Computer will not boot-only gives me F2 and F12 options

[kathypfmp]

Hello,
Please help....suddenly, my computer shut down. It will not boot. Does not respond t F8...only allows me F2 and F12 options. I get a cursor on the upper left hand side of the screen. It is white. Please help if you can...I am not a techie but more intermediate...

 

[kathypfmp]

Hello,
Please help....suddenly, my computer shut down. It will not boot. Does not respond t F8...only allows me F2 and F12 options. I get a cursor on the upper left hand side of the screen. It is white. Please help if you can...I am not a techie but more intermediate...

Now I get a diskette 0 message...nothing is in the cd rom...

My choices are F1-which brings me back to the black screen with blinking white cursor...or F2 and I do not have a clue what to do....please advise...

 

[Saga Lout]

Have you got a CD or DVD of your operating system? If you use Vista or Windows 7/8 you will have been invited to create recoverty DVDs - did you? If XP, did the computer come with an XP CD?

What is happening is that the system can't find your hard disk which has the system installed on it so booting with a CD is the only way to run tests and fixes on that hard disk. You could download and burn a bootable copy of a Linux system to give you access.

 

[kathypfmp]

Thank you! I will go look for my disk now! I wll report back!