Help please with my computer not booting up

[aykfc]

My newer computer broke so I took that harddrive out of there and put it in my old computer. Well that didn't work so now I just want to start up on my old computer but I can not. I regrettably messed with the bios and now I get the message on start up "Drive not ready, enter boot diskette in A". Well I have like 8 boot diskettes and the first one works but does nothing and I have tried downloading some online but that does not work. I got it to start-up when I put the restore CD in there but now the CD drive wont work. What can I do to get my computer to start up? I am running windows 98 and its a e-machines.

 

[Demalii]

well it's an e-machine.. *coughs* call them?

 

[aykfc]

Its long distance. I dont want to pay that money, and there online support sucks. So thats why I am asking on a computer forum *Cough cough*

 

[killians45]

try clearning NVRAM/reset config data in the bios or via jumpers. As far as how, it depends on the MBD. Also check the IDE connections/reseat them and make sure pin1 is towards the PSU connection in the HDD.

 

[aykfc]

How can I reset my NVRAM? I can not start up my computer at all so this would have to be in bios. I tried resetting the jumpers on my bios and it looked like they were under the battery? So I removed the battery but it didn't do anything. And how can I reset the IDE connections?

 

[killians45]

no, reseat the IDE connectors. Remove and plug them in again. To let you know, its easy to misalign them. Make sure they are plugged in correctly. You should also be able to get into the bios, u enter it before the detection occurs. Check and see if the HDD is recognized even. Usually esc/F1/F4 or the del key will get you there. If not, set the jumpers. It'll have an etching that says normal setup and tell the pinout for the bios, and one will say recovery or restore or clear nvram and the pins to cover with the cap. Cover it and reboot. It'll say something like cleared by jumper press a key blah blah blah. Turn off the system, put jumper back to normal config, reboot enter bios and chk the config and save it.

 

[aykfc]

I can get into the bios, let me go get a picture of the computer and upload it. The jumpers are outside of the computer correct? Well there is a sticker and it says the jumpers are where the battery is so it is confusing let me go get a picture.

 

[aykfc]

I have a somewhat blurry image of the sticker that says where the jumper thing is on the motherboard and its where the battery is? If you wnat I will post the image but how can I access the jumpers off of my motherboard?

 

[killians45]

its on the MBD, it usually looks like a small rectangular cap and is situated on 2 pins. near there is the settings usually etched in white on the MBD. May say Normal 1,3 Recovery 2,4, and so on depending on the MBD. Send a pic of it or tell me the EXACT MBD modem/make

 

[aykfc]

Here is a some what a blurry picture of whats on the motherboard, and it says where the driver is and thats like where the battery is.

Here is everything about the computer

http://www.emachines.com/support/support_info.html?prodName=eTower 400i

Want a picture of the motherboard?