When I started my computer, I get an error message saying,
"INVALID SYSTEM DISK"
What can I do now?

Either your hard drive does not have an OS installed, or you have an unbootable floppy in your A drive

Rob
Please visit <b><A HREF="http://www.ncix.com/canada/about.php?affiliateid=319048" target="_new">http://www.ncix.com/canada/about.php?affiliateid=319048</A></b>

It woulda said press any key or whatever if he has a disk in, assuming he is giving us the exact error. Or your MBR is messed up on your HD.

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There is no floppy disk in the drive and computer is booting from the Hard disk. I had windows 98 installed on the computer. I think there is some thing wrong with MBR or Core system files. Is there any way to restore my system without re-intalling windows.

Well I could tell you how to fix the mbr easy in 2000 hehe, you may need a 3rd party program but there is a fdisk /mbr or something similar but I'm not positive it will rewrite the mbr and fix it or just erase it.

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try sys.com ing it

I tried sys c:, it helped in getting rid of the message,
"INVALID SYSTEM DISK". Now the computer is booting but still
I cannot get into the windows as my computer stops on A:>
promp. I tried 'win' at the c:\windows> prompt but it resulted into a "VFAT Device initialization failed" error message.
What can I do to get into the windows???

maybe this will help <A HREF="http://search.support.microsoft.com/search/nlsearch.aspx?Catalog=LCID=1033&CDID=EN-US-KB&PRODLISTSRC=ON&Product=w98&Query=VFAT Device initialization failed&Queryc=VFAT+Device+initialization+failed&withinResults=false&srchstep=0&KeywordType=ALL&Titles=false&numDays=&maxResults=150" target="_new">VFAT Device initialization failed</A>

If they squeeze olives to get olive oil, how do they get baby oil?

Do you have more than one harddrive?
What brand of Harddrive?
Are the jumpers set properly on the Harddrive?
Are your cables firmly plugged into the Harddrive and Motherboard?
Is it Windows 98 or 98SE?
If you haven't already solved your problem, answer these questions, I'll try to help you.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by 4ryan6 on 05/03/02 10:10 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

You know what, this exact problem happened to me. And im still wondering how to fix it.. I got a startup disk, re formatted, partioned my drive. Tryed installing 3 differnt windows versions (98, 98 SE, ME) and whenever it says i think "Prepaing install wizard" or whatever is the thing that start loading at the beginning, when thats 100% my computer just crashes. And floppy light is stuck on. Someone reconmended me a program called Docmem to check memory. I run the quicktest and after it gets to 100%, crash.... I got 2 new ram modules from friends. Still crashes... L2 Cache? Only 1 Western Digital HD, jumpers are right, cables in, it was ME that i had installed, then one day i crash, when i boot up again i get "Non System disk press any key" or about that.... And still whenever i boot up without startup disk it says that.

Western Digital hardrives come from the factory with the jumper preset to run in your machine, if thats your only hardrive do not change that setting to the master setting or you'll have problems, only change it to the master setting if you have a slave hardrive also. Go to the WD website and download the WD Diagnostic Program Disk and recertify your hardrive to factory specks, then use Win 98 SE, stay away from Win ME its garbage, Run FDISK, then FORMAT C:, then go on and reload your system, at that point if there is no other hardware problems you'll be good to go.

I have single hard drive.
Brand is Seagate.
All the jumpers are set properly.
Nothing wrong with the cables.
I am using Windows98se.
I think there is something wrong with some of the boot files, but I don,t know which files are currupted or missing. I have tried SYS C:, this helped me in making the hard drive bootable. Now there is no "INVALID SYSTEM DISK" message, but the computer stops on A:> prompt (it doesnot boot into the windows Graphical mode).
HELP!!!

Do you have a 3&1/2 Floppy Boot Disk for Win98 SE?

Yes!

I've booted with my floppy before just like I was reloading my system, let it run automatically until it reaches the A:\> Prompt punch out the floppy,shut down the machine, then power up the system normally, and it came back up.