Is the computer set to start up from the cd? have you tried starting the cd from the boot menu? its generally F10 or F12 that opens up the boot menu during the very first start up screen.
if its not set to start up from a cd, you can either enter the setup / bios to
change that setting OR right when you power up the computer look at the
screen it will say what button to press in order to enter boot menu, it will very likely be button F12 or similar, it should say on the screen when you power on.
if it doesn't, then you need to go into the bios and change the boot order so that the computer starts from the CD first.
after that you should be able to start from the cd and install the OS
here's some info on how to work the bios: http://www.whitecanyon.com/how-to-change-boot-order.php
I see, yes I also came to the conclusion that the bios needs to be updated before I read the rest of your message.
It it possible to change your hard drive so that you have a option to start windows and a option to start Dos. so you could do the bios update from the computers hard drive as long as the files are there.
editing the hard drive so that you can start dos is not a simple task but definitely can be done, I had that feature on my old laptop since it didn't have a cd drive or even a diskette drive, being a very small laptop it didn't have room for one.
I will have to look into how to make it so.
Hi again,
the method involves taking the hard drive out from the laptop, placeing it in a desktop computer and formatting it, you would lose all the contents and the process is quite complex, I would recommend that you take the laptop to a professional to get the bios updated, it will save you alot of headache and you won't need to buy adapters to connect the laptop into the desktop computer.
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I am sorry that I did not mention I had tried all that you suggested and that it was for that reason, I posted the problem. The HP people did somthing with the high and low fileters in the registry but did not help and came to the conclusion the BIOS was corrupted..
This is a HP Pavillion ZT 1170 model lap top. This problem happend after a viurs attack big time..I ahve cleared out the virus but want to do clean fomrat and reinstall the OS using the HP restore disks and that I is how I discovered the BIOS is rejecting the CDROM and any bootable disk, It is recognized in MY COMPUTER and in the list of Hard ware w/ no exclamtion points indicating an error of some sort....
The bios is rejecting a bootable disk as not being readable or bootable..On the HP, It is possible to stop the positing and choose the order of bootinng,,ie Drive A, HDD and/or the CDROM.. I do not have Drive A installed (floppy) nor do I have an external floppy.. The machine will bood from the HDD ok but not from the CDROM as I mentioned in the problem post..once Windows is posted or booted, The CDROM is functional,,,I can R/W and play cds ok..Have tried several bootable disks to verify that they are bootable in another computer as well as this on.
Have been in touch with HP about the problem,,They came to the opinion that the bios needs to be updated and I have the updates on the desk top to be installed...
The problem is,, to install the updates, requires the use of a Floppy Drive which I do not have..Theyare expensive, and if the software has to be booted up from th CDROM than I will not be able to load the software for the FOPPY DRIVE...I have not contacted about how the Floppy Software has to be loaded.
If I could find a bios update that could be installed form the desk top w/o having to boot from a floppy would be a great solution..
If you want to tackle this one, I will work with you on i t..If is not within your expertise, I will respect that..
Bobby
This is not a printer problem..I do not know how it got listeed as such..This is a hardware/software problem with HP ST1170 Lap top
Somthing weired happen// I lept flipping the enter key at the prompt to change form hDD to cdrom and choosing cdrom...It at firest rejected the disk as nonbootable but I found out if I lept fkpping the enter key it would finally boot into somthing called E-daingnostic,,?????There severa; chocies once of whichj was to update the bios but comlain that it did not have latest update??? Another choice is to check the HDD and the CDROM..I will let you iknow which way I am going wiith this thing..Do not think I am going to far without solveing the crrom boot able disk issue firs..
stay tuned..
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