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May 1, 2009 at 12:57 pm #2203957
BOOT ORDER
Lockedby ddomian · about 14 years, 11 months ago
Hi, I have a very old (a 650) Sony VAIO slimtop. I need to change the boot order, but because I’m using a wireless keyboard (the ps2 outlet is shot), I can’t get into the BIOS. The keyboard isn’t recognized until WinXP starts to load. Is there ANY other way I can get to the boot order menu — via windows? or from the command prompt? I need to boot from a CD so I can change the drive partitions.
And yes, I’ve considered throwing it thru the window. 😉
DebbieTopic is locked -
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May 1, 2009 at 12:57 pm #2951720
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May 1, 2009 at 1:18 pm #2951713
Maybe you don’t need to change the boot order ?…
by older mycroft · about 14 years, 11 months ago
In reply to BOOT ORDER
What are you intending doing to the partitions? 😉
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May 1, 2009 at 1:34 pm #2951708
BOOT ORDER..more
by ddomian · about 14 years, 11 months ago
In reply to Maybe you don’t need to change the boot order ?…
Has a 30g hd. Partitions are 3 gs and 17 gs. Barely room on ‘c’ to fit os, much less printer, wifi, everyday software. will be bringing this pc to office for conference room. EXTREMELY non-geek staff to use for on-line, some word docs, etc. was wanting to combine the drives (using partition magic) to make life easier. the larger drive is empty at this point. maybe i should just move the OS to it?
Thanks for reply!
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May 1, 2009 at 1:46 pm #2951701
You have a typo but I don’t know where ..
by older mycroft · about 14 years, 11 months ago
In reply to BOOT ORDER..more
[i]Has a 30g hd. Partitions are 3 gs and 17 gs.[/i]
Now – is that a
3 + 17 with unallocated, or
3 + 27 total or
13 + 17 total or
something else? -
May 1, 2009 at 1:50 pm #2951697
typo
by ddomian · about 14 years, 11 months ago
In reply to You have a typo but I don’t know where ..
Hi, not a typo, I can type. However, I cannot ad. It’s 3 and a hair under 27. Can’t remember how much was unallocated. It’s been a few years since I looked. My apologies.
Deb -
May 1, 2009 at 2:13 pm #2951691
Well – 3 27 is a highly troublesome combination …
by older mycroft · about 14 years, 11 months ago
In reply to typo
Did you say earlier that the 27GB ([i]it looked like 17GB when you said it[/i] ;)) is unoccupied? Or most of it is unpopulated?
If so, as a stop gap at least, you could relocate many of the existing XP functions by transferring them out of the C:\ partition and put them in the other one.
Including the ‘My Documents’, the Pagefile, the Hibernation file, and a few other bits and bobs. Having achieved the saving of the space that they presently occupy, it would maybe allow you to defragment what, up until now, has been a heavily densely congested very small bit of space.
To be honest – I’m surprised it’s been running at all.
How does that sound so far?
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May 1, 2009 at 2:25 pm #2951684
Troublesome?
by ddomian · about 14 years, 11 months ago
In reply to Well – 3 27 is a highly troublesome combination …
To say the least.
I moved all my personal stuff off this computer, set all documents, temp files, etc to save on the larger partition. Stuck everyday use things like Adobe Reader, Flash, QTime, on ‘d”. So many new items automatically save to “c” that keeping it updated will be problematic. Actually, this old Sony has been one of the BEST machines I’ve had. It began life with ME as its OS. Lived in a semi-truck for 6 years. Possibly one of the hardest environments for electronics. The dirt and jouncing around tends to eat up laptops, but my little sony just kept on ticking.
I certainly appreciate your time. Someday I’ll crack into the darned BIOS and fix it how I want.
In the mean time, today is the big day to wi-fi it at the office. Now if only I can remember the darned WEP key.
Thanks again, Debbie
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May 1, 2009 at 2:48 pm #2951679
There’s a slight misnomer there …
by older mycroft · about 14 years, 11 months ago
In reply to Troublesome?
So many items today [b]DON’T[/b] [u]automatically save to C:\[/u] – what they do is they save to the Sub-Parent Directory that they’re programmed to save into.
So, if you were to COPY (admittedly it would cause hiccups initially) your entire ‘Program Files’ directory to D:\ and delete C:\Program Files completely, thereafter running ALL your programs from the D:\ partition.
Come the next time an installer tried to throw something into C:\Program Files it wouldn’t be able to find it. At this point one of three things would happen:
1. The installer would go off and hunt for a Program Files directory, find one on D:\ and then either put the proggy in there or ask for confirmation if you wanted that to happen.
2. The installer would report that C:\Program Files did not exist and ASK you where you wanted to put the proggy – at which point you tell it to use D:\.
3. The installer will report an error and ask if you want the C:\Program Files directory created – the system does not allow the installer to create a destination directory for an installation without user approval first. So you just click NO and point it at D:\.From this point onward there will never be any Registry problems with program location, which you might get initially.
The only downer is that you can’t throw an install at the laptop and walk away for a coffee. Mind you, as a clever person you never do that anyway – DO YOU?? 😉
It’s a no-brainer!
Your only initial problem with this could be that a few program files that currently live on the C:\ partition might object to being moved, but you could always just reinstall them to D:\.
Try it, it works for me, even on a three disk tower. I’ve got three different ‘Program Files’ paths depending on what TYPE of installation it is. 😉 🙂
My ACER laptop doesn’t seem to mind this approach either.
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May 1, 2009 at 1:21 pm #2951712
USB
by shasca · about 14 years, 11 months ago
In reply to BOOT ORDER
I could suggest using a USB keyboard, but that wasn’t supported in older BIOS either. Might give it a try if you can find one. Don’t spend money for one cause there is no guarantee it will work either.
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May 1, 2009 at 1:36 pm #2951707
usb keyboard
by ddomian · about 14 years, 11 months ago
In reply to USB
Thanks, have tried that. original keyboard and mouse were configured so only keyboard plugged into ps2, and mouse plugged into keyboard. am trying to resurrect so my boss (also my sister) doesn’t hafta buy a new desktop for light use.
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May 1, 2009 at 2:25 pm #2951685
A PS/2 keyboard will do the trick for you
by seanferd · about 14 years, 11 months ago
In reply to usb keyboard
BIOS will recognize it straight off, for sure.
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May 1, 2009 at 1:57 pm #2951696
Why don’t you
by rob miners · about 14 years, 11 months ago
In reply to BOOT ORDER
just install Partition Magic and let it do it’s trick.
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May 1, 2009 at 1:59 pm #2951694
partition magic trick
by ddomian · about 14 years, 11 months ago
In reply to Why don’t you
Partition Magic has led me through making a boot disk to view/redistribute the partitions. Disk won’t boot…back to the beginning.
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May 1, 2009 at 2:10 pm #2951692
What version
by rob miners · about 14 years, 11 months ago
In reply to partition magic trick
are you using. PM8 will allow you to resize a Partition using the GUI.
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