[izod]

When I try to reinstall win 95 using the CD All that happens is a black screen with a message " OS loading " Only it isn't . When I try using the win 95 boot disk in the A drive I get a message " NTLDR is missing ". Can anyone tell me what I should try next?

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Hold on....did this computer have a previous Operating system on it Windows 2000, nt or XP?

[gerryf]

Hold on....did this computer have a previous Operating system on it Windows 2000, nt or XP?

[izod]

This computer had/has windows 95. It was infected with a virus and when I downloaded "Hijack this" and tried to run it the error message was refering to a missing DLL. After I downloaded a new set of DLL files windows would not load. While trying to load into safe mode I had several options such as 1- safe mode 2- safe mode with command prompt 3- command prompt 3- step by step 4- something about changing DOS. Finally I picked ( god only knows why) the option to change DOS. Since then I can't Boot from the CD or the floppy as I explained earlier. If I could just figure out how to get to a C:/ prompt it would be an improvement. I hope this information is helpful. Thank you for your help.

[gerryf]

Fine, so what is the goal here? Just to reinstall windows, not caring about data, or retrieving the data on the computer?

[izod]

At this time Getting the computer up and running is number 1 on the list. If I can save data great if not oh well.

[gerryf]

This is what I would do in your case (the ntldr message is still bugging me on this machine, since you say that windows 95 was on it, but not 2000/xp/nt)

I would get a boot disk (windows 98se will do, www.bootdisk.com)
Start with boot disk
at a:\> type
fdisk /mbr
fix the master boot record.

Computer may ask you to reboot. Do so, leaving bootdisk in computer

At next a:\> type
rename c:\windows c:\bakwindows
rename c:\progra~1 c:\bakpf

reinstall windows the normal method

you can now retrieve your data from bakwindows, such as favorites, My documents (if you had multiprofile computer,otherwise, that was in c:\, desktop, etc)

You can also retrieve data from old programs, though you will not be able to run those programs, but will need to reinstall them, then move the data.

That is what I would do, given the info provided.

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