Can't use my own comp!!!

[Fishman]

:sl:
Right now I'm posting from my dad's computer, since my own one's not working!
I switched the computer off normally, and then tried to switch it back on again right after, but it didn't work. So I turned off the socket on the wall and turned it back on again, and then turned the computer on. But it still won't work, it keeps telling me to 'insert boot diskette'. My dad is coming back from China tommorow Insha'Allaah, but he would probably need to sleep because of the jetlag. Can you help me?
:w:

[Malaikah]

:sl:

um i *think* if u have a floopy disk in the computer when you try to turn it on it wont turn on properly... :? im really not sure about this though lol since the days of floppy disks are long over for me and i havent used one in yrs...

u might wanna check that out anyway though

[Fishman]

:sl:

um i *think* if u have a floopy disk in the computer when you try to turn it on it wont turn on properly... :? im really not sure about this though lol since the days of floppy disks are long over for me and i havent used one in yrs...

u might wanna check that out anyway though

:sl:
I don't have any floppy disks to put in.

I have XP btw.
:w:

[Fishman]

^but then it doesnt say INSERT BOOT DISKETTE.

i guess u hv disturbed the boot sector of ur drive...
n ur comp is unable to detect ur boot drive[hard disk].

go thru SYSTEM [BIOS] SETUP n do the hard disk detection process to chk if its still detecting the disk.

:sl:
It does say 'insert boot diskette', I just don't know where that is.

I don't know how to do check for hard disks. Can you please explain to me brother?
:w:

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[Woodrow]

Restart the PC, hold down del while it is starting, that will start it in set up mode. Instead of trying to explain hands on is better. go through the options read carefully as you do things, if in doubt dont' do anything.

If you get totaly lost hit esc until it stops doing anything then hit the F10 key and that will bring you back to where you were.

Now what you want to do is get into the bios menu where it tells you what HDD you have. Do not use auto-detect go to each one and click detect drive.

If it does detect your HDD it will probably restart. I agree with zAk the critter probably isn't detecting the HDD on its own. any you may have to sort of jump start it and remind it that it does have a HDD

[Woodrow]

I forgot to ask what Operating system are you using?

[Woodrow]

he sed it was XP in post 3.
wont hitting F10 prompt him to save changes n exit setup :?

Good point. I'm just used to always saving my changes. I was leading him astray. What he will want to do is scroll down on the right side and close without saving.

Glad you mentioned that zAk. The nice thing tho is as a last resort he can always restore defaults and at least get it back to where it was when it left the factory.

[Fishman]

:sl:
I still don't understand. It doesn't say anything about hard disks, except that 'S.M.A.R.T' for hard disks is disabled.
:w:

[Fishman]

Glad you mentioned that zAk. The nice thing tho is as a last resort he can always restore defaults and at least get it back to where it was when it left the factory.

:sl:
How do I do that? Will it delete all the stuff I saved on the computer?

I have two hard disks and no battery, so may that be part of the problem?
:w:

[Snowflake]

If your comp can't detect the hard drive, you can use Boot Sector to format it. If that doesn't work then your Boot Sector is corrupt. Or there could be a problem with Windows.

I'm not too sure about all this though or how it's done. :embarrass

Hopefully Woodrow br will guide you on what to do. Good Luck!

[Woodrow]

:sl:
How do I do that? Will it delete all the stuff I saved on the computer?

I have two hard disks and no battery, so may that be part of the problem?
:w:

While you are in set-up you are running strictly on the Mother-board system. Nothing there should delete the HDD. Yes you do want S.M.A.R.T. disabled.

While you are there in the lower right you should see where it says to restore defaults. I forgot which F key it will be.

However since it is showing you that smart is disabled I suspect it is detecting the HDD and it sounds like the boot sector of windows is corrupted. What OS are you running?

[Woodrow]

I just saw you are on XP, do you know how to do a system restore?

[Fishman]

I just saw you are on XP, do you know how to do a system restore?

:sl:
nope. What is an OS?
:w:

[Woodrow]

The good part is XP is a pretty stable system, so unless there is a physical damage to the HDD it is restorable to the last time it started successfully.

Here is a link to Microsofts trouble shooting start-up problems with XP. It is long. But, it explains a lot better than I can.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308041/

[Fishman]

The good part is XP is a pretty stable system, so unless there is a physical damage to the HDD it is restorable to the last time it started successfully.

Here is a link to Microsofts trouble shooting start-up problems with XP. It is long. But, it explains a lot better than I can.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308041/

:sl:
How do you do a system restore?

I didn't understand that link, except for CGI and the like I don't really know much about computers.
:w:

[Woodrow]

:sl:
How do you do a system restore?

I didn't understand that link, except for CGI and the like I don't really know much about computers.
:w:

Use the Last Known Good Configuration tool to restore the operation of Windows XP
If Windows does not start, try to restore operation of Windows XP by using the Last Known Good configuration. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Start the computer, and then press the F8 key when Windows begins to start. The Windows Advanced Options menu appears.
2. Use the ARROW keys to select Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked), and then click OK.
3. If a start menu appears, use the ARROW keys to select Microsoft Windows XP, and then click OK

[Fishman]

Use the Last Known Good Configuration tool to restore the operation of Windows XP
If Windows does not start, try to restore operation of Windows XP by using the Last Known Good configuration. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Start the computer, and then press the F8 key when Windows begins to start. The Windows Advanced Options menu appears.
2. Use the ARROW keys to select Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked), and then click OK.
3. If a start menu appears, use the ARROW keys to select Microsoft Windows XP, and then click OK

:sl:
I can't find the last known good configuration thing. I can find optimal settings and best performance settings though.
:w:

[Woodrow]

:sl:
I can't find the last known good configuration thing. I can find optimal settings and best performance settings though.
:w:

Don't touch those yet. Sounds like you still got into the BIOS menu. Try to hold the F8 key down and while holding it down restart

[Fishman]

Don't touch those yet. Sounds like you still got into the BIOS menu. Try to hold the F8 key down and while holding it down restart

:sl:
How do I restart if I'm not logged in?
:w:

[Woodrow]

since it has not opened into the windows mode just use the off/on switch.

[Fishman]

:sl:
I tried holding F8 and nothing happened.
:w:

[Woodrow]

:sl:
I tried holding F8 and nothing happened.
:w:

Did you try starting the PC with the switch while holding the F8 button?

[Fishman]

Did you try starting the PC with the switch while holding the F8 button?

:sl:
I tried starting it with the swith on the tower whilst holding the F8 button, yes.
:w:

[Woodrow]

OK then it sounds like a hardware problem. That I would not try to mess with. Although hardware problems are the easiest to fix it is difficult to try to explain how to trouble shoot them and that can end up breaking something that isn't broken.

It is most likely something very simple like a disconnected cable

[Fishman]

OK then it sounds like a hardware problem. That I would not try to mess with. Although hardware problems are the easiest to fix it is difficult to try to explain how to trouble shoot them and that can end up breaking something that isn't broken.

It is most likely something very simple like a disconnected cable

:sl:
Well, none of the cables at the back are disconected. If it is it's something inside the machine.
:w:

[Woodrow]

:sl:
Well, none of the cables at the back are disconected. If it is it's something inside the machine.
:w:

My suspicions will be in this order:

Loose cable to the HDD

Faulty Mother board battery (almost unheard of on PC's less than 5 years old)

Faulty or loose video card

Faulty or two small power supply. (sometimes the original power supply transformer is the minimum for the PC and with a little age it will no longer power everything)

[Fishman]

My suspicions will be in this order:

Loose cable to the HDD

Faulty Mother board battery (almost unheard of on PC's less than 5 years old)

Faulty or loose video card

Faulty or two small power supply. (sometimes the original power supply transformer is the minimum for the PC and with a little age it will no longer power everything)

:sl:
I have no battery power left in my computer, and I'm pretty sure it's more that five years old. The tower is a 98 tower that's been upgaded.
:w:

[Woodrow]

:sl:
I have no battery power left in my computer, and I'm pretty sure it's more that five years old. The tower is a 98 tower that's been upgaded.
:w:

That is most likely it. the big problem now is you may need the set up cd for the Mother board when you put in a new battery. Do you know what type mother board you have?

If not do you know the brand and model of the PC and about what year it was made?

[Fishman]

:sl:
I think it's also suspicious that this is the first time I've switched the computer off by the socket since I got the new hard drive.
:w:

[Woodrow]

When did you put in the new HDD? Let us go back to zAk original suspicion. A loose HDD connection realy does make the most sense. You need to check both ends. The end at the Mother Board is often difficult to get in securly and that seems to be the end that often gets loose.

[Fishman]

When did you put in the new HDD? Let us go back to zAk original suspicion. A loose HDD connection realy does make the most sense. You need to check both ends. The end at the Mother Board is often difficult to get in securly and that seems to be the end that often gets loose.

:sl:
About a week ago I think. But both of the hard drives are detected by the computer.

It still tells me to insert the book disk.
:w:

[Woodrow]

:sl:
About a week ago I think. But both of the hard drives are detected by the computer.

It still tells me to insert the book disk.
:w:

when you upgraded to XP did you get a disk and do you still have it? If not do you still have the old 98 install disk?

[Fishman]

when you upgraded to XP did you get a disk and do you still have it? If not do you still have the old 98 install disk?

:sl:
We probably still have it, but I don't know where it is.
:w:

[Woodrow]

do you have a floppy drive on both PC's and 6 blank floppies

[Fishman]

do you have a floppy drive on both PC's and 6 blank floppies

:sl:
I have no idea about how many floppies I have, but yes, both computers have a floppy disc drive.
:w:

[Woodrow]

You will need six floppies and go to this link:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310994

[Fishman]

You will need six floppies and go to this link:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310994

:sl:
I may have to wait until my dad returns before I can do this, I'm cautious about downloading things on my own computer let alone my dad's.

Just curious, Isn't it really early or really late in America at the moment? I used to go on this other forum, and all the American users would only be on in the afternoon.
:w:

[Fishman]

:sl:
Which battery powers the clock? Whenever I switch the computer off at the socket switch, the clock goes back to october 2002.
:w:

[Littleozzybloke]

i've found this to be a solution to 'no drive' showing on the black screen startup

if all above/else fails...turn off pc..remove side cover to access hard drive..

check your belt/ribbon from the motherboard to the hardrive...(should be a grey colour..wide)...carefully pull it off the back of the hard drive, (has a lot of holes for tiny pins)...then push it back on evenly and firmly, same with power one next to it..check all other external leads and plugs into pc..
close everything up and restart pc..

some times pc's get moved about a bit and knocked or things can be thrown at them...hope it helps anyway

[أحمد]

The chances of CMOS or Control Battery being damaged is not very high. But you can check it anyway. An easy way of doing so is by:
Setting a date and time in BIOS, saving settings and then switching off your computer completely and unplugging any powere sources (mains power), but leave the batter in. wait 24 hours and 2 minutes and then switch your computer on.
Now go to BIOS and check the time, if it is correct, then there's nothing wrong with your battery, because reserve control power only last for 24 hours exactly on a standard system. If the time is reset, you will need to replace your battery with a new one.

If Battery is OK, it maybe that your computer stopped starting up only after you plugged in your new hard disk; in which case, there maybe an issue of compatibility, a loose connection, or both HDDs are set to Master, in which case you need to:
Unplug the new hard disk and you will find a removeable circuit connection device, which is a small piece of plastic with a wire (a jumper). You will see that it says M, S, C/CL or it maybe written in complete wording, the one you need to place this "jumper" on is "S" or "Slave".
Your computer should start up as normal Insha-Allah.

If none of the above works, then make sure you do post what's going on, because it's not a major problem like people make it out to be.

[Fishman]

:sl:
Don't worry, it was fixed quite a while ago.
:w:

[Pk_#2]

dat soo goes wiv your signature...