Epson 386SX - Manual (Page 183)

To copy the hidden system files from your Startup diskette
to the root directory of the hard disk, type
A :
to log onto
drive A. Then type the following and press Enter:
SYS c:
4. If you can load MS-DOS from your Startup diskette but you
cannot access data stored on your hard disk, you may have
accidentally repartitioned or reformatted part or all of the
disk.
Use the Display Partition Information option of the FDISK
program to see if your hard disk has an active (bootable)
DOS partition on it. (See the MS-DOS Reference Manual
for instructions on using FDISK.) If it does not, back up all
your hard disk files and then reinstall MS-DOS on the hard
disk. See your MS-DOS Installation Guide for instructions.
If your hard disk does have an active DOS partition, back
up all your hard disk files and then try reformatting your
hard disk using SELECT. See your MS-DOS Installation
Guide for instructions.
WARNING
Reformatting destroys all the data currently on your hard
disk, so do this only after careful consideration and after
trying the preceding steps.
5. If your hard disk is producing a lot of read/write errors or
you are having other serious problems with it, try running
the Hard Disk Drive and Controller diagnostics check,
described in Appendix C. If the diagnostics program
indicates an error, contact your Epson dealer. Never open
the sealed unit that encloses the hard disk.
Troubleshooting A-15