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  • #2203957

    BOOT ORDER

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    by ddomian ·

    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. 😉
    Debbie

All Answers

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    Replies
    • #2951720

      Clarifications

      by ddomian ·

      In reply to BOOT ORDER

      Clarifications

    • #2951713

      Maybe you don’t need to change the boot order ?…

      by older mycroft ·

      In reply to BOOT ORDER

      What are you intending doing to the partitions? 😉

      • #2951708

        BOOT ORDER..more

        by ddomian ·

        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!

        • #2951701

          You have a typo but I don’t know where ..

          by older mycroft ·

          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?

        • #2951697

          typo

          by ddomian ·

          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

        • #2951691

          Well – 3 27 is a highly troublesome combination …

          by older mycroft ·

          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?

        • #2951684

          Troublesome?

          by ddomian ·

          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

        • #2951679

          There’s a slight misnomer there …

          by older mycroft ·

          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.

    • #2951712

      USB

      by shasca ·

      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.

      • #2951707

        usb keyboard

        by ddomian ·

        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.

        • #2951685

          A PS/2 keyboard will do the trick for you

          by seanferd ·

          In reply to usb keyboard

          BIOS will recognize it straight off, for sure.

    • #2951696

      Why don’t you

      by rob miners ·

      In reply to BOOT ORDER

      just install Partition Magic and let it do it’s trick.

      • #2951694

        partition magic trick

        by ddomian ·

        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.

        • #2951692

          What version

          by rob miners ·

          In reply to partition magic trick

          are you using. PM8 will allow you to resize a Partition using the GUI.

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