Problems wit one-time boot menu

[massacre182]

im not gettin the one-time boot menu to display on my dell dimension 4100...i need this menu to appear to reformat & reinstall XP, but it wont appear! HELP PLZ!!! Thank u...

 

[massacre182]

btw...i used both the F8 and F12 keys but only the Advanced Windows boot options appear...but i need the one-time boot menu..

 

[aford10]

Try F1 or F2 for the boot menu. If that doesn't get you into the boot menu, try the delete key to boot into the BIOS. There, you can choose your first boot device.

 

[massacre182]

i tried all those keys yet i still cant get the boot menu.
I tried configuring the boot sequence in the bios to boot from the cdrom first but the system keeps responding with the message "Invalid Bootable Diskette. Insert diskette in A". I believe the windows was installed using a bootable diskette, but now the floppy drive isnt working and i need to reinstall XP using a cd. One of my solution was to use the one-time boot menu to boot from the cdrom but i cant seem to get the menu...
--Are there any other solutions that u think can help me with my situation?!?
--Any assistance would be grateful! Thank You!

 

[aford10]

Boot into the BIOS, and disable the floppy drive.

 

[massacre182]

i did that as well and the system still responds with the message "Invalid Bootable Diskette. Insert diskette in A".

 

[aford10]

Disable everything in the boot order except for the CD drive.

If you have a floppy drive connected, unplug it.

 

[massacre182]

i also tried that as well but i still getting the same reply...i removed the entire floppy drive...other than obtaining the one time boot menu....im not sure what else to try...i even removed the CMOS battery and placed it back to see if that would help but im still getting the same reply from the system...

 

[aford10]

If you've unplugged the floppy, and disabled it in the BIOS, and boot priority, I'm not sure what else to try. I'm stumped....That should've taken care of it.

 

[massacre182]

yea i know...im stumped as well...thats why i came online to get some help. I dont know what else to do. But u have to keep in mind its a very old system dell dimension 4100. i have it about 9 yrs now. If its no trouble, can u ask some of your peer/friends who can assist with my little problem. thank u.

 

[asauka]

Have you considered that the CD Drive may infact be damaged? Judging by the age of the PC you would need an IDE DVD-ROM Drive, an alternative might be to try using an USB CD-Drive but due to the age of the Dimension I'm sceptical if it would boot off USB devices.

This is a very bizzare case I must admit, I hope this is of some help

 

[aford10]

If there's a BIOS update, you could try flashing the BIOS.

 

[massacre182]

i considered the age of the system and as a result ive tried 4 cdroms already and the system didnt com wit a dvd drive but i borrowed a dvd-drive and that still didnt fix my problem. The system still keeps reply with the same message.
ok ive never flashed a bios before so i would need some help in that area. How would i go about doing that?!

 

[aford10]

To flash a BIOS, first you have to see if there is an updated one available. Boot up your PC, and look at the top. It should tell you the BIOS version that you're currently on. Version A11 was released in 2002, and you can download it here.
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?os=BIOSA&catid=1&dateid=-1&impid=-1&osl=EN&typeid=-1&formatid=-1&servicetag=&SystemID=DIM_PNT_P3C_4100&hidos=WNT5&hidlang=en&TabIndex=&scanSupported=False&scanConsent=False
You want to put the BIOS update on a floppy drive. Then boot the PC, and look for the keystroke for the BIOS flash. If you don't see one, boot into the BIOS, and look at the available option. Tap that key, and it will look for the update on the floppy. Once it locates the file, it will start the flash update.

 

[massacre182]

ok...but i cant use my floppy drive, its not working and i dont have access to any. would i be able to use the cdrom?

 

[aford10]

You can try putting it on a CD, but I've never had much luck flashing from anything other than a floppy. The flash utility seems to normally look for the floppy drive.