After sorting through some old files from an old 486 computer that was given for college, I reset the computer and received this message: Invalid system disk Replace the disk and press any key Help!? I leave for college next week and I sure could use a comp!!

Invalid System Disk error message means that the PC tried to boot of a hard disk or floppy disk that did not have the boot files on them. COMMAND.COM, IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS are needed for boot. If you have the DOS disks, they can do all of this for you on installation.

Possible problems: 1)Your BIOS and harddrive is fine, but system files are missing 2)Your BIOS is pointing to a wrong partition or drive 3)Your harddrive is corrupted Solution #1: Start your computer. Get to bios (by pressing DEL as soon as you turn on computer), go to advanced settings and make sure that your first boot device is hard drive (hd0 or C:) if settings are OK go to the solution #2. Solution #2. Go to BIOS, select "Standart settings", when it will open make sure that in line where it says "Hard Drive" you have set up setting to "user type: user defined, 47" and all the rest of settings should be correct too (like cylinders, heads, etc). Suppose everything is OK with BIOS, then go to solution #3. Solution #3: If BIOS is OK, and you see message "Invalid system disk Replace the disk and press any key" then it means that your HDrive is corrupted and your system files are missing. What to do next: 1) Get a floppy disk, copy the following system and utility files to floppy: sys (optional) system command format fdisk 2) get to bios, set the floppy drive as the first booting drive. (drive a:) you can do it in bios by going "advanced settings" 3)Put this floppy inside, reboot (restart) your comp. you should see the following prompt: a:\> type the following: fdisk then you should see the fdisk programm comming up and giving you options. You should choose "Preview current partions" or "Display partion information" or something like this. You do it just to analize what you have. Take a look at it may be there are some abnormal things. Press ESC. Choose "Delete Primary Partion", choose the partion to delete (it should be C:), delete it. Then create a new primary partition (still from fdisk) Restart your comp. You will get to A:\> prompt, type the following: format c: After you format it, copy the system files to your harddrive. Get to BIOS change the first booting device back to harddrive or C. Install DOS, Windoze, whatever. P.S. In bios if you don't know the correct setting for hard drive like cylinders, heads, etc. then get a comp with bios that have option "Autodetect Hard Drives" (most of 486 does not have it). Attach your HD to that comp, run bios and autodetect. Sorry for long answer. Hope it will help you.