Failure to logon (Windows 2000)

The previous IT administrator installed win2k on my MD’s laptop. The laptop doesn’t boot to windows without a network cable connected to the PCMCIA card. It fails to logon.It doesn’t even ask for the username and password. The moment I connect the network cable it then continues to boot and prompt for the username and password.I need this laptop to work without the network cable. What can I do and what is the problem? The MD does’t want me to reistall windows.