Windows Forum

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Unable to Write Boot after crash

0 helpful
1 reply

by d.thao

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

After my pc crash, I tried to reformat, it made it to 100% but gives me unable to write boot. My BIOS recognize the HD and what size it is, but just wont let me format it.

It is a Quantum Bigfoot 4.3GB. I am using windows 95 format version which will enable large drive capacity. Formatting as a FAT32.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
Doua Thao

1 reply

by stillatit

The boot sector of a drive is the first sector. If that sector happens to have physical damage, format may not be able to reliably write it, in which case you cannot have a partition starting there.

One fix is create a tiny partition (one track)where you were trying to put your primary partition, then put in your primary partition after it. This will force the primary partition to start in the second track, which hopefully has no errors. You can delete the small dummy after you do this. You lose the use of one track, but that beats having a 4.3gb paperweight.

Instructions:
In FDISK, with no partitions on the disk, select Create secondary DOS partition.
For the size, try 1, but agree to the smallest number it will let you use.
Let the partition create. Do not bother with logical drives.
Now from the main FDISK menu create a primary DOS partition.
Put in whatever size you want.
Let it create.
Now delete the secondary partition.
ESC to exit FDISK.
reboot.
After the reboot you should have a C: disk you can format.

Good luck.

This discussion is closed to new replies.