Resolved How can I setup cd as a boot device?

I am working on an Dell XP system and I want to reload the os from a Dell system disc, but it won't boot from the cd when I select f12 on startup. I have another boot disc that won't boot as well. I have changed out the cd drive with same results. I really think that the bios or cmos settings have been corrupted with viruses which I have deleted. When I select f2 to setup, I don't see all the options I should see like default settings for cmos etc. I have replaced the cmos battery as well. Where can I go to make sure the drive is a boot drive? It is listed in the boot order in bios but is not responding. BTW, I can run other programs on the cd just fine.

 

Hi Geno,
have you tried to change boot order in bios to see if there may be a fault?

To enter bios you will generally press delete or F1, watch the load screen for the prompt to enter bios, remember to save settings before exit, boot loading should be Floppy if installed, CD/DVD then HDD

regards Jac

 

Thanks for the reply. I did that and even disabled the hd so that only the cd was listed. I've been told that even if the device is listed doesn't mean it will boot....I need to know how to make sure it is a bootable device. I cannot even get to a cmd prompt.

 

I think you have missed jacrabbit's point, I am not familiar with your Motherboard but in general when you enter the BIOS go to Advanced BIOS Features first line will be:
Hard Disk Boot Priority
First Boot Device [CD Rom]
Second Boot Device
Third Boot Device
You will have to make sure that "First Boot Device is CD Rom.
Hard Disk Boot Priority you leave alone.
F10 to exit Save settings: Yes
Give that a shot.
hawk22

 

Hi

hawk22, jacrabbit: Dell's are "funny" OEM critters (funny as in peculiar* it can end up less than amusing when trying to fix them... mercifully I've only had to go down that road once) F2 to get into setup/BIOS is quite believable...

[SIZE= "1"]*my antique Dell laptop can actually get into the BIOS, such as it is (= crippled Pheonix BIOS) while Windows is running!!! via power & battery settings (Fn+F3) ...weird.[/SIZE]

Geno: what type of Dell pls? does it have a floppy drive? ...and if so, do you see the light for the floppy briefly when you first power on?

this is worrying! Can you give us an idea what options have gone missing, pls?

Ordinarily I'd be suggesting to flash the BIOS back in - but Dell ...I think BIOS flash can be done from a DOS boot floppy, for some Dells anyway.

best wishes, HJ

 

afterthought...

...better make sure exactly what machine we're dealing with here - in case it's more like the Compaq OEM thing, when the BIOS can be in a hidden partition on the hard drive. Which would make more sense of the BIOS getting trashed as the result of a malware infection.

best wishes, HJ.

 

I really appreciate the help....This is a Dell Dimension 4600. It had a bios a09 which I updated tp A12 from the Dell downloads.
The bios options do NOT include advanced options. I am looking for "restore default cmos settings" but don't see it. I removed the cmos battery and it reset auto. I did change the boot order to cd 1st, hdd2nd. To answer another question, yes the floppy drive does flash upon startup. Now all I am getting is the continuing Windows xp pro setup which stops with a fatal error and show cyclic redundancy check error. It says data error... "SXS.dll. syntax error in manifest or policy file E:\I386\asms\10\msft\windows\GDIPLUS\GDIPLUS.MAN on line 4 "
10

 

Hi Geno

sorry to be pedantic, but two "flavours" of Dimension 4600, I get paranoid around Dells (and Compaqs!) because it's so easy to muck things up, I really want to be sure I'm reading the correct manual

(e.g. Dells tend to have bespoke MBR, thus FIXMBR or FDISK /MBR can nuke the ability to restore to factory state...)

...could you pls confirm whether your monitor plugs in at A (= integrated video) or B (= expansion card video) see diagram here

...that way we'll know which manual to use ! thanks

==

thanks for the info about the floppy

best wishes, HJ

 

additional info pls...

Hi again

...now that might, just might be good news...

...when you updated the BIOS, was that done under Windows? ...or from a bootable floppy? ...or how?

best wishes, HJ

 

Hi PeteC good point!

I'd sort of assumed that because the machine wouldn't boot from CD, Geno must have started up XP and then put the CD in... assuming things isn't clever though.

...also (to be sure) is this Dell's reinstall disc, or a "normal" Windows XP Pro CD?

the other thing which I'd like to be really certain about is

...does this mean "the options used to be there, but now they've disappeared" or "there's no option to restore BIOS defaults like there is on most normal computers "?

Dell BIOSes can have seriously peculiar ways of doing things! Restore BIOS defaults might be Alt F (but you need to have Caps Lock, Nums Lock, Scroll Lock lit up first ) if these notes apply to your machine...

... "Single Page - Black BIOS" looks like the second picture down

best wishes, HJ

 

If you use his ServiceTag on the dell website it will tell you the exact model 4600 he is using. The ServiceTag can be found on the the side of the computer case.

 

Hi, and thanks again.
B-expansion card video. Keep in mind, I have been toiling on the system for 2 weeks. In the past, I replaced the cd with another know working one with same results. I then re-installed the original drive but not before dismantling and cleaning it. I then ran several programs on the drive and it seemed normal. I still wouldn't boot. I have two different discs, one being the original XP sp2 install disc. I thought the problem might be a faulty disc, so I borrowed another xp pro disc with same results.
S/T+FL3TZ41
Since I never could boot from the cd, I decided to just run the repair from the os, and this is when the setup cycle keeps on going..I can't seem to stop the process.
And yes Hugh the second picture is like mine...

 

Hi Geno thanks for the answers

first up: as it's the "Single Page - Black BIOS ", I think you have a route to reloading your BIOS default settings (part of what you were trying in the first place, and surely a most sensible thing to try). Method as "these notes " (same link as earlier post); certainly you want to do the Alt+E (clear NVRAM), Alt+F (restore BIOS defaults) and Alt+B (save settings & exit). As for the rest (1, 2, 3) hmmm, better comply with the method given I suppose.

great stuff, you've anticipated something I was going to suggest. Not sure how much it would apply to CDROM drives, but the Dell I worked on had "funny" hardware: the floppy was not-quite-standard; so, as you disproved a faulty CD drive (by substitution) it's surely much better to return to the original hardware - just in case. Only proviso here is that the ribbon cables in Dells are not robust and can be a bit of a weak link; but unlikely in your case I feel as you can see the files OK, just can't boot from the thing.

If you replaced the original hardware in its original configuration (inc. master/slave settings etc.), then I think we should take it that the machine darned well should be able to boot from that drive?

Hmm. Thinks - do you know the history of this computer? ...like, has anybody had a go at it before you? Any mods? Any hardware added which has caused the CD to change from master on a cable, to slave... anything you can spot which isn't as per original?

==

Re: CRC error on the install disk: does this always occur on the same file? If so (best if you can get to another machine for this: but also still useful if on same problematic Dell) try putting the disc in, close the WindowsXP setup, and explore the CD (you know the path to the file). Assuming that you can explore to that folder OK, try copying that file to (say) your desktop (it's only a few hundered bytes). Does the copy work pls? - or what do you get?

(although the CRC error can mean the CD is damaged, that's not the only possible cause of CRC error! Depending upon what you find, it might get interesting...)

==

Now, I've discovered that it is possible to flash the BIOS back in from a bootable floppy (so Dell say). Have to think a bit more maybe before doing that!

...BUT - it certainly wouldn't hurt to see whether you can boot the machine from a floppy - this will clarify our possible options from here on. May need to re-enable the floppy of course, if left disabled (as above).

Boot diskette creator programs from here; if it errors "Can't be acceeded" or the like, be persistent! ...it'll probably work 2nd time round.

==

...whoa! - this, too, is a bit odd. Have you tried both kinds of command prompt? ...i.e. Start>Run, type in CMD, hit Enter; and Start>Run, type in COMMAND, hit Enter ...are both no good?

Hang on though - are we talking about no command prompt available from XP? - or is this something which is meant to be coming from the CD drive somehow? ...not quite sure I'm getting the right end of the stick here.

==

phew - sorry for long post, trying to cover several things. Good little problem you've set us! Now, I must go read up those manuals - cheers for the service tag (+nice one, lj50) ...will check back later to see how things are going; might be a delay seeing replies though, as BBS notifications aren't getting through: my ISPs email servers are not having a good day (glorious comment about reconfiguring email clents 40 hours outage so far this month, and counting...)

best wishes, HJ

 

You are tooooKoool! Thanks for the help.
ok, I did the alt+e and f and followed the steps 1-3 and booted again choosing the cd drive and it still went into the setup is restarting routine with same errors.
I don't have any history on this system but it all seems routine. The crc error is the same one each time.
Let me remind you, I cannot go anywhere in the system to get to a cmd prompt. My os will not load either way...I even tried safe mode.I guess the mbr or boot ini is trashed. I have got to get out of this setup cycle

 

aaaargh! (clonk) (noise of very large penny dropping)

finally I think I've twigged what you're seeing. Please check / confirm / amend as appropriate:

You're trying to boot from the CD, but it refuses. Instead, the machine insists on booting from the HDD, which should be running WindowsXP. But! instead of booting into XP (properly), you're arriving at something resembling halfway through the XP setup process (which then refuses to complete, fouling up on a CRC error).

So, you never arrive at the XP GUI (and thus, of course, can't raise a command prompt)

Is this the situation pls? it sort of makes a bit of sense ...but very hard to imagine it all, without being able to look over your shoulder!

best wishes, HJ.

 

You are absolutely correct....

 

PeteC, I tried to do a full install I think, but may have selected repair. Now I just want to stop it.