[ILUG] Laptop problems.

[Brian Foster]

  | Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:49:50 +0200 (CEST)
  | From: Paul Linehan <plinehan at yahoo.com>
  |[ ... ]
  | The problem is that now *_NO_* bootable CD will
  | work in this laptop. I have a few Windows ones,
  | as well as Linux and BSD but none of them will
  | boot - it just boots straight to the now defective
  | version of Windows that I have.
  | 
  | Is there any way to repair this - get a new CD drive?

 I haven't been following this tale, so please accept
 my apologies if this has already been covered:  has
 the boot order in the BIOS been messed up somehow?
 something like the CD is now either not on the list
 at all, or is of lessor priority than the hard disc?

 and is it really booting “straight to ... Windows”?
 I read that as meaning the CD isn't being accessed
 at all (i.e., there's no flashing lights or noises
 or similar from the CD).  that could be a defunct
 CD drive or cabling (I've seen similar, albeit in
 my case with an error message from the BIOS), but
 it is also what I'd expect if the BIOS settings are
 messed up as per above.

 and if the CD drive is defunct, then the Windows
 you can boot should not be able to access/use it.
 does the CD drive work under Windows at all?

cheers!
	-blf-
-- 
“How many surrealists does it take to    |  Brian Foster
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 the warthog, and two fill the bathtub   |     Stop E$$o (ExxonMobil)!
 with brightly-coloured machine tools.”  |       http://www.stopesso.com