AboutMike Dacre Expertise I am proficient with all windows platforms. Installation and maintenance
of home/business networks and small business servers.
windows Vista and XP questions please but I will answer win 2000 as well. If your system is older then that, then your problem is your operating system is just too old to be using on the internet!
Question Hi, my kid was messing around with the computer....long story short. He was in the bios screen and changed the hard drive setting to cd rom and saved. Now I can not do anything on here. Is there a way to fix this or am I just plain screwed? I have xp on the computer.
Answer Hello Bob,
It sounds like your settings in the bios have been changed, that is for sure. The first place to look would be the bios settings and the boot order. Normally it should be HDD, then CD, Floppy, that would give you the fastest boot, but if you have cd, hdd that is fine so long as you don't have a bootable cd in the drive when you turn it on.. this mode is normal on many computers and is not a problem. What is a problem if the hdd is not one of the bootable options. Then if that isn't the problem you want to make sure your hard drive is being seen by the bios. This is where you would probably be better to reset the system bios by using the clr cmos jumper on the motherboard and then placing the setting correctly. My website at http://tpsconsulting.com and reading the TIPS page on oPTIMIZING your computer can help you once you obviously get it working again.. as for being slow, etc.. this tip should help. Then if you go to the SOFTWARE/SUPPORT page where I suggest installing all the programs from the PINK section. As the programs 'everest diagnostic' and 'system jewel' you are able to 'check under the hood' so to speak as to what hardware you have so that you can then visit the motherboard manufacturer for example, to get the latest bios updates for your system as well as learn the cmos settings. Since data is typically the most important thing, I suggest if you feel you are a little over your head, that you take your system to a tech who can back up your hard drive, and/or at least get diagnose the problem.
