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problem with my dell 2200

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Need4skis

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hey there, i recently acquired a dell 2200 from a friend, it appears to be in very good condition, when i load it up, it says; failed to startup windows, and it gives me boot options like: open in safe mode, open in last working mode, and just open windows, i don't remember exactly, i should have written it down, and i cant look at it because i need the same power cable for that as i do for this laptop. no matter which option i click, i end up with a black screen with a mouse on it (which will move), what should i do? has anyone had this problem before?
 
I'm a laptop technician.

Sounds like you Operating System (Windows) is not going to start.

If the reload partition on the laptop has not be changed you can reload the operating system by tapping the F11 key right after you push the power button on. Tap the key about once every second and about 6 times. This will start the OS reload. Follow the prompts.

If it doesn't work the first time try it again and get to the F11 key quicker. If it still doesn't start the reload, and you have the "original" disks, you can pop it in and try a "Repair". If not, you can buy a new Windows CD and use it.
 
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i dont have the original one for the computer, but i have these: "operating system, already installed on your computer re installation dvd windows vista" And i have 2 "DELL APPLICATION ALREADY INSTALLED ON YOUR COMPUTER" disks which one should i use? thanks man, i really appreciate the help
 
i tried the f11 thing, didnt work, i tried it several times, do i just have bad timing? i also tried putting a disk in and nothing happened. AHH!!
 
you need to put the disk in and then restart your computer. if it still doesnt read the disk reboot the computer an d hold delete key or F2 (depends on the manufacture) to get into the bios. goto your boot options and set it so the cd boots before the hdd. press F10 and save the changes. reboot the computer again and the cd should load :)
 
you need to put the disk in and then restart your computer. if it still doesnt read the disk reboot the computer an d hold delete key or F2 (depends on the manufacture) to get into the bios. goto your boot options and set it so the cd boots before the hdd. press F10 and save the changes. reboot the computer again and the cd should load :)

Thanks! ill retry and let you know what happens
 
hey there, so this is how far i got, i'm not sure if i will be able to get there again, so i dont want to mess anything up. where do i go from here? i just make it look in the cd/dvd/cd-rw drive for an operating system first right? once again thanks for the help
 

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when i try to make it look in the dvd drive first, that works, intil i try to make it look in the hdd second, then it makes that first and the dvd drive second arg! should i just try to make it look in the drive and forget about the internal hdd?
 
highlight the dvd drive and press the "u" key until the dvd drive is above the internal hdd. also make sure you have enabled the drive by pressing space if it is disabled.

if you still cannot load the drive disable the hdd. this will not stop the hdd from working but once you have repaired the drive you will need to re-enable the drive so it will become bootable.

However make sure you press f10 or the button to save your changes.
 
I'd recommend doing a repair install of Windows.

You might want to back up your files first, either remove the hard drive, put it in another machine and copy all your files across or use a bootable live Linux CD so you can transfer all your files to DVDs, flash sticks or an external hard drive.

When you've done that, boot from the Windows CD, select the repair install and whatever you do, don't reformat your hard drive unless you're sure you've backed up everything you want to keep.
 
I'm a laptop technician.
If it still doesn't start the reload, and you have the "original" disks, you can pop it in and try a "Repair". If not, you can buy a new Windows CD and use it.
Every article I've read suggests not to REPAIR but perform a RECOVERY first. Then again, it's a Dell, and with a BIOS that I could write on the palm of my hand.
 
Every article I've read suggests not to REPAIR but perform a RECOVERY first. Then again, it's a Dell, and with a BIOS that I could write on the palm of my hand.
It's a gimmie machine. No telling whats been done to the OS. And there should be nothing he would want to save or back up. Best thing in that instance is to reload the OS and start out with a clean OS free of the mistakes and garbage by someone else.

He's trying to use a CD that did not come with that particular unit. He may be lucky and have CD's from the same series, but I doubt it. Even if it does load the OS, the hardware drivers won't work and he'll be lost.

Call Dell and order the proper CD's. $20 to $30 investment for CD's that almost load themselves for a novice. You may need the full set to get back your burn software and the other free applications that came on that unit. Have your Serial Number and Product Number handy when you call. Look on the UPC label on the bottom.

Note: 1. Try holding down the 'Ctrl" key and the F11 for the OS reload.
2. F12 at boot will send you to the CD for boot without going through the F2 choice screen.
 
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