HELP! I've killed my friend's laptop!!

[thendis]

Dear lord please somoene help me. A friend of mine has a Toshiba Satellite 1400 laptop which was clogged with crap, so I offered to re-format and install Windows XP for him.

I have done it on desktop PCs a million times with no problems, however with the laptop, I couldn't seem to work out how to change the boot order so that it would boot off the CD ROM and I could install WinXP.

So I had a lightbulb moment, I had a Ghost disk of my own PC that I thought I could use to install XP, at least until I figure out how to do it using his XP CD.

(yea, I know it was stupid...now).

Anyway, so it has completely screwed it up. It will not boot Windows (just locks on a blank screen on boot up), and won't even boot up Safe More or Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

If could just get it to boot off a CD then I could reformat and install WIndows XP using HIS CD and all would be OK.

HOW IS IT DONE? Usually it is holding down DEL or something, but none of that seems to work!!!!!!!

I have about 20 hours before he comes ot pick it up! please help!

 

[kof2000]

try all the f buttons f1, etc mines is f2,f12 and f10 for change boot order, setup, boot from lan.

 

[ilovefishsticks]

Im having the same problem with my laptop, it wont let me change the boot order. Im not too shure on how to fix it, but if worst comes to worst u might have to buy him (or her) a new hard drive. I hope u can figure it out, srry i couldnt help

 

[shreypuranik2005]

hmmm. It looks like a Toshiba problem. I know that one of my friends laptops had to have all the OS installed on it after he actually bought it. Maybe if you call up the Toshiba helpline, they will be able to help you.

 

[bebopin64]

Re

just keep tapping F10 (or F8 ?? i think its F10) one of those keys on start up and you can choose where to boot from.

 

[Geoff]

do what bebopin said, when the computer starts up, try pressing keys like F2, F12, F10, DEL, ect, until you come to a setup screen. When you do, change the boot order so the cd drive is number one, then insert the xp cd, and reinstall windows, then it will be fine.

 

[HITMAN]

put in the toshiba recovery disk into the laptop at the start,and keep your finger on c

 

[Byteman]

In most laptops, the bios can be accessed by pressing F1, F2, Del buttons all repeatedly when first turning on the computer. Usually it's one of those three buttons.