PC storage setup: After installing a new hard drive, the message “invalid media device” appears at boot. What is the correct next action to make the disk usable?

Introduction / Context:
An “invalid media device” boot message typically indicates that the system cannot find a valid partition table or boot sector on the new disk. Before formatting or installing an operating system, the disk must be properly partitioned.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Brand-new or previously wiped hard drive.
• Legacy DOS/Windows environment using FDISK-style tools.
• No UEFI/GPT complications (classic MBR context).

Concept / Approach:

The correct sequence for bringing a new MBR-based disk online is: partition the disk, set the active (bootable) partition, then format the partition with a file system, and only then install the operating system. FDISK (or an equivalent partitioning tool) is therefore the immediate next step.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Re-running FDISK after reboot shows the created partitions; FORMAT completes successfully; subsequent boots no longer show the error and the installer recognizes the disk.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Format: You cannot format before a partition exists; format requires a valid partition.
• Partition: While conceptually correct, in DOS the tool to do this is FDISK; the question asks “What do you do next?” and the canonical step is to run FDISK.
• Add the OS: Installers need partitions; skipping partitioning will fail.
• None of the above: Incorrect because FDISK is appropriate.

Common Pitfalls:

Forgetting to set the partition Active; power-cycling before saving changes; mixing LBA/CHS modes causing geometry mismatches on very old BIOSes.

Final Answer:

Fdisk