[Cailin]

Hi!

In a state of panic here because my Dell labtop, which is a little over a year old, keeps giving me a message of "no booting device". I don't know what to do! Have a paper on there that is due Monday and I don't know how to get my computer up and running! Can anyone help?

Thanks!
Cailin

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Hello and welcome to Geeks to Go.

There could be several things that cause this: virus, hard drive faliure, setting was changed accidentally, or system files were deleted.

Go into Setup and confirm whether you hard drive is being recognized. If you don't know how to get into Setup, your computer should tell you what button to press somewhere on the screen right when you turn your computer on. If it doesn't say, try tapping different buttons (F2, F1, Delete, or Tab) right after you press the power button.

I will be logging on and off of Geeks to Go all day today, so we can do a lot today if you have the time. I will be here for ya. Even if we have to download a Linux OS that boots from a CD, I'll help you get that paper done.

[computerwiz12890]

Hello and welcome to Geeks to Go.

There could be several things that cause this: virus, hard drive faliure, setting was changed accidentally, or system files were deleted.

Go into Setup and confirm whether you hard drive is being recognized. If you don't know how to get into Setup, your computer should tell you what button to press somewhere on the screen right when you turn your computer on. If it doesn't say, try tapping different buttons (F2, F1, Delete, or Tab) right after you press the power button.

I will be logging on and off of Geeks to Go all day today, so we can do a lot today if you have the time. I will be here for ya. Even if we have to download a Linux OS that boots from a CD, I'll help you get that paper done.

[Cailin]

Have been into setup and it doesn't recognize the hard drive. I will admit to being really computer stupid! Going to setup was the only option that my computer gave me other than retrying. Not certain if I am supposed to change some sort of settings or not, but I made an attempt at changing anything that seemed like it might help but nothing worked. Have no idea what to do from there.

[Cailin]

Just wanted to add that my computer is a Dell Inspiron 600. Don't know if that makes any difference on how to fix it.

Also just want to say thank you for replying! Really praying that you are still "logging on and off all day" cause I am in such huge trouble with this. Having to re-write this paper will kill me and if my computer is perminently broken I am screwed because I can't afford a new one.

[computerwiz12890]

I'm sure you are eager to get workin on your paper. If you have access to a high-speed broadband internet, download Slax Linux from the following address (It's 177MB):

http://slax.linux-li...rg/download.php

I will still be "logging on and off" today for a few more hours. Once you have Linux, if the computer you downloaded it on has the correct software, you should be able to just double-click on the ISO file and it will burn Slax to a CD. I will guide you from there on how to use it.

I will research your problem while you get Slax, and thanks for telling me it is a Dell Inspiron 600. That is a very big help. I will do my best to get a solution to your problem quickly, just incase you have a problem with Slax.

[dsenette]

if you're not familiar with linux....let us know because i think i know where compwiz is going with this and i may have another temporary sollution involving windows.

[Cailin]

Currently trying to track down a CD to download this onto... of course if I had backed my paper up onto one in the first place this wouldn't be as big of a problem.

Could take a little while for me to do this... I'm currently in Ireland, where stores close at 6pm (about 2 minutes from now), so I can't go out an buy one! Think I should be able to track down a friend with one though...

[dsenette]

get two just in case

[Cailin]

dsenette- I love that you have a link for donations to the World Wildlife Fund! My paper that I am trying to retrieve is for my Conservation Ecology class...

[Cailin]

OK, no CDs to be had until morning. Guessing that you guys probably will not be on at that time (assuming you are both in the US I am at least 5 hours ahead of you). Can you explain to me how to do it so I am make an attempt in the morning?

PS- will be away from the computer for a while (off to get some food) but will be back later.

[computerwiz12890]

I had a thought. If your computer is really old, it is possible that your CMOS battery is out, which is losing your settings, including your hard drive settings. Confirm this by checking the time in Setup.

Once you burn the CD, go into Setup on your computer. Check the setting which specifies your computer's boot order. Make sure it boots from the CD before the Hard Drive, so it will boot from the Linux CD. Once it is changed, put the CD in and restart the computer.

If you successfully change the order, and it gives you the message again, then odds are your CMOS battery is dead and the settings are not being saved. If it is successful, explore Linux a bit and you will find a Word Processor. You can use a floppy disk to save it as you work on it. I would be more specific about Linux, but I'm not at my house right now.

See you tomorrow.

Edited by computerwiz12890, 01 December 2005 - 01:45 PM.

[Cailin]

Have managed to get disks! Downloaded Linuxand it is doing something... hopefully it will work!

[Cailin]

Ok, wait. Is there any way for me to retrieve what I had saved on my computer? Or are we assuming that it is lost forever? Can use school computers to write the paper... just really hoping to get all the work I already did! Probably being really stupid here though...

[dsenette]

that's what we're trying to do...get your school paper off of the machine so you can work on it from there then we can try to fix your machine after the paper is turned in

[Cailin]

Ok, good. Have gotten the Linux to work, but I don't know where to go from there. Have been searching around in it, but as far as I can tell it just allows me to use the computer, but not access anything I have saved. (Thus the last panic filled post.)