CDR101:Not ready reading drive F

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Hi all ! yep looks like i'm in deep gaga!
OK..here goes...(Win98)
I formatted an old computer i had as it had lots of problems, i've used the same floppy to do this years ago and it worked fine.However..now i get the error:-

CDR101:Not ready reading drive F
Abort,Retry,Fail
(the cdrom is usually drive E so i know the correct things have been loaded)
I've tried going into bios etc and changing to defaults but same error,i downloaded a couple of boot up disks...same problem,as win98 is a bootable disk i changed boot up sequence and got the same error!
The cdrom was working ok before.

Am i overlooking something???
pleeeez help!!

ps. i did get a "volume has no label" message but i think i've cured that!

[bbeard67]

Try the link below download the bootdisk setup for your operating system.
Have a blank floppy disk ready and run the program it will create a boot disk with universal cdrom drivers.

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

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Yea, i tried a couple from there(windows98 OEM)

A bit of an error in my first post..it was windows XP i tried to install from disc,not '98.

[bbeard67]

You said you had used the floppy years ago and had no problems.
Did you upgrade a cdrom to a cd writer/dvd player since then?
I had a problem similar to this one where it wouldn't recognize my cd writer so i took it out and put my original cdrom back in for the install which worked fine then replaced it with the cd writer once windows was up and running.

you may want to install windows 98 and then after install windows xp to a seperate partition from within windows 98.
(dual boot)
of course this all depends on your disk space.

if you don't have the space you can still install win98 and then install winxp as an upgrade replacing win98.

Just some ideas to kick around

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I "have" replaced the cdrom, but nothing "high tech" just an
Acer 50X max .I found an Acer 40X max driver on web and attempted to "bodge up" a boot disk!! but didn't work,same error....however, i'm not too sure if i "bodged it up" correctly!!

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The disks i've tried have had the 2 options...with or without cd support...(option 2 = fdisk,format)

I've noticed when the error comes up,if you press "retry" the error message pops up really quick...if you insert a cd and the light flashes on drive the error waits 'till flashing stops!

[bbeard67]

This should make your cdrom visible

Copy autoexec.bat config.sys and
mscdex.exe "found in c:\windows command"
along with the cdrom driver file "ide-cdd.sys" linked below
to the win98 boot disk

http://www.danbbs.dk/~duelund/pcinfo...er/ide-cdd.sys

add this line to config.sys on the floppy
DEVICE=VIDE-CDD.SYS /D:MSCD001

ass this line to autoexec.bat on the floppy
MSCDEX /D:MSCD001

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I think i did it correct (doh!) it changes the booting up, but when loading from the floppy i get an error message that the following line is missing or corrupt:

DEVICE=VIDE-CDD.SYS /D:MSCD001

(and i still get the CDR101 error)
Any chance of sending me a prepared boot up disk???? maybe so i can reformat and copy the system files to C:

[bbeard67]

Typo on my part
DEVICE=VIDE-CDD.SYS /D:MSCD001
should be
DEVICE=IDE-CDD.SYS /D:MSCD001

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Hehe! i tried it and device driver showing as loading from floppy, still get same error though!
There is already a line in config.sys:-
LH%ramd%:\mscdex.exe/ D:msd001/L:%cdrom%

(whats the "L" for?)

A mate is going to give me an old cdrom to try, although mine was working a couple of weeks ago...you never know!!

If you can think of anything else..........

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Hmmm! dont you think its you (xyzabc) who's lagging behind here????
All you've mentioned is a "system disk", well, you could call a harddrive a "system disk"!!!!
99% of ppl will call the floppy which you use to start up/install/boot up the pc a boot up or start up disk!

Anyhows......the reason why we've moved on from there is to find a way for the floppy drive to get the cdrom drive "working"..cos for some reason it isn't atm. therefore i cant install windows.
So in short..when i boot up the system, it finds the cdrom and the floppy is giving information on drivers etc but for some reason it doesn't work.

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LATE FLASH!!!
I bought a new cd-rewriter,plugged it in(not fixed in yet!) changed to auto-detect and wham! system finds it and floppy has correct driver to access the F:
I,m running scandisk atm. but i'm hopeful(i'm crossing everything!)

I'll give you an update when i know anything else.

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B****R!!...lol !
Got system booting up fine added new sound card, that works ok!
One problem though....i appear to have "lost" the installshield !
so cant install any programmes...my error is:-

1607: Unable to install installshield scripting runtime.

Could it be one of the bios settings that has "disabled" something?
I'm off for a lie down.......my brain hurts!

[bbeard67]

Have a look here

http://consumer.installshield.com/kb.asp?id=Q108340