[Peelymonster]

I just downloaded the latest Norton Antivirus updates and it requested a re-boot after the install. When the reboot began, the Dell screen flashed (as normal) quickly followed by the "Error Loading Operation System" message. Once that comes up nothing works. I tried turning the pc off, then on and hitting F8 to get to Safe Mode, but it does not work. There are two commands on the Dell screen F2 and F12 - I was able to get to those screens, but they were diagnostics and didn't help.

We run Windows XP. We have a 55 gig hard drive with 14.5 gig free - is it a space issue? The pc has been running slow. For general maintenance, I run CLEANUP several times a week. I run AdAware, Spybot and Norton once a week.

Help!

Edited by Peelymonster, 03 February 2007 - 01:30 PM.

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Try loading BIOS defaults, press F10 to save, type Y to confirm then press enter

[Retired Tech]

Try loading BIOS defaults, press F10 to save, type Y to confirm then press enter

[Peelymonster]

I wasn't quite sure how to go about doing the step you recommended, anything having to do with the BIOS was grey'd out using the F2 or F10 keys. Can you provide steps to do this?

[Retired Tech]

Keep tapping the delete key as soon as you press the power button, does it enter BIOS set up, if so, look for BIOS defaults, use the arrows to highlight it, press enter

You may need to tap F2 if the delete key does nothing

[Peelymonster]

These are my choices when I use Delete or F2

Menu items: MAIN, ADVANCED, SECURITY, POWER, BOOT, EXIT

Under Main: BIOS version A02 (it's grey'd out)

Under Advanced: Reset Config Data & Numlock are grey'd out. These are not:
Peripheral Configuration
IDE Configuration
Disk Configuration
Event Log Configuration

Under Security, Power and Boot - all the options are grey'd out

Exit has the following options: Exit & Save, Exit and Discard or Discard

[Peelymonster]

Does anyone have suggestions on what I should do? Please advise. Thank you.

[SRX660]

On my intel 2.4 puter with a 845 chipset in the exit menu is

exit saving change
Exit discarding changes
Load Optimal defaults
Load custom defaults
save custom defaults
discard changes

The load optimal defaults one is the one that takes the bios back to the factory settings. You then go back in and make the changes you like. For instance, i like to have it set to boot from cdrom first so if i have a problem i can load a diagonistic CD i have made to find and fix problems. This would be a custom setting i have made. So if i did not want to leave the BIOS at the factory default settings i would save my setting with "save custom defaults" and let the computer reboot back into normal mode when i hit the Esc key.

If all you have is what you say then pick "discard" Your BIOS should ask you then if you want to revert to the default bios. You click "Y" for yes and then exit the bios.

SRX660

Edited by SRX660, 07 February 2007 - 05:33 PM.

[Peelymonster]

These are the options under EXIT:
exit saving change
Exit discarding changes
Load Setup defaults
Load custom defaults
save custom defaults
discard changes

However, these three are grey'd out.

Load Setup defaults
Load custom defaults
save custom defaults

I tried selecing the discard changes and exit discarding changes and neither asked anything about the bios. There's also a F9 to restore settings, and nothing changes there either - I tried saving that change, but still received the error message.

Any other ideas?

[The Skeptic]

Do you have, or can you borrow, an XP installation disk? If yes, insert it into the cd drive and restart the computer. A blue Setup screen will show up and at the bottom you will see files being loaded. Eventually you will get to a screen with several options. Choose "repair xp using recovery console". After pressing R a dos-like screen will show up. Enter 1 when asked which installation is to be repaired. Enter password ao press Enter if you don't have a password. You should see now: C:<windows>_. Type chkdsk /r (please note the space) and let the process run to the end. It takes some time. Take out the cd and restart.

[Peelymonster]

I have the Windows XP Service Pack 2 CD. Did try to re-start with it in the CD drive(s) (tried both) and it didn't work. If you know of a way to make that disk work - i'm open to suggestions. Otherwise I will start asking the neighbors if they have an XP installation CD. Thanks for your help. I'll let you know what happens.

[The Skeptic]

You have the correct disk. Enter BIOS again and look for boot sequence (or something of this nature). Choose cd drive to be the first boot device. Save the new setting and restart with the xp disk in place.

[SRX660]

If you have the XP2 installation CD that Microsoft was sending to people to upgrade their computer to SP2, then it is NOT the right CD. It does not have the full OS on the CD. You will need a OEM or Retail Windows CD.

SRX660

[Peelymonster]

Still trying to find a neighbor that's home and has the CD. I should know more in the next 2 hours.

[Peelymonster]

I borrowed a disk - booted from the CD, selected recover and ran chkdsk /r at the prompt. This is the message I received "the volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems."

So I tried again selecting install XP (instead of recover) and got this message:

C: Partition2 57184 MB Free
The partition is either too full, damaged, not formatted or formatted with an incompatible file system. To continue installing Windows, Setup must format this partition.

CAUTION: Formatting will delete any files in the partition.

Select the file system:
1) Format the partition using NTFS file system (Quick)
2) Format the partition using NTFS file system


I didn't want to lose any files, so exited out. Note: I had 14 gig free before the Norton download - could that have filled up the hard drive? Is there a way (via DOS prompt perhaps) where I can go in and delete some files to free up some space.

[The Skeptic]

First of everything, if you have important data, backup it up. You can remove the HD from your computer and connect is as a slave to another computer. Your disk should show up in My Computer and you can copy and paste the data.

Return the disk to your computer and run a thorough disk check with the disk manufacturer's bootable utility. You can download the utility from the internet site. If you don't find one please post back and I will help you with that.