PC Pals Forum
Technical Help & Discussion => Self Building, Upgrading & General Hardware Help => Topic started by: Michelle on August 13, 2004, 19:24
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Hi Guys
Hope everyone is well, sorry I've not been around, but I'm BACK! LOL
I have a little problem, but we won't go into that right now, because I wondered if you could help me with this one.
I have been given a computer from the school - (Just for the son to play with) it was on a network. And now of course its not, and it won't accept any of the passwords, I can't run a cd to install xp from safe mode as it doesn't show a D drive. So I assume I have to some how get rid of the network thingy, I did manage to over ride it at one point but I still couldn't do much. I got XP to start installing but then it stopped. So thats the story.
The main question is how to I stop it thinking its on a network?
Please can anyone help me. kisses in advance! :P
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oh ps, I've no idea what the puter is as I can't seem to get to much .... but it is running on 98 at the moment.
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Can you access the BIOS at all Michelle ?
If so change the boot sequence to boot from the cd rom first and then see if it will install XP from the CD drive.
It may be of course, if its an old pc, that it wont run XP as it may not meet the minimum specifications.
In that case use a 98 boot floppy and format the original hard drive and reinstall 98se or if you really really must , that horrible ME that you seem so fond of ::)
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ah, so how to I change the bios sandra??
hmm not sure I've got anything on floppy only like recovery things. I can probably get something tho.
Thanks for your help
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As the pc starts up Michelle, usually its hitting DEL or sometimes F2 repeatedly as it beeps.
It will say on the first screen which one it is to enter SETUP, thats the BIOS.
If you need to format and install 98 or ME you can download a bootdisk from :
www.bootdisk.com
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oh good, thanks.
So what do I type once I've got into the bios?
I've never been there before ! LOL
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Ok, there are a few different types of BIOS and they have different ways of presenting the various details and options.
Fortunatley most have the information at the bottom of the screen to tell you how to change the setings.
All you do is highlight the bit you need to change or the screen that you want to explore and hit ENTER, its all keyboard stuff in bios not the mouse, to exit that particular screen hit ESC.
Usually the up and down keys are used to highlight the bit you want to change and the page up and page down keys change the value.
After you have made any changes and are ready to exit the bios you usually hit F10 and then Y and enter, if its one that doesnt work like that select Save Changes and Exit.
Only do this after you have made all the changes that you are making, although in this case you are only wanting to change the one thing :)
You are looking for a screen that says BOOT sequence and will probably be set as A,C, SCSI or A, CD Rom, C or some variation on letters, you want CD rom as the first.
Other types of bios actually have First boot device, Second boot device and Third boot device, in that case just change the first boot device to cd rom :)
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oh I see! Thanks for that explaination, it sounds easy, although with me I doubt it will be lol.
I've downloaded the windows 98 boot disc anyway. now do I have any empty floppy's lol prepared aren't I ! :-)
I'll let you know how I get on.
:-*
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Hope everyone is well, sorry I've not been around, but I'm BACK! LOL
Friday 13th. Knew it!
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lol thanks clive!!
Well I managed to do it, I couldn't do any of the things you suggested sandra, it just wouldn't do a thing. Reinstalling didn't work it just kept the settings.
Anyway I managed to get into the admin thing and just deleted loads of stuff and unticked loads of boxes that were preventing me to get into control panel and such like, (technical aren't I) and it appears to have worked.
I can't work out what the hd is tho, in one place it says 19GB and in another it says 112.0mb? very odd, I don't understand that.
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Well, unless its a typo, then it definately isnt the latter ;)