bootup

[henrys]

my lap top refuses to boot properly
i have to press ctlr alt del
a few times before it boots up
done a scan disc defrag
help please
laptop 4 yrs old
it works ok
when surfing
thank you

[Catso]

'Fraid it sounds like your disk, or whole machine, is on its way out. Make sure you get regular backups of your important stuff.

If you have the technical know-how, you could try a reformat and reinstall.

[henrys]

thanks for info
i do not have the know how
i got the recovery disc
if i done that
would it solve the prob

[Catso]

Well, that would enable you to reinstall, yes, but:
1/ Don't forget you'll lose any data you had on the hard disk, so you will need to back it up somehow if you want to keep it. (This would be all your docs, your old email, your email configuration, your internet connection configuration - as you can see, important stuff that I'd imagine you wouldn't want to lose)
2/ I would recommend repartitioning and reformatting the hard disk and your recovery CD may not do that. Not that tricky to do.

[henrys]

can you tel me how i can repartion it
and reformatting it
ta again for info

[Catso]

What system is it running?

[henrys]

windows m e
thanks

[Catso]

Print out these instructions. Remember once you've wiped your machine, you won't be able to get back onto the internet for further help.

Are you really sure you have a recovery disk? Don't attempt this if you haven't.

Are you really sure you are prepared to lose all your data (unless you've backed it up)? Do you know how to reconfigure your internet connection settings?


If you have a floppy drive:

Boot normally, then:
Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then click Add/Remove Programs.
Click the Startup Disk tab, and then click Create Disk.
Insert a disk in your floppy drive when prompted, and then click OK. Windows Me will begin to copy files to the floppy disk.

Once you do this next bit, you will lose everything on your hard disk, irreversibly.

Then restart your computer, with the floppy still in. Select the 'Minimum boot' (or words to that effect) option and Enter. Let it all complete. Then type fdisk and hit Enter. If you get asked if you want large disk support, reply yes. Select the option number 3 and Enter, acknowledge the warning.

You've wiped your machine.

Now restart with the recovery CD in and the floppy not.



If you don't have a floppy drive:
Restart with the recovery CD. Keep pressing F8 while the machine restarts. You should get a menu. Select 'command prompt only' and let it start up. Then type fdisk and hit Enter. If you get asked if you want large disk support, say yes. Select the option number 3 and Enter, Acknowledge the warning. (If you get 'bad command or file name' when you enter fdisk, you will have to find it by doing 'dir \fdisk.* /s' then run it, as above)

You've wiped your machine.

Now restart with the recovery CD.

[Catso]

If your recovery disk complains about missing or no partitions, then you'll have to repeat the special way of booting, as above (floppy or CD). Run fdisk again, as above, but select option 1 (create). Accept the suggestion of the biggest single partition.

Restart with the recovery disk and no floppy and try again.

[Catso]

To reiterate, are you sure you understand the risk you are running by trying this, without (it seems) the knowledge to get yourself out of any mess?

You could completely trash your machine and have to pay someone to restore it.

If you have any doubts, get an expert to do it.

[henrys]

hello catso
thanks once again for info
i will not try all that
i think i would end up as you say with
no machine
at the moment
it does boot up
it takes a while
if it gets too bad
as you said its best to take it to a shop
what more can i say
but thanks very much