Computer fails to boot-up, and I'm unable to delete a partition.

ChimaE24

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Jun 26, 2011
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www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/computer-fails-to-boot-and-im-unable-to-delete-partition-d?replies=12#post-224262


*please visit that link for detailed info on my computer's problem*

Update: today, I took the cover off of my PC and blew all the dust out of the fans, and now my PC doesn't restart on it's own anymore! However, it still fails to boot up... When I press the power button, nothing happens (the power button light comes on, and I can hear all of the fans running, but the monitor doesn't even respond).


My goal is to be able to boot up my PC so that I can reset my computer to factory settings (hoping that it will quarantine all the viruses, and delete the extra partition)

if yall can help me do that, I would greatly appreciate it!!!!

THANKS!!!!!!
 
OK - a few questions after reading through the other thread :

1. You do still have a CD or DVD that came with the system that has VISTA on it correct ? I ask based on this from the other thread :
hey told me to insert the operating system that came with the computer to reinstall Vista. Well, I did that, but something went wrong, and it didn’t reinstall Vista – it installed another Vista on drive D

If so then we should be able to just start over and hopefully get things sorted out -- If not and your recovery partition was on the D:\ drive originally we may have some problems !! -- From the looks of it you used the Disk to reinstall VISTA but instead of wiping the C: Drive and installing it there you chose to install it to D: ahd so at this point you have 2 VISTA installs and the system is having a hard time deciding which to boot from and since the one on C:\ is evidently messed up it is causing some problems.

2. Are you familiar with getting into the BIOS and can you access it at this point or does the system not enter the bios either ? (we need to get into the BIOS to get the system to boot from the CD\DVD drive to install the OS from the CD you have.

If you do have a VISTA CD that came with the system and are able to boot into the BIOS. then what you want to do is boot into the BIOS - find the option to change the primary boot device and change it so that the CD\DVD drive is the first device and save the changes. -- before shutting down insert the VISTA CD into the drive and shut down - Reboot again and press a key when asked to boot from the CD drive -- IT should start loading setup from the CD drive - once this starts run setup and during the setup choose to reformat the partition and install to the C:\ drive from the selections and let it install.

It should reformat the HDD C:\ partition and install a new copy of VISTA to it from the CD -- once it finishes and you reboot from the HDD you can then reformat your D:\ partition from Windows to get rid of the second install and should be able to revalidate the install using the product key on the sticker placed on your case.
 

ChimaE24

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Jun 26, 2011
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Yes, that is exactly what I done the first time I re-installed Vista, and that's how I ended up with 2 copys of Vista on my hard drive.

And, Unfortunatly, I only have the CD and I do believe that I discarded the sleeve that it came in a few years ago.

Anyways, when I put the OS disk into the computer, It usually gives me the option to reset my computer to factory settings, however, this option is not available.
 
What options does it give you when you boot using the OS disk ? (the reason it is not giving you the option to restore to factory settings is probably because you installed VISTA over the partition that had those files on it the last time (normally that is what they have on your D: drive and they have it set as hidden so you do not use it but if you installed a second copy of VISTA over it then those files are no longer there --- but since you have the VISTA cd you should be able to at least install Vista and then can work on getting the other programs later.