Can't Enter Bios

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

I have an IBM laptop which had Win2K installed. I decided to install
WinXP. I had some various problems and wanted to perform a
reinstall. Somehow I now have two boot choices for XP so I assume I
installed another copy.

I cannot access the BIOS to change the boot order so I can insert the
XP disc to fix the mess. I tried different "F" keys but cannot access
it. Before installing XP I was presented with a choice to enter the
BIOS but that is gone as it goes straight to the boot choice menu.

Any suggestions before I simply buy another HDD?
Thanks

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Jay Peterman <biteme@thelibrary.net> wrote in comp.sys.laptops:

> I have an IBM laptop which had Win2K installed. I decided to install
> WinXP. I had some various problems and wanted to perform a
> reinstall. Somehow I now have two boot choices for XP so I assume I
> installed another copy.
>
> I cannot access the BIOS to change the boot order so I can insert the
> XP disc to fix the mess. I tried different "F" keys but cannot access
> it. Before installing XP I was presented with a choice to enter the
> BIOS but that is gone as it goes straight to the boot choice menu.
>
> Any suggestions before I simply buy another HDD?
> Thanks


I hope I understand your question correctly. I guess you're not pointed
to boot devices, but to which _OS_ you want to boot. In BIOS you can
only change the boot device sequence, not control the OS bootup menu.

WinXP manages the OS bootup menu choices in the boot.ini file. This is a
protected hidden system file, so under options > map options (windows
explorer) you have to enable the option to view it, then you can edit
it.

Or you could go do start > run > cmd and go to the root directory of
your C partition with the command

cd\

and type

edit boot.ini

Under the section
[operating systems]

you will find somthing like
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

Remove the line with the OS entry you don't want to see in your boot up
menu, save the file, and restart.

--
CeeBee


"I don't know half of you
half as well as I should like;
and I like less than half of you
half as well as you deserve."

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

On 24 Oct 2004 22:50:06 GMT, CeeBee <ceebeechester@start.com.au>
wrote:

>Jay Peterman <biteme@thelibrary.net> wrote in comp.sys.laptops:
>
>> I have an IBM laptop which had Win2K installed. I decided to install
>> WinXP. I had some various problems and wanted to perform a
>> reinstall. Somehow I now have two boot choices for XP so I assume I
>> installed another copy.
>>
>> I cannot access the BIOS to change the boot order so I can insert the
>> XP disc to fix the mess. I tried different "F" keys but cannot access
>> it. Before installing XP I was presented with a choice to enter the
>> BIOS but that is gone as it goes straight to the boot choice menu.
>>
>> Any suggestions before I simply buy another HDD?
>> Thanks
>
>
>I hope I understand your question correctly. I guess you're not pointed
>to boot devices, but to which _OS_ you want to boot. In BIOS you can
>only change the boot device sequence, not control the OS bootup menu.
>
>WinXP manages the OS bootup menu choices in the boot.ini file. This is a
>protected hidden system file, so under options > map options (windows
>explorer) you have to enable the option to view it, then you can edit
>it.
>
>Or you could go do start > run > cmd and go to the root directory of
>your C partition with the command
>
>cd\
>
>and type
>
>edit boot.ini
>
>Under the section
>[operating systems]
>
>you will find somthing like
>multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
>Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
>
>Remove the line with the OS entry you don't want to see in your boot up
>menu, save the file, and restart.


Thank you ceebee. I really need to boot from the OS CD to reinstall.
This is not the first time that I've had two boot choices though so
you're suggestion will be saved in case it happens again. I appreciate
your time.