Wait, wait, wait, wait.....

They couldn't fix the power button, so they replaced the tower and the
motherboard?! That is just wrong....

Your bios is probably not erased...when you boot your computer it should
tell you what key(s) to hit to get into setup (where you access your bios).
Cntl-Alt-Delete just reboots your system, unless your in Windows and then it
tells you what software is running. After you're in setup you can set your
computer to boot from the floppy drive first.

You need to get a Windows98 boot disk.  Ask a friend to make you one from
their system if you can't get into yours. They just need to go into Start,
setting, control panel, add/remove programs, and click on the startup disk
tab.

After you have a boot disk, you need to run fdisk and delete the partitions,
then reboot with the floppy and format your hard drive. (You may have a
system setup disk with your Dell computer, which would make life a lot
easier).

I hope this helps.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Camille" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, August 08, 2002 6:30 AM
Subject: Re: PCBUILD - Motherboard question!


> Hi listers,
>
> I just had a new motherboard put into my Dell computer.   I had just
gotten
> the computer the way I wanted it and the turn on button broke.  The CPU
> repair place could not get the button fixed, so replaced the power and
> motherboard.   I got the computer home with a new box and new mother
board.
> Saved all my important stuff on CD's and proceeded to format my hard
drive.
> I did not make a new boot disk, just used the one from this site, that I
had
> used before.  The computer booted but would not stop at the A:/ prompt but
> went right to the Win 98 screen and stayed there.  I rebooted several
times
> using the Ctrl-alt-delete.  There was nothing in the ctrl-alt-del window.
I
> am sure that somehow I erased the system bio's.  I just do not know how it
> happened.
>
> I guess what I need to know is what did I do, and how could I have entered
> the computer myself to fix this.  I have the motherboard setup CD.  Of
> course they charged me $80.00 to get it running and to format my C drive.
I
> have never had trouble before this new motherboard, formatting my
computer.
> It is an Elite Group Mainboard, P6VEM2 board.  Now I am afraid to ever
> format myself.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Camille Peterson
> [log in to unmask]
>
>             Do you want to signoff PCBUILD or just change to
>                     Digest mode - visit our web site:
>                    http://freepctech.com/pcbuild.shtml
>

              The NOSPIN Group is now offering Free PC Tech
                     support at our newest website:
                          http://freepctech.com