[UltimateSilence]

My Windows 98 Second Edition will not boot from a floppy diskette. The computer just got a new floppy drive. BIOS is set to boot from the "Removable Devices" (which includes the floppy drive).

Upon inserting a floppy and turning the computer on, I get a black screen with a keyboard indicator (BlSoD).

Any ideas?

Bad floppy disk(s).

This post has been edited by UltimateSilence: 12 January 2012 - 02:04 PM

[submix8c]

Boot order is wrong. You're probably set to boot the HDD first, then the Floppy.

[UltimateSilence]

submix8c, on 12 January 2012 - 12:03 AM, said:

Boot order is wrong. You're probably set to boot the HDD first, then the Floppy.

No, sir. I have it set to: removable devices; CD-ROM; HDD.

[submix8c]

1 - Is the Floppy really bootable? Where did it come from?
2 - Does the HDD have a MBR in the first 512-byte sector?

If 1=not-true, then the CD-Rom will be checked and if not bootable, then the HDD is checked and if the MBR does NOT have code (e.g. a "wiped" or NEW disk) then bam! Black screen and flashing cursor.

Questions - "keyboard indicator"? BSOD? Please explain.

This post has been edited by submix8c: 12 January 2012 - 12:25 AM

[UltimateSilence]

submix8c, on 12 January 2012 - 12:21 AM, said:

1 - Is the Floppy really bootable? Where did it come from?
2 - Does the HDD have a MBR in the first 512-byte sector?

If 1=not-true, then the CD-Rom will be checked and if not bootable, then the HDD is checked and if the MBR does NOT have code (e.g. a "wiped" or NEW disk) then bam! Black screen and flashing cursor.

1 - It should be. It is the Windows 98 Startup Diskette.
2 - How do I check this? Windows will not load ATM.

Thank you, submix!

[submix8c]

Just for the heck of it, go to bootdiskDOTcom and download any Windows 98SE (preferably the ones listed as OEM), run the program (with a floppy in the drive), take it to the PC having problems and try it. Your Startup Disk may be bad (or inadvertently blanked).

[UltimateSilence]

submix8c, on 12 January 2012 - 12:33 AM, said:

Just for the heck of it, go to bootdiskDOTcom and download any Windows 98SE (preferably the ones listed as OEM), run the program (with a floppy in the drive), take it to the PC having problems and try it. Your Startup Disk may be bad (or inadvertently blanked).

I only have one computer with floppy functionality. I'll have to switch hard drives.

I'll be right back. Thank you so much for your help.

EDIT: One of the floppy diskettes I was attempting to use was apparently corrupt. I could not even format it. I'm formatting the other one that wouldn't boot. Thanks for the link!
I have one other question, though. Does the boot disk at the URL you provided have more features than normal?

This post has been edited by UltimateSilence: 12 January 2012 - 01:08 AM