Operating system not found.

[Crumm]

My wife brought home a computer from work today(they got new ones). When I turn it on all it says is operating system not found(they cleaned it out). How do I go about loading windows and such into it? All I ever do is work with windows so I am totally in the dark as to what to do when you don't have windows yet??

 

[BigRed CC dually]

My wife brought home a computer from work today(they got new ones). When I turn it on all it says is operating system not found(they cleaned it out). How do I go about loading windows and such into it? All I ever do is work with windows so I am totally in the dark as to what to do when you don't have windows yet??

If you have an OEM copy of XP just put it in the cd drive and answer the questions, if you have an upgrade copy then it will ask for the original (95, 98, ME) to verify you had a MS operating system to upgrade.

 

[Crumm]

I have a Cd that says "windows 95". It came with a computer we bought back in 95'. It won't do anything. When I put in the Cd from this laptop it gives me a message that I am not using the proper laptop or something like that. I don't have anything with xp just the old one with 95' and this laptop with Me. I was afraid that a free computer might not be so free. I called downtown and xp is over $200 and then you still have to get all the other needed programs. I guess it would be cheaper to just buy a new unit??

 

[Roland_Jenkins]

If the HD is completely clean the computer won't even know it has a CD rom

 

[Max Power]

Not true roland. All you have to do is set the bios to boot from CD.

What are the specs on the computer? If you can run XP I would recommend going that way.

 

[rgdillon]

Not true roland. All you have to do is set the bios to boot from CD.

What are the specs on the computer? If you can run XP I would recommend going that way.

Yep - first thing needed is some specs on the computer.

Ron

 

[ibsmurf]

You can get a copy of XP from www.tigerdirect.com for about $100 if the laptop can handle it...

 

[dmftoy1]

Another option would be to download a copy of Linux. The install is pretty painless now, and you'd only have a little bit of learning to be able to move around and do everything you want. (Install the KDE or GNOME UI's and it looks alot like windows) (The Mozilla browser isn't too bad). The best part is that it's free!!

Have a good one,
Dave

 

[BigRed CC dually]

I have a Cd that says "windows 95". It came with a computer we bought back in 95'. It won't do anything. When I put in the Cd from this laptop it gives me a message that I am not using the proper laptop or something like that. I don't have anything with xp just the old one with 95' and this laptop with Me. I was afraid that a free computer might not be so free. I called downtown and xp is over $200 and then you still have to get all the other needed programs. I guess it would be cheaper to just buy a new unit??

You would need a "Boot-up" floppy for 95 or 98 that installs a driver for the cd drive. Like Max said if it is available try to have the bios boot from cd...XP is a MUCH better way to go than the previous versions of Windows (95, 98, ME).

I have a copy of a Windows 95 Start Up disk, and a 98 boot disk I could e-mail you a copy of if the files were not too big. Let me know

 

[Dieselmeister]

Not true roland. All you have to do is set the bios to boot from CD.

What are the specs on the computer? If you can run XP I would recommend going that way.

Like Max said, On POST you will usually get a screen that says press the DEL key or F2 - to enter into the bios. In there you would go to find the "boot options" and set the boot order to cdrom, floppy, hard drive.

There are some computers where you have to press F12 to enter into the startup menu even if you have set the boot order to start with the CD-rom as being the first device looked at.

Alot of laptops have a special partion where the original factory install sets at and all you have to do is access it from the boot menu. Then it has its own "restore" that puts the computer back to the same way it came from the factory. With the operating system and any software that came pre-installed. Look for that also. You can tell right away if it has this partition if you use a boot disk with Fdisk on it. Run Fdisk at the prompt and view the partitions. If there is more than one you may have all you need on that partition.

Here is a zip file of a windows 98 boot disk... just a floppy.. but it should allow you to boot the computer and look at partitions.

Click here