More laptop problems! - Page 2

lindsay ormerod · 04-06-2009, 17:44

Thanks chaps, I have tried to reinstall the disk that I have with Window Xp on it but can't get any further than the original error message screen? Am I doing something very basically wrong? I thought it would just recognise the disk and do summat?

K.S.H · 04-06-2009, 19:04

Yeah, you don't install it you "boot to disk"
Put the disk in the drive and start the pc, set in bios to boot from cd drive as 1st option

Neil · 04-06-2009, 19:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by lindsay ormerod

Thanks chaps, I have tried to reinstall the disk that I have with Window Xp on it but can't get any further than the original error message screen? Am I doing something very basically wrong? I thought it would just recognise the disk and do summat?

To boot from cd you put the disc in the cd drive, turn laptop off then turn it on again. It will probably say on the black screen "Press any key to boot from CD". If it does then press the any key

accyman · 04-06-2009, 20:51

K.S.H · 04-06-2009, 20:56

Is that a foreign keyboard?
My any key is in the middle of the numeric pad between numbers 11 and 12

lindsay ormerod · 04-06-2009, 23:04

Hey guess what? It still doesn't work.... Have turned it on, put disk in , turned it off, turned it on again and still get error message as previously described. Any more ideas before I throw the feckin thing in the bin?

ps it doesn't even get as far as press any key .......

accyman · 05-06-2009, 01:02

thats probablybecause bios isnt set to boot from cd first and is trying to boot from your hard drive

when you restart your laptop look to see what button it says to press to enter setup and tap it repeatedly and it will take you into the bios

there look for boot device priorities and move cdrom to teh top of the list

goto exit and selct save and exit

then it will boot from your cd

if it still dosnt boot from cd disable all other boot devices except cdrom which will force it to look at cdrom first then once youyr fixed alter it back

Neil · 05-06-2009, 07:47

With the cd in switch on the laptop and keep pressing F12, if set in the BIOS this will ask you which drive to boot from, if it does select the CD and you should be ok (you still might get the press any key to boot from CD message)

Barrie Yates · 05-06-2009, 14:26

A very useful site I use is www,askbobrankin.com - tremendous amount of information on probably every computer problem ever experienced. It is an easy site to use.
Best of luck.
Barrie

Restless · 06-06-2009, 23:57

usually its Delete to go in to bios for most that i have used... Lindsay i can help if you want

Studio25 · 07-06-2009, 09:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Restless

usually its Delete to go in to bios for most that i have used... Lindsay i can help if you want

{F2** on my (Dell) laptop.

Restless · 07-06-2009, 13:31

think it was F8 on my Dell... or was it F2 hehe. I was thinking of towers rather than laptop

Studio25 · 08-06-2009, 10:20

Oh, it changes depending on BIOS too - I've seen all sorts, {Del**, {F1**, {F2**, {F10**, {F11**

The only guarantee is that whatever the key, it's the one least expected, and the user will have to go through at least one bootup/shutdown cycle 'cos they aren't enough.

lindsay ormerod · 16-06-2009, 20:34

Fixed it finally, the numpty that allegedly "fixed" it had forgotten to reinstall any of the drivers at all! Now done and have even got the keys working correctly again! More luck than judgement on my part I have to admit but well chuffed!

Margaret Pilkington · 16-06-2009, 20:36

Well done Lindsay...when do you open for business?