Startup problems after installing printer

[kathi]

Hi,

 

I have Packard Bell computer which had Vista Home installed on it but it would not install my old MF-JET printer as the drivers were incompatable.

 

I created a partition and installed XP on the computer. This was working fine for a few weeks and booting up on the partition with XP installed.

 

Today I just installed the old MF-JET printer, rebooted as requested and now I am stuck with the Packard Bell Startup Screen.

 

I cannot get it to shift with f2 or f8 to check the BIOS order.

 

I have changed the motherboard batterry and checked the connections inside but still no change.

 

Does anyone have any other ideas?

 

Many thanks for any advice.

 

Kind regards

 

kathi

[kathi]

Hi,

 

Tried radical non-intervention and worked a treat!!

 

Some problems just sort themselves don't they?

 

Thanks anyway

 

Kathi

[kathi]

Hi again,

 

I am back to this problem again for some reason.

 

On start up I get the Packard Bell startup page with the F2, F3 etc. options at the bottom and it stays there refusing to load windows.

 

My keyboard is not being recognised so I cannot use the short cut keys.

 

Can you suggest anything please?

 

Many thanks

 

Kathi

[KenB]

Hi Kathi

 

I am assuming that your keyboard is USB - if so do you have ( borrow ) a PS2 ( round plug ) keyboard to try? ( again - assuming that you have a PS2 socket :) )

[kathi]

Hi Ken,

 

I have tried both and two different keyboards but everything is as dead as a doornail.

 

Any ideas?

 

Kathi

[KenB]

Hi Kathi,

 

Disconnect the keyboard and mouse.

Switch on and, assuming your system isn't passworded, let it boot up ( if it will ).

 

If it does - plug in the keyboard and mouse.

You may be lucky and Windows will recognise them.

[kathi]

Hi Ken,

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Yes it worked like a dream and booted up withoput the keyboard and mouse.

 

However it failed to recogise them at all when pluged in and I had to re-install the software.

Then it was fine.

 

I have had to restart the computer again this morning and it got stuck again on the welcome page. So I have had to disconnect the mouse and keyboard again.

 

Do you think this has anything to do with asking it to boot up to the partition with Windows XP installed and not the partition with Vista?

I am using the XP side because my printer driver is not compatible with Vista.

 

Any ideas would be most welcome.

 

Many thanks

 

Kathi

[kathi]

Hi Again,

 

I dont know whats happening to this computer but now the speakers do not work and have disappeared from the Devise Manager list.

 

Could this all be part of one problem?

 

The computer is only 2/3 years old so surly I souldn't be getting thia much trouble?

 

Any suggestions welcome please

 

Kathi

[KenB]

...and I had to re-install the software.

?? How with no keyboard and mouse ??

 

Is it booting up ok with the keyboard and mouse connected ?

 

If so - is the time and date showing correctly?

If you are losing drivers too it could be a CMOS battery on its way out.

 

It may be worthwhile changing this.

[kathi]

?? How with no keyboard and mouse ??

 

Is it booting up ok with the keyboard and mouse connected ?

 

If so - is the time and date showing correctly?

If you are losing drivers too it could be a CMOS battery on its way out.

 

It may be worthwhile changing this.

From KenB

You have asked this here

 

It is probably a case of re-installing the soundcard drivers - but I think you need to solve the problem of the keyboard and mouse first before you start addressing the problems that may be related.

I have recently changed the CMOS battery so cant be that.

I have decided to do a factory reset to see if this will correct it but I cannot get it to boot to safe mode or F11, as it will not recognise the keyboard at these times.

I have tried to find out how to go to factory reset while in Windows XP but go around in circles.

I cannot delete the partition, which has Windows XP on as this in allocated Bootable Drive, and I cannot find out how to change it. If I could change the bootable drive to C: which has Vista my trouble may be over????

Any help on this tricky situation will be gratefully received.

Many thanks,

Kathi

[kathi]

From KenB

You have asked this here

 

It is probably a case of re-installing the soundcard drivers - but I think you need to solve the problem of the keyboard and mouse first before you start addressing the problems that may be related.

I have recently changed the CMOS battery so cant be that.

I have decided to do a factory reset to see if this will correct it but I cannot get it to boot to safe mode or F11, as it will not recognise the keyboard at these times.

I have tried to find out how to go to factory reset while in Windows XP but go around in circles.

I cannot delete the partition, which has Windows XP on as this in allocated Bootable Drive, and I cannot find out how to change it. If I could change the bootable drive to C: which has Vista my trouble may be over????

Any help on this tricky situation will be gratefully received.

Many thanks,

Kathi

?? How with no keyboard and mouse ??

 

Is it booting up ok with the keyboard and mouse connected ?

 

If so - is the time and date showing correctly?

If you are losing drivers too it could be a CMOS battery on its way out.

 

It may be worthwhile changing this.

From KenB

 

You have asked this here

 

It is probably a case of re-installing the soundcard drivers - but I think you need to solve the problem of the keyboard and mouse first before you start addressing the problems that may be related.

 

From Kathi:

 

Thanks for you support Ken.

I have recently changed the CMOS battery so can't be that.

 

I an so frustrated with this computer that I have decided to do a factory reset to see if this will correct it.

But I cannot get it to boot to safe mode F8 or F11 to reset, as it will not recognise the keyboard when booting up.

 

I have tried to find out how to factory reset while in Windows XP but go around in circles.

 

I cannot delete the partition, which has Windows XP on, as this in allocated as the 'Bootable Drive'.

I cannot find out how to change the bootable drive to C: which has Vista on it.

If I can change this and delete the other partion my trouble may be over????

 

What do you think?

Any help on this tricky situation will be gratefully received.

 

Many thanks,

 

Kathi

[kathi]

Update:

 

I have now managed to do a facroery reset but still have no speakers installed in devices and no sound.

Any ideas on what to do next?

 

Thnaks Kathi

[KenB]

No sound after a reinstall is probably due to drivers missing.

 

What is the make and exact model number of your computer?

 

Alternatively - the make and model number of the sound card should allow me to locate the drivers.

[Plastic Nev]

Hi Kathi, I am now a little unsure as to what you now have. Do you still have the two partitions, one with Vista, the other with XP or has the factory reset removed them and you are back to just Vista?

In order to find drivers for your sound, we also do need to know the full model number of your computer, also if a separate sound card is fitted, we need to know the model number of that too.

 

In the end though, there have been many cases here in the past where problems have come up when installing XP on a machine designed for Vista, either as a replacement for Vista, or as in this case running both on separate partitions.

Also in this case all of this in order to run an older printer.

Not a lot of use perhaps now, but for others thinking they don't want to spend on a new printer when they have a perfectly good one that works on XP. Sorry, but my advice is stick with Vista and buy a new printer that will run on Vista. In the end it will be cheaper.

I must also ask, the version of Windows XP that you installed on the separate partition, where did you get it from?

Nev.