winxp msdos boot disk won't read c:\

BPrince6BPrince6
edited February 2005 in Hardware
I'm trying to save an unbootable winxp system, where both Normal AND Safe mode won't boot up. WinXP Repair feature hasn't fixed the problem. I need to either rename a buggy driver ( d346bus.sys ) or disable it from winXP recovery console. Two problems arise. First, WInXP recovery console DEMANDS an administrators password I don't posses any more. Secondly, The WinXP MSDOS boot disk I created from within WinXP, once loaded unto the broken pc, won't Recongnize my C:\. "invalid drive specification" it reads.

a:\ cd c:windows

result is " invalid drive specification"

what am I doing WRONG here ?

I read that winXP uses NTFS instead of Fat32, but if that's the case, what's the point of a winxp msdos boot disk if it's not supposed to be able to read the HARDDRIVE in an xp computer ? Am I missing something here ? Any help you folks could provide would be GREATLY appreciated ! Thanks !

Comments

  • HalOfBorgHalOfBorg West Virginia
    edited February 2005
    A standard DOS boot disk CAN NOT see a partition/disk that is formatted NTFS. If you have C: (NTFS) and D: (FAT32) - the DOS boot disk will only see the FAT32 part, and will report it as C:.

    " invalid drive specification" - I have no idea. NOT the result of DOS trying to see NTFS.

    FDISK will report the NTFS part as NON DOS PARTITION. I think that is the correct wording.
  • imported_oldtimerimported_oldtimer Mississauga,ON
    edited February 2005
    BPrince6 wrote:
    I'm trying to save an unbootable winxp system, where both Normal AND Safe mode won't boot up. WinXP Repair feature hasn't fixed the problem. I need to either rename a buggy driver ( d346bus.sys ) or disable it from winXP recovery console. Two problems arise. First, WInXP recovery console DEMANDS an administrators password I don't posses any more. Secondly, The WinXP MSDOS boot disk I created from within WinXP, once loaded unto the broken pc, won't Recongnize my C:\. "invalid drive specification" it reads.

    a:\ cd c:windows

    result is " invalid drive specification"

    what am I doing WRONG here ?

    I read that winXP uses NTFS instead of Fat32, but if that's the case, what's the point of a winxp msdos boot disk if it's not supposed to be able to read the HARDDRIVE in an xp computer ? Am I missing something here ? Any help you folks could provide would be GREATLY appreciated ! Thanks !
    Are you familiar with typeing them from the past ? It's been a while but i'll try.
    When you start with floppy it should read a:
    Try adding cd C:\windows
    Or just C:
    Then dir and enter after each.
    I'll think on it as i can't test it.
    It is possible to overwrite a bad file this way if you can get a good one somewhere.
    The \Windows was probably the problem.
    a:\ cd c:windows
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