Dell won't boot from disklet

[iNeb]

I have a dell optiplex gxi with phoenix bios - it is set in the bios to boot disklett first

I'm trying to install linux on there so i can use it as a mini server and i'm using the boot disk for slackware 'bare.i' i used to write to a floppy with rawrite, i also tried rh 7.2 boot disk

Any suggestions?

[zrocule642]

Is this a new PC or old, is the Floppy Disk drive internal or external USB, Are you absolutely sure the disks will boot. Do you have another computer that you KNOW boots off of disks properly? Try the disks in one of those machines if you have one.

Does it do anything at all? Need more info.



Brian

[John Prophet]

yeah, will it boot with off of a different boot floppy disk?

JP

[iNeb]

It's an old 200mhz pc, i have tried different floppys and different bootdisks downloads

It doesn't do anything, it boots to the current redhat install...

[John Prophet]

does the floppy drive work in windows?

Have you tried another floppy drive perhaps?

JP

[zrocule642]

But what we're suggesting is.... have you tried bootdisks that you know work in another computer?


Does it even TRY to boot off the disk? or does it act like it's not even there? Even though the Boot Order is set to Floppy first, make sure that the floppy drive is actually listed as "installed" or that it's even listed at all. Usually you'll see it listed as "Floppy 1.44mb" or something similar. It's been a long time since i've looked at a bios in a 200mhz machine, but there should be SOME hint to make sure the disk drive even works at all.


Do you have an Operating system on this PC right now? Have you EVER been able to boot off of floppies from that computer?
I've got a million questions, but how about you list all the stuff you've tried so we get a better understanding.

Brian

[iNeb]

Yes, i have been able to get boot disks to work before, the floppy light goes on but it doesn't do anything =(

I'm sure i've downloaded the right files and rawrited them properly..

[zrocule642]

If the light blinks right before showing the boot screen for the OS, it looked at the disk and didn't see anything. If you're talking about the light that came on when it first was detecting the hardware, the rest of this post is pointless.

If it looked at the disk and didn't boot off it, it's because it didn't like what it saw. Try using a new bootdisk, a Windows 98SE Bootdisk.

If you're in windows, download this file. Its a self-extracing Image for a floppy disk. I use this image ALL the time. BTW, do this on a different machine, not the one that's not working.

http://www.24by7.ca/files/boot98se.exe

Just run that file and it'll create a 98 boot disk. Try that, let me know. If you dont trust the source of the file, go to www.bootdisk.com and I clicked on the first link at the top of the page. It has every bootdisk for windows ever made.


Brian

[iNeb]

Used a 98 boot disk, it didn't work, so know we know it's something wrong with the computer =(

[cadetstimp]

Is the sys bios set to attempt boot from floppy before HDD?

Also...make sure the sys bios is set to the correct type of FDD for A.

Also, if the case just provides a slot to "stealth" the FDD, then try again with the front cover removed just in case there's a mechanical problem (i.e. the case is slightly pushing the button even while the disk is completely inserted, thus preventing the head from fully engaging the disk)