getting the message MISSING OPERATING SYSTEM

HELP!!!

this is a laptop with no floppy drive just a cd drive. when i get the message all is frozen suggestions please.

Pretty much what it says...

You don't have an OS installed (DOS/Win9X/NT) etc.

Without a floppy, you'll be hard pressed to install DOS on it (which is what you'll need for WfWG).

You may be able figure out a way to make a "bootable" CD (if it can boot to CD) with DOS on it (though I have no idea how). Otherwise, you'll likely be putting something else on it (Full version of 95/98/*NIX)...

IF you actually have DOS installed and it was running alright before, then check that the drive is identified correctly in the CMOS settings - a misidentified drive is the commonest cause for that message.

Otherwise you could pop the drive into another machine that does have an FDD (may need an IDE cable adapter) and perform a 'sys' to plunk the DOS system files back onto the drive. You'd want to use the same DOS version as is installed on the laptop.

We have nothing against ideas. We're against people spreading them. - General Augusto Pinochet of Chile

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i know where to obtain a gateway system restore cd on the internet. When you insert it into the drive and re-boot, the setup will come up and detect cd drives and then as soon as there is a way to exit it do so (i think it will say press f3 to exit) and you will be at a dos prompt with cd-rom support. I gotta look around for the site again... ill write back in a few... also it would be worth it just to buy some sort of external floppy drive cause personally i feel that a floppy drive is of more use than a cd drive (however i dont have cable service either so i may be a little behind the times)

Was the computer working OK or was it received with that problem?
I have a computer which also gives that message and it looks very much like a virus.
Cannot see any way to fix it and a reinstall will probably be faster.