Hard Disk No Longer Available After Uninstalling Windows 98

ID: Q205400

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows 98

SYMPTOMS

When you add an additional hard disk and partition it using MaxBlast EZ-BIOS, the hard disk may be unavailable if you uninstall Windows 98.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs because the Windows 98 uninstall process rewrites the boot sector and Master Boot Record (MBR) with a backup saved during Windows 98 Setup. If you install MaxBlast EZ-BIOS after Windows 98 is installed, the drive is unavailable when you uninstall Windows 98 because the backup does not contain the drive overlay information.

RESOLUTION

To work around this issue, use MaxBlast EZ-BIOS to reset the boot sector and MBR with the correct information. For information about how to do so, refer to the documentation included with MaxBlast EZ-BIOS, or contact the manufacturer.

NOTE: If you formatted your hard disk using the FAT32 file system, use a Windows 98 Startup disk to gain access to the data on the FAT32 drive, or install Windows 98 again. No further steps are necessary if you are using the FAT16 file system.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

The third-party products discussed here are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.

Additional query words:


Keywords          : 
Version           : WINDOWS:
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: May 7, 1999