DOS and do an
"fdisk" to "see" what drives are there.  That may tell you more about their
actual status.  And if you do format the hard drive what will be the value
of using the rescue disk?  You won't need it; just a Windows installation
CD.  If you haven't already gotten one, download a Win98 bootdisk from the
NOSPIN group website (look below), if you're ever able to get back to the
floppy, that is.  Maybe you installed some hardware or software that, for
whatever reason, "removed" those drives.  Also, it's possible you have a
virus.  Again, I'd probably go into SafeMode, if possible, and do some
poking around in there.  I hope you have success.

Brian

<<< you wrote... >>>

My PC is a 550 mh 256 k memory desktop with Win98 SE and has worked
perfectly til now. I have a 20 g hard drive divided into partitions C, D, E,
F and G and a CD RW drive at partition I. A couple of days ago partitions F,
G, and I have disappeared without a trace and can no longer be accessed.
Also the A drive 3.5 floppy cannot be accessed. Everything on the C D and E
drives works fine. I now have the problem that I cannot load through the CD
RW drive or the A floppy, so the Windows CD and the Rescue Disk upon A do
not work. What happens if I reformat the hard drive (I have backup CD's)?
Will I then be able to access the a drive to use the recue disk? Is there I
way to get the CD RW drive to work?Any suggestions will be appreciated. I
think that somehow a Win driver or drivers have become corrupted, and now I
am afraid that the C D and E drives may also disappear, leaving me wiped
out.

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