When I switch on the computer checks memory and then stops, leaving a flashing cursor on a black screen. Nothing responds except the off button! What can I do?

put in a boot disk ;-)

I tried that with a backup copy from another computer. It didn't see it as a system disc! I've been trying to get another copy without success. There is one available on the net but it doesn't fit on a floppy and I don't have a cd drive. How do I get out of that one?

If you have an other computer or you know someonethat have a computer. Put a floppy in the drive and type at the dos prompt ( C:\> ) format a: /s and you have a boot disk. Put this in your computer, startup e voila ;-)

Thanks for the tip! I'll try it.

You reeker! Well, at least I've got dos at last.Can't get any further though. Windows and windows 95 are both in the directly but won't run under this version of dos,it says! Version 6.22 works OK on an identical machine.
I wonder why windows doesn't run automatically so look at autoexec.bat and compare with the other computer. What a difference! I decide to edit mine. Can't do it - my dos doesn't have the EDIT command so I can't change what I can read with TYPE! There are some other commands missing too, such as CHKDSK though I haven't checked them all!
Incidentally, I haven't suddenly become an expert. I just borrowed a book and followed suggestions on troubleshooting. In the end it suggests that I take the computer to an expert! What do you think? I can't believe that I've been passed a piece of junk.

I have the ms-dos 6.22 installation disks. i can copy them en send it to you. It would be great if you have ICQ or MSN messenger. then i can send everything to you and guide you trough the whole progress.

ok...your problem is that somewhere along the line someone tried to install Windows95 on it and had a failed installation...which in turn corrupted DOS...basically it needs a true bootdisk and formatted

Thanks Bert but I think that I've now got a copy from another identical laptop - all 6 discs of it! I still don't know how to use though but I have a problem - I'm not on the net! I'm using a computer in the library to write so I can only use written instructions - they won't let me plug in the laptop here and the battery is dead also. Any ideas where I can get one of those. Toshiba ( the manufacturer) don't seem to be interested in making any suggestions.

Wow Don, that sounds promising but I don't understand what a true boot disc is. I've been digging about in a dos book and have made a backup copy of dos 6.22(which also seems to contain windows. Is that what you mean, and how do I use it? If I'm right you're suggesting that I format the C and then install msdos. The first part I can do with the help of the book but it doesn't think to tell people how to use the backup discs that it urges everyone to make! My forte is deleting essential files so I'd appreciate your help!

well, I mean a bootdisk that has more than "boot files' on it...i mean, formatting a floppy with the \s option makes a bootdisk...but you need one from bootdisk.com...make sure to get the "DOS6.22" bootdisk, and create a floppy from it (double click on file, follow prompts)...boot with that disk...format the dos partition..re.load DOS, and Reload Windows...I have found that once a failed OS installation is laying on top of another OS that the native on that was running will not run well...especially if it is DOS

Don,
I don't understand anything about partioning the c drive but I'll get the bootdisc first and then get back to you. As you must know I'm in a library and don't come equipped with discs! To re-load dos and windows can I use the backup discs that I lifted from the other computer?
jon

well...I created myself a similar situation last night to see if I knew what I am talking about (somteiems i get going pretty far before I realize I don't:) )...but basically as long as you haven't done anything else since last correspondence, you can just use that same bootdisk you already have...boot with it and type "SYS C:" at the A: prompt

it should work if infact a failed Windows95 installation corrupted DOS

Don - will try. I've been having other problems - the library system crashed. I don't think that it was me!
jon

Don - Tried SYS C but got "bad command...". I took a look at the directory in C\:. Dos is listed there but not in brackets, i.e. not as a directory. In fact trying to switch to it either as a directory or a file gets nowhere - invalid directory or no file found. I have managed to copy QBASIC.EXE to C so I can now edit autoexec.bat etc. However since there is no DOS I think that there won't be a full list of commands available, only those in BIOS. Autoexec.bat is:
SET DOS16M=2
MODE CON CODEPAGE PREPARE=((850)C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\EGA.CPI)[all on one line]
MODE CON CODEPAGE SELECT=850
KEYB UK,,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\KEYBOARD.SYS
PATH C:\NOVELL\CLIENT32;%PATH%
SET NWLANGUAGE=ENGLISH

As you see it never calls Dos even if it were there! Incidentally I tried to read SETUP.TXT in Windows but since It occurs to me that perhaps I should have used a disc with COMMAND.COM already copied to it. What do you think?
Finally? I tried C:\WINDOWS>SETUP which gave this screen -Scandisk cannot check drive C for errors because the drive may be configured incorrectly. Drive C may need to have Logical Block Addressing enabled to work properly. Data loss can occur using any software if your LBA setting is misconfigured. Check your computer's BIOS setup utility.
I pressed to ESC to quit and got - Setup found errors on your harddisk. You must repair these before continuing with Setup. For more information see SETUP.TXT.
As I said more doesn't work so it just scrolls off the screen!
Sorry to burden you with this but I thought that it might help you diagnose the fault and suggest appropriate action. I'll get a copy of Dos 6.22 on a bootable disc and see if that helps but I can't see that it'll fix the harddisk.
jon

Don, are you stumped?

I have an old laptop (Toshiba T3400) and it wasnt working, when i turned it on it would just show a blank screen with a blinking cursor. I downloaded the file "msdos710.img" and sent it to a floppy. I then put the disk in and it said A:>, i typed autoexec.bat and i went through a bunch of stuff, at the end it said that it was the incorrect version of ms-dos. Please help! I need an older version of ms-dos system disk and windows 3.1 because i dont have either.

This is me again, i have found some MS-DOS disks version 6.22, i put them in and when i got to the 3rd (final) disk it said there was an error. The error occured when it was trying to read or copy the "command.com" file. Please Help me, is this because of the disks or the laptop?

Concerned, I wish that I could help but I'm not an expert. Perhaps the problem is that you're not the licensed user of the software. I've noticed that the number of files listed in the directory is not the same as that copied using MSACKUP. The copy wants to be copied into the same location, ie to overwrite that on the same computer. If I'm right this would be to stop piracy - but then it's possible I'm talking complete crap! Either way I can't help you out of your problem.

Well thnx anyways, i am having it brought in to see if i can get it running. I almost had it goin, i was installing MS-DOS 6.22 and when i got to the third disk at 99% it said there was an error copying command.com. Well thnx anyways. Appreciate it!