Can't Change Boot Source...

I have a laptop that I need to redo, I have the boot disk and the version of Windows that I want to load, but I can't get it to boot from a floppy. What should I press to get it to change the boot options on it? F5 and F8 don't get me to the options but to something else and ESC doesn't do anything...... Please help!

 

Try some of these bios setup access methods:

del during boot AMI, Award
Esc during boot Toshiba
F1 during boot Toshiba; Phoenix; Late model PS/1 Value Point and 330s
F2 during boot NEC
F10 when square in top RH corner of screen Compaq
Ins during boot IBM PS/2s w/ Reference Partition
Reset twice Some Dells
Alt Enter Dell
Alt ? some PS/2s
Ctrl-Esc General
Ctrl Ins some PS/2s when pointer at top right of screen
Ctrl Alt Esc AST Advantage, Award, Tandon
Ctrl Alt + General
Ctrl Alt S Phoenix
Ctrl Alt Ins Zenith, Phoenix
Ctrl S Phoenix
Ctrl Shift Esc Tandon 386
Shift Ctrl Alt + Num Pad del Olivetti PC Pro
Setup disk Old Compaqs, Epson (Gemini), IBM, IBM PS/2, Toshiba, old 286s

 

My laptop is an old Toshiba. I pressed F1 several times to no avail, but once it did work- but only when a cd was in the cd drive and it loaded the setup instead that I didn't want to run. ESC doesn't do anything. I want to wipe the harddrive and start anew but it won't let me...

 

Tap the key repeatedly as soon as you turn on the power. It should work.

 

Thank you so much! ESC finally worked after doing it again...

 

Good luck on your repair install and thanks for posting back your progress!

 

Get into Bios to change startup order

Duralee,

it would of been most usefull if you had left information on what brand and even model your laptop was.
You want to get into the computers bios and change "the boot order" to
boot from the floppy first.
Here is a partial list of the commands to get into the bios on startup i,e when the computer first starts up . If windows is starting to load then it is too late.

Dell=Ctrl-Alt-Enter
Dell=Reset(Twice)
PS/2=Ctrl-Alt-?
PS/2=Ins
Toshiba=Esc
Toshiba=F1
NEC=F2
Compaq=F10
Award Bios=Ctrl-Alt-Esc
Phoenix Bios=Ctrl-Alt-S
Phoenix Bios=Ctrl-Alt-Ins

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/654179.html

And a more comprehensive list :

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

If you have a Toshiba laptop sometimes you enter the bios from the Windows control panel ( really).

Anyways you change the boot order . Save and reboot.
After install of your OS you can enter the bios again . You can change back to the original settings or at the worst restore to " factory defaults ".
Save and reboot.
At the worst it should always reboot.
If the cd is set before in the boot order to the hard drive you can always install with a bootable cd.
Nero will make one for you.
Boot discs ( I think Nero asks for these ) at
www.bootdisk.com

remember to save after any changes.
at the worst you can always restore the factory defaults and not do too much harm.

 

You tell 'em visionof, I stutter.

 

Maybe they want a fat32 system larger than 32gigs? Takes fdisk for that or third party help. Easier to make a boot floppy rather than a boot CD.

Beats me.