• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

How do I get a broken computer to boot to the CDROM?

J

JAWS1

Member
I received a message in a white box on a blue screen after a power failure, ERROR LOADING EXPLORER. EXE. YOU MUST REINSTALL WINDOWS. Which is fine, I know how to do that, however I can't get the machine to boot to the OS CD, The system recovery CD, or the OS system Floppy. I've changed CDROM's, I've cleared the CMOS, and all the lights flash on when booting, like it's going to read and then nothing. The thing boots like normal but can't load exporer. I can get into the BIOS and I can get to the SAFE MODE start but it won't load in SAFE either. I have a CDROM and a CDRW and a Floppy. None of them will boot. Anyone have a trick up their sleave? I would really like to borrow it. Thanks! If it helps I have ME OS, Pent 3, 1GHz, 512 MB Ram, two HD's 40 GB and 10 GB.
 
Just wondering, but have you changed the drive order that your computer boots from in your bios? You need to be booting off of the drive that you have the Windows cd in . . . have forgotten to change it far to many times myself.
 
IIRC F5 or F8 +/- shift during POST should give you the option to select which device you would like to boot up.
 
Well thanks guys, I did have the CDROM first in boot order but as suggested changed the order, I moved the 2nd in boot order from HD to Floppy. I then was able to boot to the OS Floppy. I attempted to reinstall (fix) windows, got a meesage that the ME installation files couldn't be loaded on the Drive. I attempted going for a registry swap thru scanreg. It said it replaced the registry with an error free older registry but wouldn't reboot...went back to a prompt instead. Finally I tried Microsoft's fix, which was to extract the msvcrt.dll files, which it did, and then after a reboot I got that damn ugly white error box again. Any other ideas would be appreciated. By the way I noticed some ugly sounding and unfamiliar clanking in the HD when it was performing some of these commands. Think my HD is gone or going too? It took a very intense scan, 1 1/2 hours worth. Nothing showed up. It's a WD 40 GB. Anyway thanks for trying!!
 
You might try making the 10GB drive your boot drive, load an OS to it, then troubleshoot the faulty drive from there. Sounds like the WD may be on its way down the tubes but it could be accessible long enough to get what you need.

Or you might try downloading F-Prot for Dos (virus scanner) on a working PC. You will need to burn it to a cd and then run the cd from a boot disk.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top