Help!! os problem

[mrme]

when i turn on the power it, it starts and then stops at a black screen like this:

Microsoft(R) Windows 98
(c)Copyright Microsoft corp 1981-1998.

C:\>

previous owner said i need an os... is that all i need???
thanks

 

[chrisalviola]

the c:\> is the dos console. and the dos is an OS, you need a GUI OS. windows maybe, you must have a bootable disk on the drive or restarted in MSDOS for that to appear on the screen

 

[mrme]

gui os?? what is tat will that make my comp work?? sorry i'm a newb

 

[chrisalviola]

do you have a Windows CD? if not get a Linux its free.

 

[mrme]

heard linux isnt as good as windows

 

[chrisalviola]

linux is free not many games can be played on linux but its stable compared to windows and lesser viruses. back to my question. do you you have a windows cd?

 

[mrme]

i have a windows 98 full but i got this off the net..i burnt it on a cd, n it doesnt boot when restarted
oh yea my com is a omnitech 1ghz comp 20gb hdd n 512 sdram

 

[chrisalviola]

you are already on the dos console, insert the windows disk on the drive and type on the dos command setup /is

 

[mrme]

write c:\>command setup/is
all it says is Specified command search directory bad, Invalid switch

 

[chrisalviola]

what drive letter is your cdrom? D or E?

 

[mrme]

not sure

 

[chrisalviola]

try typing on your C:\>D: and press enter.

 

[mrme]

it says "invalid drive specification"

 

[chrisalviola]

do you have a CDROM drive? the thing you insert you CD?

 

[mrme]

yea

 

[chrisalviola]

the CDROM drivers must not been loaded on bootup. restart your computer and tell me the prompts on the screen

 

[mrme]

there r no prompts besides the " c:\>"

 

[chrisalviola]

did you restart? well restart again and this time go to BIOS by pressing the DEL key on keyboard.

 

[mrme]

i'm at the bios did u want me to check anything??

 

[chrisalviola]

check if theres a cdrom detected.