Lap top crash, need tech support from the TGO gurus

[Rightwinger]

Well I got the reinstall disk to install XP on the machine but it is not the Windows 7 that was on it.  That is all still present on the other partition.  I can get to the data I need and burn it to a CD and then play with it some more. 

 

Dolomite, if you can dig some more on that command please do.  I'll try ALT F11 here in a bit but I'm probably to the point that I'll screw it up more now that I have two OS's going.

 

Oh and the only way I got it to boot the windows disk was to change the Hard drive setting from ACHI to ATA.  Really weird.  I have always like the Dells because I order what I want and it comes to the door step but having all the stuff (wireless, USB, sound card, etc) also wired in, which do not work at present bites.

 

If nothing else, I will save up a month or two and buy another and have a nice 500 GB hard drive I can format and use onboard along with my 1 TB external. 

I made the mistake of putting my monthlys on a spreadsheet and forgetting to back it up to the external for a few months so I didn't know what and when I was set to make some payments.  That's also why I was not in a hurry to let anyone dig into the machine until I could get that stuff off the desktop.  Not saying any of the folks that have offered to work on it would do anything with my info but I just don't like having anything out there...ya know.

 

Sam, I may take you up on your offer once I find time to coordinate dropping it off. Do you think you can bring it back with the other OS still present on the D partition?

[Sam1]

Shot you back over a PM, would rather discuss it there.

[Dolomite_supafly]

It is alt + F11.

It acts like a boot disk is being used.

[NoBanStan]

 

Oh and the only way I got it to boot the windows disk was to change the Hard drive setting from ACHI to ATA.  Really weird.  

 

All Dells are this way. It's because of how they're imaged at the factory

 

 

It is alt + F11.

It acts like a boot disk is being used.

 

Depends on the model. On some it's Ctrl + F11. On some it's from the F8 menu http://en.kioskea.net/faq/7319-dell-inspiron-restore-to-factory-default-settings

 

For a short period it was even on the plain F11 menu.  *****remember, this will wipe your drive***** Sorry, Always feel the need to say that.

 

The trouble is, if that machine was ever reinstalled, that partition is dead and gone.

 

 

***Edit*** Also, Rightwinger, if you're not able to get this fixed by one of the previous posters, shoot me a PM and i'll get you squared away.

Edited September 22, 2013 by NoBanStan

[analog_kidd]

Changing the Hard drive setting from ACHI to ATA in the BIOS is a very common thing to have to do to get a Windows install CD to boot. Be sure to change it back when you have the PC back up, otherwise you'l have sluggish performance. Have you tried your Win7 CD now that you have made that change?

 

Since you have WinXP up, I would certainly take this opportunity to back up anything that is important to you onto a thumb drive. If it were me, I'd blow everything away and start from scratch. Here's how I would do it: From XP, right-click on MyComputer and select manage, find disk manager and delete all partitions except for the WinXP C:\. Put the Win7 disk in and boot from it, start the install and delete all other partitions. HIghlight the blank drive and let windows install there. Keep in mind this will erase everything from the PC.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I actually installed Windows Vista on a Dell that had XP. Then after realizing Vista sucked I hit alt+F11 and reinstalled XP from the hidden drive. I did not change partitions though. Changing partitions generally erases everything.

[Rightwinger]

Well I'm back on the laptop.  Don't know what ever was ever really wrong other than trying to restore to a previous restore point after a windows update.

 

The problem with the recovery was ME.  I just found the CORRECT restore disk not recalling that I had a previous XPS machine from Dell years ago and that's why it threw XP on this one.  Got the right DVD restore disk in, pulled up my last restore point from 9/9/13 and BAM, back in business.  I'm so glad I have that auto restore point set up on the external. 

 

Lot's of good info in the thread guys.  To bad you were talking to a dummy.

 

Thanks all

[Jonnin]

Nice.   You got it back, which was sounding less and less likely as time went on, so you can't be a dummy.  

This, by the way, is why I recommend the wipe/reload/etc type destructive fixes only as a last resort.  Most of the time, a little patience will get it back up and running.  Its been a long time since I saw a machine that absolutely HAD to be reloaded because of a software issue, though I have been sorely tempted a time or 3.

[analog_kidd]

I'm glad you're up and running again too. I thought something just wasn't adding up. Not sure what you have on your PC now that you got XP installed there too. You might have a lot of extra operating system files that are not needed. If you have plenty of free space on your hard drive, then who cares. It would bother me enough to backup up my data and then wipe the whole thing. But, then again I do that about once a year anyway just to keep my computer fresh.

[SonnyCrockett]

my guess,HD fried

[East_TN_Patriot]

Glad you have it back up and running, but should this happen again, follow these easy instructions:
 

1) Try to copy any unsaved data from the drive.

2) Throw the PC in the trash.

3) Buy a Mac