re old Toshiba 286 laptop

[Timmygirl]

Hi Everyone,

It runs the memory test then still says insert system disk....

How can I wipe everything and start again when I can't get past this point..... I'm ready with DOS 3.3 and Windows 3.1 on floppies.....there's no cd on this one.....

Dos prompt is there but nothing shows up when I type any thing....

Thanks in advance......Tgirl

[nochay]

Ahh, the oh so typical dos problems.

You need a bootable system disk. This is because files are missing. Have you done a fresh install of the operating system?

Dane

[Timmygirl]

Hi Dane,

Thanks for answering my post......

I want to do a clean install but don't know how..... Can you please give me some step by step instructions or give me a link that will help me out.

I don't know if the DOS I've downloaded is a bootdisk or not.

Cheers.....Denise

[rookieixix]

http://www.bootdisk.com/

[RustyGT]

Timmygirl
When you say you get a 'Dos prompt',
Does it look like,

A: ? or C: ?

Y/N?

ChrsR.

[Timmygirl]

Hi CrsR,

No......all I get is the message to insert system disk and the flashing _ underneath

Thanks ...Denise

[griobhta]

have you tried booting the pc with the install disk for msdos in the floppy disk drive?

g

[Timmygirl]

Hi G,

I've tried booting with DOS 6.0 the floppy drive appears to try and read the disk but but after it only has the same mesage...

Thanks ..... Denise

[kieran]

strikes me as weird not to boot from a dos install-disk.
have you checked your BOOTSEQUENCE in the bios?
should read A: first, then c: ord d:

[griobhta]

Have you tried booting another computer from the floppy disk? Might be just that the disk is corrupted.

g