command.com not found

When I boot my old Toshiba Tecra A3 with the recovery dvd, in order to format and reinstall XP, I get a message saying "starting Windows 98", for about 10 min, and then something like "command.com is missing or invalid"...

after that it prompts me to write the path to the file, which I do (C:\windows\system32\command.com), but it still can't find it...

what can I do? any help will be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

I don't know what you mean by this...prompts you to write the path?

The vagaries of recovery media certainly complicates things, but it sounds like your recoverymedia wants to install windows 98, not Windows XP.

Were you planning to install windows 98 then use an upgrade disk to install XP?

 

Yes, tells me to write the path to command.com. When I write the correct path, I still get the "missing or invalid file" message.

No, I am using the recovery DVD that came with my laptop 2 years ago, when it had XP preinstalled. I have never formatted & reisntalled since, so I don't know why I get the "win 98" thing... I assume that the recovery DVD reinstalls XP, and not 98...

 

This just doesn't make sense--sure you have the right disk? WIndows 98 never came on a DVD and a computer of that age likely will not boot form a DVD.

The message you get is reminiscent of windows 98 installs where you used a Windows 98 boot floppy to install the Windows 98 CD (the first version of windows 98 did not boot from CD, but you needed the boot floppy, which contained the command.com file so the path was a:\command.com)

 

I don't know why it says "Win 98"...

I am sure I have the right disk, its the only Toshiba I've ever had, and its the original DVD.

If I load the DVD from windows, a Toshiba Recovery program loads up, asking if I want to fix certain features or perform a format+fresh install. When I choose the latter, reboots the computer and I get that error...

Anyway, I have another WinXP install cd. Can I just format C:, install xp from my other cd, and then install drivers from the toshiba recovery DVD?

 

The answer to that is...maybe.

The cd key on the bottom of your tecra sticker may not work with your particular install CD.

To ensure it will, this is what I would do.

Download Microsoft's Virtual PC and install a temporary virtual computer using the XP cd. when it gets to the part where it asks for a cd-key, use the one on the bottom of the tecra...if it takes it on the virtual machine, it will take it on the real computer

 

cd key is not an issue, because I have a key for the second XP install cd I have, so I can install from that CD with its own key...

I am worried about Toshiba drivers, and that the laptop will brick after format.

 

download the drivers from toshiba support, burn them to a cd, and format away

 

ok, thanks for your help.

one last thing, just to be sure:

I should boot from my XP install cd and choose to format c: and install windows? and if it asks for drivers, I try the recovery DVD or what I downloaded from Toshiba, right?

should that work?

 

I would use the drivers downloaded from Toshiba--if this is a recovery cd, you may not be able to get the drivers off the CD (for example, some recovery cds are images, rather than file based)

You should boot from the windows xp install cd, format, and let the install continue. If the harddrive is a sata drive, you will need the sata drivers and have to press the f6 key to load them--given the age of this laptop, I doubt you need to worrya bout this

 

Great, thanks a lot, you've been very helpful!

the only thing now is that the only drivers available for "Tecra A3" models is for the "short model N° PTA30E", and mine is a "Tecra A3 sp611".

Will those work for me?

--this is the last question, I promise--

 

I don't know.

What I would do is download a tool like Everest 2.20 and see if it can identify all your hardware.

I cannot even find detailed specs for this model you listed.

The two more important drivers you need is a network driver and chipset driver....if you have those two, windows update will likely have driver support for everything else.