Got an 'oldie' with a 200MB Hard Disk Drive, and a 1992 BIOS!!:-)

It has W3.1 installed on it (supposedly), however, the PC is booting to MS-DOS 6.0, and can't get past the following on the black screen:

C:\>C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE
C:\>

What needs done to get it to go through and boot to W3.1?

BTW, if a C:\>dir /p is run, there IS a Windows directory in there, as well as all sorts of files. C:\>win, does not get there.

The oldie belongs to the Church. Just trying to help them out.

Thanks for the help.

type
c:\windows\win

it'll boot on in then

Thanks!!

Getting close...entered the command, saw W3.1 screen flash, but a message came up:

The Microsoft Windows 32-bit disk driver (WDCTRL) validation failed at phase 03, 26. To continue starting Windows without the 32 bit disk driver, press any key.

If any key is pressed, the PC goes to a black screen and nothing happens.

Any clues??

Thanks again for your help.

If you read here:

http://www.computing.net/windows31/wwwboard/forum/9990.html

You will read that I have very good experience with a similar computer (a Compaq Deskpro 560, Pentium 60, 32 Mb, 524 Mb harddisk FAT32) and Windows 98SE.

I am wondering if you have the same experience...

Oop sorry this was the answer to another post!
The answer for this would be: Try to reinstall 3.1x

There ya go. DOS must exist to load Win3.1.

Reinstall windows 3.1 and after windows starts ok add this line to the bottom of your autoexec.bat file

C:\windows\win

The machine will then boot into windows.

Might be a video driver prob.
type c:\win\setup and change the display to vga. Then try to restart windows 3.1.

Here a suggestion.

Problem may be in system.ini file.
At c:\> (prompt), type this: cd\windows

Then make a backup copy of the file (save in root
for now.): COPY SYSTEM.INI C:\SYSTEM.INI

Then, type: EDIT SYSTEM.INI
Scroll down to the [386Enh] section.

If you find this entry: 32BitDiskAccess=on
just put a semicolon in front of it.
Like this: ;32BitDiskAccess=on (BTW, if this
does not work for you, change the "on" to OFF)

Press ALT and then F Then save the file.
(If you screwed up and changed something
wrongly, don't save, just exit.)

Type: WIN

Best of luck. JD

Changing 32BitDiskAccess=on to 32BitDiskAccess=off worked.

Thanks for the help.