|
|
 |
|
|
Pages: 1
Is my computer dead, or is it just faking?
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)
Posted by: RAcastClarke
Okay, something strange has happened to my computer.
Here goes.
I've been gone the past few days, and I shut down my computer as a result. I usually don't do this. I came home today, went to turn it on, and something crappy happened. It brought up the loading screen, and it wanted my password before loading the OS, which is normal. I do that, and then it proceeds to produce this message:
L 99 99 99 99 99 99 99.. (etc, repeat in rows of 26, 9 times, with the last line have 6 '99's)
Odd. It asks for the password again, I type it in, it says OK, then proceeds to inform me that I have no OS installed..Hmm..
Load the Config screen, everything is installed properly. Put in a Windows 98 boot disk, and get into DOS. It sees the hard-drive, and everything on it. I ran scandisk, and am currently running a surface scan. It's halfway done, should be ready in 45 minutes.
I'm thinking a few things here:
1. Hard-drive is fried. I don't know if this is true, because it can read everything. The OS isn't present though. It IS a somewhat old drive, but it didn't seem to have any problems beforehand. In the config screen, it seems like the hard-drive moved from one slot to another, though. I thought it was installed in the 1st slot, but it it detected in the 2nd slot. This could be fine, but I don't remember which slot it was installed it.
2. Master Boot Record is screwy. I'm going to scan that, if possible. I don't know if this is relevant, but my brother, who knows quite a bita bout computers, recommended it.
3. LILO. I previously had Linux installed on my machine, on a second partition. I erased the partition, and erased Linux, ,obviously, after Linux simply refused to boot at all. LILO was still on the MBR, and it loaded, albeit with no problems at all. It always flashed "LILO" very very briefly after I entered my password on booting. The "L 99 99 99" might indicate a problem with LILO.
I really don't know if my computer is dead or not. Does anyone have any ideas on what I should do, or how I should proceed?
Posted by: NegotiatorSmith
I'm certain that this is related to your LILO boot loader, as I have had this exact same problem before. Earlier this year, I installed Mandrake 9.2 with the LILO loader on my new second hard drive. At one point, I wanted to try out a friend's Radeon 9800 Pro, and in the process I ended up accidentally disconnecting the second HD. After the POST screen, I would get a bunch of Ls, zeroes and ones and the loader wouldn't come up.
By the "config screen", do you mean the BIOS settings?
I'd check the drive with a utility from the manufacturer... if a lot of bad sectors cropped up, the drive might be on its way out.
You should definitely fix the MBR since you've removed Linux. Your brother sounds like he knows what to do about that, but I'll say it anyway: in Windows 98, do fdisk /mbr from your boot disk.
Disclaimer: be careful and make sure you know what you're doing when you wipe the MBR, as it's not guaranteed that you'll be able to get back into Windows.
Posted by: RAcastClarke
Thanks Smith.
Turns out it was the mbr.
fdisk /mbr did the trick, then he sys'd the c-drive, and it's okay now. Gave me a little issue with my drivers, but everything is okay now.
I think what happened is that my other brother messed around on my computer and tried to boot Linux. Since it doesn't exist, I think it just messed it up.
Everything is okay now, and it's running fine.
Even though it was fixed about an hour ago (sorry about not posting--been busy),Thanks Smith. I appreciate it.
|
|
|
|
|
