How do install a new os on an hp laptop

[hwhite123]

I have an hp laptop that i received from work. I have windows 7-64 bit and windows xp. I do not have administrator rights on the laptop. When i try to install the disk, nothing happens. I do not get the message boot from cd. My only option is to hit F10. None of the options listed are working. I have 2 different laptops that i have tried and nothing works. Please help.

One is HP Compaq nc6120, the other is HP Compaq nc8000.

 

[WyomingKnott]

1) You could ask the IT department that gave / sold you that machine to give you an admin account or the admin password. If they transferred ownership to you, they should let you use it.

You say that you "received it from work." If you bought it from them, or they gave it to you free, for personal use, then that's one thing. If they gave it to you for company work, you probably shouldn't be re-installing the OS. In that case, if they did not give you admin rights it's probably because they, the owner of the machine, don't want you to have them. A little more explanation would help, please.

2) When you run the machine and put the distribution disc in the drive, can you see it in My Computer? If not, then the machine can't read the drive and certainly can't boot from it.

3) I don't know what you are doing in F10, which probably takes you to the BIOS. Did you go to the boot section and enable booting from CD? Have you tried F8, which usually produces a boot menu?

Give us more details and we will help.