#$%%^^& Need Help with Boot Drive Cannot boot Into BIOS! I am trying to help a friend. I have a lot of previous experience with XP, but have been on Vista and forgot my way! I need to reset the boot drive so I can boot off the CD-ROM, but I cannot boot into BIOS at all. Yesterday it would boot to BIOS, but I made the mistake of setting the hard drive (C:\) as the boot drive by mistake. Now every time I boot up I go directly to Windows, even though I am hitting F1 constantly. I have also been trying to change it in the DOS Screen in Windows but unfortunately I cannot even think of the command I would ue, and it is not on the DOS Help Screen. I tried to FDISK also in the DOS window, because this computer really absolutely has to get a reformat, but the floppies are missing, and all I have is the XP CD. I am picking up some floppies tomorrow, but I did download a copy of XP Service pack bootable CD. But of O cannot get into BIOS to change the boot order I am screwed, even if I use the floppies to FDISK. Can someone please help me?? I am trying to help a friend and my time os limited, as I am leaving this weekend. Any help appreciated. The PC is a Dell with a 1.33mghz Celeron and 1 gig of RAM. The Hard drive is about 100 gigs?? I have a copy of XP with service pack 3 that is bootable, but I am hoping there will be enough room on the drive to format a partition so all this guy will have to do is use the small partition to reformat. Thanks! ----------------- Also, your scanner is wrong. I, personally have 4 gigs of RAM on my Toshiba. It is only reading 2 gigs on your scanner.

Try the F2 key or older model dells use the Delete key. Good Luck. You can also try Cntrl/ Alt/ Delete sequence too. Keep Smiling It makes them think you're up to something...

You don't need floppies & you don't need to run FDISK. All you need to do is boot off the CD...you can partition & format from there. Why do you need to format anyway? You haven't mentioned anything about what the actual problem is? "Also, your scanner is wrong. I, personally have 4 gigs of RAM on my Toshiba. It is only reading 2 gigs on your scanner" You may have 4GB installed, but how much of that 4GB is recognized by Windows?

My computer recognizes all 4 gigs, at least that is what Windows says and BIOS... In any case, that is unrelated. The reason i need the reformat is due to the fact that this guy has a army full of keyloggers, downloaders and whatever else there can be in his registry. I tried to install my antivirus, but I cannot even get online with his computer to update. One of his registry keys is missing, and another .dll file. It is best to clean the mess out, and start fresh,his virtual memory warning pops up even when I use the bot scan he has on there. I was able to get into the boot sequence yesterday, when I made the mistake of booting the Hard Dr 1st. I should have left it alone. WHen the HD was 2nd I was getting into BIOS, but now I cannot even get into the F88 screen. THere was also a screen for the Ultility Manager,but it wasn't much help, it was F9 or F10. Anyway, I still can't get to BIOS. Or find a way to clean this mess out. I still think the best deal is the reformat. Without much memory and a small HD it is possible that most of the power is going to rumming the bugs, not the OS. Besides, I really don't want to be on a network with a infested Desktop. My laptop has been clean and secure since day one with Norton 360 and Spyware Doc. Knock on wood.

This is a longshot, but try another keyboard. Yours may be defective.

You don't need to get into the BIOS. Insert the bootable CD, Press F12 after POST to get the boot menu, then hit the number for the CD drive (probably 4), THEN, watch the screen carefully and press spacebar when prompted. Then, after you get the OS reloaded, go to Dell's Support site, enter the Service Tag and download the drivers you need. Start with the chipset drivers. No need to get so upset. It's not brain surgery. Also, if you're referencing an XP machine, that's the OS you should put in the header of your message. "So won’t you give this man his wings What a shame To have to beg you to see We’re not all the same What a shame" - Shinedown

Thanks for the help. I think what got me so worked up is that I was able to boot BIOS 2 days earlier, and likie a stupid idiot made the C:\ HD the boot drive, rather than letting things alone. I have ben away from this awhile. So I am playing catch up and I also have got lazy with Vista. Which by the way is a great OS. I find it much more aupportive than XP. But XP has its charms, no doubt. Thanks again! Anyone heard of the boot program "SPOTNAU"??