[rshaffer61]

To change Boot Sequence in your BIOS

Reboot the system and at the first post screen (where it is counting up memory) start tapping the DEL button
This will enter you into the Bios\Cmos area.
Find the Advanced area and click Enter
Look for Boot Sequence or Boot Options and highlight that click Enter
Now highlight the first drive and follow the directions on the bottom of the screen on how to modify it and change it to CDrom.
Change the second drive to the C or Main Drive
Once that is done then click F10 to Save and Exit
You will prompted to enter Y to verify Save and Exit. Click Y and the system will now reboot with the new settings.

Hopefully you have already put the XP cd in the drive before all this. If everything is setup correctly you will get a black screen with the following message in the upper left corner:

"Push Any Key To Boot To Cd". When you see this then push any key and the cd will take over. Then follow the prompts or if you need assistance we will help.

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Oh boy, ok, Delete does not enter the bios on a sony viao it is the escape key

Once in the bios setting across the top are 6 options:

1) main 2) advanced 3) security 4) Power 5) boot 6) exit

Under ADVANCED my options are:

Primary IDE adapter 15003 MB (THATS MY HDD)
Secondary IDE adaper cd rom
Legacy floppy drive ENABLED

Are you SURE you want me to change the settings in here? (because I tried and was unable to)

I went to the BOOT section and it says:
cd rom drive
+ hard drive
+removable devices

I moved +hard drive to 2nd instead of last so the order is 1) cd rom drive, 2) hdd 3) Removable devices

If it's not right let me know and I will (I'm trying now) try to make primary ide adapter the cd rom and secondary adapter 15003mb (my hdd)



**EDIT**
I went to look at the hdd under partition magic and under partition it says:
*:NEW_OS

Shouldn't that say :C New_os? Why does it say *: instead of :C ?

Edited by bubbasparks, 12 April 2011 - 12:35 AM.

[bubbasparks]

Oh boy, ok, Delete does not enter the bios on a sony viao it is the escape key

Once in the bios setting across the top are 6 options:

1) main 2) advanced 3) security 4) Power 5) boot 6) exit

Under ADVANCED my options are:

Primary IDE adapter 15003 MB (THATS MY HDD)
Secondary IDE adaper cd rom
Legacy floppy drive ENABLED

Are you SURE you want me to change the settings in here? (because I tried and was unable to)

I went to the BOOT section and it says:
cd rom drive
+ hard drive
+removable devices

I moved +hard drive to 2nd instead of last so the order is 1) cd rom drive, 2) hdd 3) Removable devices

If it's not right let me know and I will (I'm trying now) try to make primary ide adapter the cd rom and secondary adapter 15003mb (my hdd)



**EDIT**
I went to look at the hdd under partition magic and under partition it says:
*:NEW_OS

Shouldn't that say :C New_os? Why does it say *: instead of :C ?

Edited by bubbasparks, 12 April 2011 - 12:35 AM.

[rshaffer61]

It shouldn't say anything actually.
I would delete all partitions and then reboot using the XP cd.

[bubbasparks]

It shouldn't say anything actually.
I would delete all partitions and then reboot using the XP cd.

Ok did that this morning and I had some slight movement. xp formatted the hdd then I got this msg:

setup is preparing to install windows
cdr101 not ready reading drive D
abort retry fail

[rshaffer61]

Hmm may be a failing optical drive then.

[bubbasparks]

Hmm may be a failing optical drive then.

Im starting to believe this, as I cannot get the xp disk to duplicate the error msg.

I'm getting invalid system
disk replace the disk and then press any key.

Is there any way to find out definitively the drive is going out short of actually just replacing it? Thanks for all the help, I'm starting to believe this topic can be closed. I'll repost if replacing the drive doesn't solve the problem...

[Macboatmaster]

Another possibility, as I think I mentioned at first maybe the disc.

Try the disc in another computer, as I said, do not of course enter setup etc, but see if the disc can be read and all the folders opened.

You only need a very minor scratch or even some natural oil from your skin and it may well not be read, by the drive.

Try another bootable CD for instance make a Puppy CD, that will test the drive

There are a number of ways of recovering your data. One is below and probably one of the best.
Puppy Linux
See this link
http://distro.ibibli...fulldrivers.iso
and
Get puppy-2.16-seamonkey-fulldrivers.iso download it and burn it to cd using this
http://www.snapfiles...t/burncdcc.html

NOTE...do not put a blank cd in until burncdcc opens the tray for you
1. Start BurnCDCC
2. Browse to the ISO file you want to burn on cd/dvd ....in this case its puppy-2.16-seamonkey-fulldrivers.iso
3. Select the ISO file
4. click on Start
make sure in the bios the cd drive is the first boot device.... - you can ignore this part as your Cd is already the first boot device

• Change the second drive to the C or Main Drive
  Once that is done then click F10 to Save and Exit
  You will prompted to enter Y to verify Save and Exit. Click Y and the system will now reboot with the new settings.

Make sure the cd you burned is in the cd drive before clicking Y and then your system will reboot. Puppy will boot and run totally in ram...if your CD DRIVE hardware is is good working order you will know...

Edited by Macboatmaster, 12 April 2011 - 01:11 PM.

[rshaffer61]

Post 7:

well the disk is not scratched. I put the disk on my desktop (without obviously doing an install) and there doesn't seem to be a problem. Keep me posted if you can be of help.

[bubbasparks]

Post 7:

well the disk is not scratched. I put the disk on my desktop (without obviously doing an install) and there doesn't seem to be a problem. Keep me posted if you can be of help.

yes this is correct, it is not a disk issue. the disk works in all my other computers without issue. later today i'm going to get my moms windows 98 disk and see if that makes a difference. (it shouldn't)

I will try your suggestion above and report back sometime tonight or tomorrow on the results....

[rshaffer61]

Remove the optical drive and try it in a different system. Install a different optical drive in your system and try it again.

[bubbasparks]

Another possibility, as I think I mentioned at first maybe the disc.

Try the disc in another computer, as I said, do not of course enter setup etc, but see if the disc can be read and all the folders opened.

You only need a very minor scratch or even some natural oil from your skin and it may well not be read, by the drive.

Try another bootable CD for instance make a Puppy CD, that will test the drive

There are a number of ways of recovering your data. One is below and probably one of the best.
Puppy Linux
See this link
http://distro.ibibli...fulldrivers.iso
and
Get puppy-2.16-seamonkey-fulldrivers.iso download it and burn it to cd using this
http://www.snapfiles...t/burncdcc.html

NOTE...do not put a blank cd in until burncdcc opens the tray for you
1. Start BurnCDCC
2. Browse to the ISO file you want to burn on cd/dvd ....in this case its puppy-2.16-seamonkey-fulldrivers.iso
3. Select the ISO file
4. click on Start
make sure in the bios the cd drive is the first boot device.... - you can ignore this part as your Cd is already the first boot device

• Change the second drive to the C or Main Drive
  Once that is done then click F10 to Save and Exit
  You will prompted to enter Y to verify Save and Exit. Click Y and the system will now reboot with the new settings.

Make sure the cd you burned is in the cd drive before clicking Y and then your system will reboot. Puppy will boot and run totally in ram...if your CD DRIVE hardware is is good working order you will know...

Ok well it's a no go I followed the directions to a "t" and I'm still getting not a bootable disk. The drive in this laptop is a dvd drive and I'm using dvd-r disks. I'm going to the store in a bit to get cd's to see if this makes a difference. I believe now it's a drive issue. Magic Partition is burned to a dvd-r disk and it was working no problem. Now that disk doesn't work either

The puppy cd seems to be pretty interesting and may be very helpful once it can be read by the drive. Again, I'll get some cd's and maybe that will make a difference. I will keep you posted. Oh btw I love the cd/dvd burning software, it is small and very quick and doesn't seem to use a lot of resources. I will continue to use it in the future..

Again I will keep you posted, and THANK you


***edit***
I know the puppy cd is burned correctly because I put it in my other lap top and as soon as I rebooted it started running, lol I got kinda scared cause it just started doing stuff and I couldn't get it to stop, no exit, escape or anything, so I just removed my battery and ejected the dvd lmao hahahah... laptop is fine as I'm typing you on it now hahah... so it's not how i burned it, it works on the ibm thinkpad just fine

Edited by bubbasparks, 12 April 2011 - 03:14 PM.

[Macboatmaster]

rshaffer61

Magic Partition is burned to a dvd-r disk and it was working no problem. Now that disk doesn't work either

Apologies if necessary for the interjection, I just thought it maybe the XP disc, albeit he had said not scratched, when I first asked.

bubblesparks
If that Magic Partition does not now work, it may indeed be the drive

[bubbasparks]

rshaffer61

Magic Partition is burned to a dvd-r disk and it was working no problem. Now that disk doesn't work either

Apologies if necessary for the interjection, I just thought it maybe the XP disc, albeit he had said not scratched, when I first asked.

bubblesparks
If that Magic Partition does not now work, it may indeed be the drive

After seeing the puppy cd working on the thinkpad I think it's safe to say the optical drive is dying on the sony vaio. Thanks for all your help and when I replace the drive I'll post another topic if things don't work out.

[rshaffer61]

After seeing the puppy cd working on the thinkpad I think it's safe to say the optical drive is dying on the sony vaio. Thanks for all your help and when I replace the drive I'll post another topic if things don't work out.

No need to start a new topic unless it is a different issue completely.
Besides we would like to know good or bad if the replacement of the drive is the issue in the end.

[Macboatmaster]

bubbasparks
Good luck with it.