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My son gave m an old laptop (NCR Model SSL/25) SN CH-3126142809. It's a little beat up but when I first turned it on, it went through a startup sequence but gave me error messages. It allowed me to use F2 to get into the setup. I figured I had nothing to lose so I made a change and enabled something that was disabled before. Can't remember what it was, but later I tried starting it up again and it gets to the point where it's gone through the initial diagnostics, etc. then come to a screen that shows it passed several tests then the last 3 lines show: Floppy disks 1 present, Fixed disks 1 Present, Primary Boot-strap (no indication after this) It then skips a line and come up with the Non-system disk or disk error Replace and press any key when ready. Then I cannot get it to come back. I tried downloading several different boot floppies from BootDisk.com but get the same message whether I have a floppy in the drive, or leave it empty. I think I need a floppy boot disk that will sieze control and bypass the routine and either boot normally or at least let me back intoi the setup so I can tinker there to correct the problem. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks in advance -- Frank

Welcome to PC Help Forum

You need to set the floppy drive as the FIRST boot device in the BIOS before you try to use a boot floppy. Sounds to me like you either need to re-install Windows OR buy a new hard drive. Option A is the cheapest one

Hi - Problem is I cannot get into the bios, because it won't even let me into the setup. I also don't know what the operating system is for sure and don't have any manuals or disks. The readout on the screen top is
"PhoenixBIOS(TM) LAP386SL Version 1.01
Copyright (c) 1985-1992. Frank

Try this: http://www.pchelpforum.com/hardware-...ntry-keys.html

Thanks - Followed instructions on the link you gave me and it turns out holding down alt ctr esc got me back into the setup. I changed the quick boot to enabled and when I use F4 to SAVE changes I now get a message: SETUP has attempted to correct the following errors:
*System configuration was invalid. Review the first page settings.
*Memory size was invalid

Setup has automatically corrected this error.

You can accept these changes by pressing <ESC>,<ESC>,F4

When I do the last item it goes back to the Non-System or disk error.

I will hang it up for tonight and start working again tomorrow. Thanks for the help. Im not out of the woods yet but there's light at the end of the tunnel. Just hope its not a train! -- Frank

let us know how you get on

Hi -- Can now navigate through the SETUP but unlike some other setups I have messed with this one lists the possible (2) floppy, and (2) hard drives, but it has no place to switch (that I can find) the boot from the hard drive to a floppy. On the hunch that maybe the previous user of this laptop had changed the hard drive number I went through about 50 different possble hard drives, saved and then tried to boot but all these gave an error message of either "Invalid configuration" or "Fixed disk failed initialization, or "missing operating system." One thing I have observed is that when I try to boot up it does cause the floppy to make the usual startup noises during initialization, so at least I know the drive is working. I am sort stumped right now. Any other suggestions? -- Thanks in advance for any help -- Frank