badger man wrote:
> Total frustration! Help please. I have been trying for days to
> reform my c: drive. Dell laptop, w floopy, and CD.
>
> i have read all the instruction here and on support sites
>
> I put in the Windows XP Professional CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive -
> as instructed.
>
> I have changed the bois so the computer boots off the CD
>
> I have a windows xp - upgrade disk as that is what I bought from Dell
> and what is currently installed.
>
> I put this CD in and turn on the computer. Windows reads the CD
> drive and starts a CD boot. The computer runs off of the CD and
> boots to:
>
> Please select the operating system to start:
>
> Windows XP Professional
> Windows XP Professional
>
> Press enter to choose.
>
> When I hit enter - to choose - the computer boots all the way to the
> opening windows screen hence, I never get a chance to get the choice
> to "repair" as the instructions say.
>
> I am clueless?
>
> Help please - and, thanks in advance
>
>
> If I press f8 for choices {nothing here to get to the repair choice -
> that I can see}
> I hit enter and windows boots completely

I would try both entries, the top and bottom. One may be for the harddrive
the other for the CD-ROM. Also, with a laptop, make sure there isn't some
function key you can press during boot that enables you to select the boot
device [floppy, HDD, CD-ROM etc.]. If there is, use it. It's been a while
since I struggled with DELL's nonsense, but perhaps they might have some
hints on their website or whatever documentation they provide.

Otherwise, more generally:

If you are using the correct CD-ROM disc [Windows XP installation CD-ROM
disc] and the computer does indeed boot from the CD-ROM, then watch the
monitor screen carefully as you boot. You should see:

Press any key to boot from CD ..

Make sure to press a key such as 'A' before it times out [and continues to
boot from the harddrive instead]. If you press a key in time, the computer
should boot from the CD-ROM.

If this is not happening there are a number things to check:

1. Did you SAVE the configuration changes in the BIOS. You may have set the
BIOS to boot from the CD-ROM, but when you exited from the BIOS you did not
save the changes.

2. Are you using a Microsoft Windows XP CD-ROM disc or a "recovery disc"
from a third party manufacturer? If you are using some other disc check with
the manufacturer for instructions.

3. Are you pressing a keyboard key in time when you see "Press any key to
boot from CD .." ? Watch the screen carefully as the computer boots [with a
3rd party disc, a message might come and go pretty quickly especially with
newer computers].

4. With a laptop computer, sometimes there is a function key you can press
while the computer is booting that enables you to select the boot device
[floppy, CD-ROM, HDD], e.g. F11. Check manufacturer's website or computer's
documentation. Again you might have to be quick.

4. With a laptop this is less of an issue but is the hardware ship-shape
i.e. cards properly seated in slots, all cables and ribbons firmly plugged
in or attached? If not, fix it.

Note: That there is more than one way to skin a cat too. You can format a
drive using the FAT32 file system from a Windows 98 boot floppy, and by
using the winnt.exe program found on the CD-ROM actually install Windows XP
from the boot floppy. Make sure to run smartdrv.exe though, as otherwise the
installation could take many many hours [yes, many many hours].
smartdrv.exe is available from any computer running Windows 98 - copy it
onto the Win98 boot floppy and run it before running winnt.exe winnt.exe is
found in the i386 folder of the Windows XP installation CD-ROM.