Can I open XP from a DOS prompt?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Opusita
  • Start date Start date
O

Opusita

I've prevously posted regarding my system crash due to an electrostatic
shock. Hustedj suggested that I try removing all devices from my mainboard.
Well after removing everything except the video card and one hard drive I
finally got the machine to boot up with the restoration disk. Both the CD
and the DVD drives are now disconnected.

Anyway the restoration disk and my users manual stated to restore to factory
backup. The process ran smoothly and when it finished it returned to the
starting screen. Since the process was now completed I pressed exit. After
this machine went to the DOS prompt. A directory check of my hard drive
indicated only one file "FACTORY PQI". My guess is that this is the restored
copy of XP.....good or bad guess? If it is XP how do I start it from the
DOS prompt?

Marian
 
That is the image file from which you restored your PC. Now reset the PC or
turn it off. Try to start again.
 
Tried that earlied but the machine will not boot up unless the restoration
disk is in the floppy drive. I'm taking a WAG that the BIOS was corrupted by
the electrostatic shock and indicates the floppy as the boot up drive.
That's why I wanted to try to open XP from a DOS command. Any way to do
this?

Marian
 
Why don't you then enter the bios and set the boot-up options to your
choice.
 
Hi

Care, when you boot up the PC with the recovery disk, it will erase all data files on the C drive

Pete


----- Crusty (-: Old B@stard :-) wrote: ----

Why don't you then enter the bios and set the boot-up options to you
choice
 
Tried that earlied but the machine will not boot up unless the restoration
disk is in the floppy drive. I'm taking a WAG that the BIOS was corrupted by
the electrostatic shock and indicates the floppy as the boot up drive.
That's why I wanted to try to open XP from a DOS command. Any way to do
this?

Marian
Click to expand...
A PQI file is an image file for use with PowerQuest Drive Image. That
file itself will do you no good. It needs to be used with Drive
Image, which will create the image from that file and put it onto your
HD. You are doing something wrong, but from your description of what
you've done it's not clear exactly what you are doing wrong.
 
Apparently everything ;-)

Finally was able boot up and flash the BIOS to allow me make the hard drive
boot up. Finally got most everything working, said Happy New Year, shut off
the machine and went to bed.

Now the machine cannot even detect the hard drives.

Marian
 
Finally was able boot up and flash the BIOS to allow me make the hard drive
boot up. Finally got most everything working, said Happy New Year, shut off
the machine and went to bed.

Now the machine cannot even detect the hard drives.

Marian
Click to expand...

Flashing the BIOS? You have no need of flashing the BIOS to make the
HD bootup; all BIOS have that option. Do you understand what
"Flashing the BIOS" means or are you just using the term for something
else?

If you did Flash the BIOS, given what is apparently a lack of computer
expertise, you may have completely screwed your computer.

If the tech support folks who should help you here can't, then you may
just have to bite the old financial bullet and talke the thing to a
local store and get them to work with you on it.
 
OK, OK....I apologize for misusing the jargon.

Back to the beginning....my computer dies from a minor electrostatic shock.
Black screen, no mouse, no keyboard. The ever helpful tech support people
suggest restoration to "Factory settings". OK, done but now the machine will
only boot to an A:/ prompt. I then, right or wrong, guess that the BIOS is
corrupted. Go to the AMI site, get the software for the BIOS and install
(Flash?) it. Voila the machine now, albeit a lot slower, now loads the
restoration XP.........but I still have problems.

So now I try to reinstall XP and now I'm locked in the set up loop with this
error "Setup failed to install the product catalogs. This is a fatal error.
The setup log files should contain more information." All reboots are
returning to this error.

BTW most of the respondants an this board are more qualified than tech
support personell.....not to mention the guys who charge for their services.

Thanks for listening,

Marian
 
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