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I need computer help
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 8:29 pm
by Rexer25
While in the middle of trying to make my winD'oh!s 85, HP computer safe to donate or be cannibalized or whatever, my wife informed me that the girls might want to play games on it. So, in the middle of deleting everything but the bare bones DOS stuff, I stop and say "No problem, I've got the install media". Well, there is a problem. The computer can't see the CD drive, so I can't repair my Windows installation. Do any of my Windows wizard BBs have any ideas about how to get the system to see the CD?
TIA
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:24 pm
by Bob Juch
It can't see the CD from DOS or it can't see it when you try to boot from it?
If the former, try booting the Windows CD.
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:27 pm
by Rexer25
Bob Juch wrote:It can't see the CD from DOS or it can't see it when you try to boot from it?
If the former, try booting the Windows CD.
It can't see the CD when I try to boot from it. Or from DOS, for that matter.
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:30 pm
by Sir_Galahad
Have you tried booting to a [gulp!] DOS disk with a CD-ROM driver loaded? I keep several of these handy just in case. Do you see the drive listed when you first boot the system? Have you verified that the cables are in place? Does the drive tray eject? Does the drive light come on when you insert a disk?
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:35 pm
by Bob Juch
Rexer25 wrote:Bob Juch wrote:It can't see the CD from DOS or it can't see it when you try to boot from it?
If the former, try booting the Windows CD.
It can't see the CD when I try to boot from it. Or from DOS, for that matter.
I'll guess you have a dead CD-ROM drive then.
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:41 pm
by Rexer25
Sir_Galahad wrote:Have you tried booting to a [gulp!] DOS disk with a CD-ROM driver loaded? I keep several of these handy just in case.
Not yet...I need to see if I've got one around here. If not, I'll scavenge at work and get one.
Sir_Galahad wrote:Do you see the drive listed when you first boot the system?
Yes
Sir_Galahad wrote:Have you verified that the cables are in place?
No, but the lights blink as the BIOS finds the drive
Sir_Galahad wrote:Does the drive tray eject?
Yes
Sir_Galahad wrote:Does the drive light come on when you insert a disk?
Yes
Lemme try the DOS boot disk...I bet that'll solve it.
Thanks for your help.
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:41 pm
by Rexer25
Bob Juch wrote:Rexer25 wrote:Bob Juch wrote:It can't see the CD from DOS or it can't see it when you try to boot from it?
If the former, try booting the Windows CD.
It can't see the CD when I try to boot from it. Or from DOS, for that matter.
I'll guess you have a dead CD-ROM drive then.
Thanks.
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:57 pm
by 15QuestionsAway
Another option is to go into the BIOS and check:
a: whether the CD-ROM drive is seen by the system
b: the boot device order
If the CD-ROM can be seen by the BIOS, put the CD-ROM as the first boot device and see if you can then boot from the Windows CD.
If the BIOS doesn't see the CD-ROM, check that your drive cable is seated correctly, both on the CD-ROM drive and the motherboard end. Since you see lights, the power cable is obviously connected.
However, if you're really running Win 95, I'd consider this machine fully amortized. Dell sells some astoundingly cheap entry level machines nowadays.