Windows ME boot up problem

[itsonlyme2]

I just got a used computer emachine etower667ir with a pentium III and it has ME installed on it. I am a novice in this area to say the least...my problem is that when I turn off the computer and restart it...it goes to an error message "operating system not found"...looks like it is checking the A drive. I have stumbled thru somehow this error and gotten into the system...went into msconfig and it looked fine...

What is going on and why? I dont know where to start to fix this problem. I do not have an original ME disk either (as all my other pcs have xp on them)...This is my first encounter with a ME system.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks!

[Gecko]

Welcome itsonlyme2,

It sounds like your Msdos.sys file might be calling the A: drive as the root or
the autoexec.bat file is calling up the A: drive.
The Msdos.sys file should be a text file with paths for windows it should be in the root (C:\)
Open the Msdos.sys file with note pad (you will have to show hidden files first)
and copy and past it into this post.
You can also do the same for the autoexec.bat file.

[itsonlyme2]

Hereis the files I found....
This is the autoexec.bat

@ECHO OFF
path=c:\windows;c:\windows\command
\hibinv.exe
call \checksr.bat
IF "%config%"=="QUICK" GOTO QUICK
set EXPAND=YES
SET DIRCMD=/O:N
set LglDrv=27 * 26 Z 25 Y 24 X 23 W 22 V 21 U 20 T 19 S 18 R 17 Q 16 P 15
set LglDrv=%LglDrv% O 14 N 13 M 12 L 11 K 10 J 9 I 8 H 7 G 6 F 5 E 4 D 3 C
cls
call setramd.bat %LglDrv%
set temp=c:\
set tmp=c:\
path=%RAMD%:\;a:\;%path%;%CDROM%:\
copy command.com %RAMD%:\ > NUL
set comspec=%RAMD%:\command.com
copy extract.exe %RAMD%:\ > NUL
copy readme.txt %RAMD%:\ > NUL

:ERROR
IF EXIST ebd.cab GOTO EXT
echo Please insert Windows Millennium Edition Startup Disk 2
echo.
pause
GOTO ERROR

:EXT
%RAMD%:\extract /y /e /l %RAMD%: ebd.cab > NUL
echo The diagnostic tools were successfully loaded to drive %RAMD%.
echo.

IF "%config%"=="NOCD" GOTO QUIT
IF "%config%"=="HELP" GOTO HELP
LH %ramd%:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001 /L:%CDROM%
::If MSCDEX doesn't find a drive...
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 SET CDPROB=1
::
GOTO QUIT

:HELP
LH %ramd%:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001 /L:%CDROM%
::If MSCDEX doesn't find a drive...
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 SET CDPROB=1
cls
call help.bat
::
GOTO QUIT

:QUIT
call fixit.bat
rem clean up environment variables
set CDPROB=
set CDROM=
set LglDrv=
GOTO QUICK

:QUICK

This is the msdos.sys

[Paths]
WinDir=C:\WINDOWS
WinBootDir=C:\WINDOWS
HostWinBootDrv=C

[Options]
BootMulti=0
BootGUI=1
DoubleBuffer=1
;
;The following lines are required for compatibility with other programs.
;Do not remove them (MSDOS.SYS needs to be >1024 bytes).
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxa
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxb
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxc
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxd
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxe
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxf
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxg
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxh
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxj
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxk
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxl
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxm
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxn
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxo
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxp
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxq
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxr
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxs


Welll if they make any sense...I am still trying to figure out my problem!!! Hopefully someone can...Right Now I got back into the desktop but I am really afraid to turn off the machine again.....

Thanks for your help!

[liljim]

It looks to me that the path's are correct ( i could be missing something), in which case i would lean towards failing hardware. The problem with these situations is there are several things that can cause an "operating system not found" error. Loose connections are a possibility on both the power and IDE cable. A bad cable will cause the same issue but so will a failing drive. I would check all connections on the drive and the motherboard, if it persist you should try another IDE cable.

If you are familiar with bios settings, it would help alot to know if bios still sees your hard drive when you get the error.

[itsonlyme2]

I dont think it sees the hard drive in the bios because if I remember correctly, on the items that say Primary Master, slave, secondary master, etc...the first two were "none"...then I think the secondary master said cd rom...Is this what you are speaking about????

Sorry to be so naieve

thank you for trying to help!!!

[liljim]

Yep, thats what i was refering too.Your hard drive would be primary master, knowing that brings us back to what i said above. Check your connections, change the cable, if possible, and see if it helps. If that dont help you may be looking at a drive slowly dying.

[icecube]

Your battery for the bios could be dead.

Boot into the bios and see if you can get the system to reconize the hard drive. There should be an option that scans for avalible drives. If it sees it, F10 and save and see what pops up. If it boots aok, then you need a new battery.