Inspiron 1100 won't boot from CD and can't get into BIOS

Hi,

I want to install openSUSE 10.2 (Linux) on my notebook. It is a Dell
Inspiron 1100, BIOS ver. A06.

In order to install the new OS, it needs to boot from the CD drive. It will
not boot from the CD drive. I tried to get into the BIOS by pressing F2,
but it won't go into the BIOS.

I read others have the same problem also. The fix was to update the BIOS by
buring it into an ISO on a CD which I did.

To get it to boot from the CD, I removed the hard drive. It booted from the
CD but it won't flash the BIOS because I have a password set up. I have
only one other idea which is to use a BIOS password cracker to remove the
password. Is this a good idea? Anyone else have any ideas?

"Chris G." <> wrote in message
news:zkPDh.51185$...
> Hi,
>
> I want to install openSUSE 10.2 (Linux) on my notebook. It is a Dell
> Inspiron 1100, BIOS ver. A06.
>
> In order to install the new OS, it needs to boot from the CD drive. It
> will not boot from the CD drive. I tried to get into the BIOS by pressing
> F2, but it won't go into the BIOS.

What do you mean? What happens immediately after you hit F2 on a restart or
reboot?

>
> I read others have the same problem also. The fix was to update the BIOS
> by buring it into an ISO on a CD which I did.

Huh? How can you do that if you can't get the machine to boot
into the BIOS in the first place?

>
> To get it to boot from the CD, I removed the hard drive. It booted from
> the CD but it won't flash the BIOS because I have a password set up. I
> have only one other idea which is to use a BIOS password cracker to remove
> the password. Is this a good idea? Anyone else have any ideas?

Remove the password. I never set any of my systems up with any kind of
password. Ever.

>
>



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"Kevin" <> wrote in message
news:45dfc02d$0$16382$.. .
>
> "Chris G." <> wrote in message
> news:zkPDh.51185$...
>> Hi,
>>
>> I want to install openSUSE 10.2 (Linux) on my notebook. It is a Dell
>> Inspiron 1100, BIOS ver. A06.
>>
>> In order to install the new OS, it needs to boot from the CD drive. It
>> will not boot from the CD drive. I tried to get into the BIOS by
>> pressing F2, but it won't go into the BIOS.
>
> What do you mean? What happens immediately after you hit F2 on a restart
> or reboot?

I power on the notebook. At the Dell splash screen, I hit (repeatedly) the
F2 key. The
BIOS Setup screen does not come up. It starts to load Windows XP.

>>
>> I read others have the same problem also. The fix was to update the BIOS
>> by buring it into an ISO on a CD which I did.
>
> Huh? How can you do that if you can't get the machine to boot
> into the BIOS in the first place?

I can boot into Windows XP.

>>
>> To get it to boot from the CD, I removed the hard drive. It booted from
>> the CD but it won't flash the BIOS because I have a password set up. I
>> have only one other idea which is to use a BIOS password cracker to
>> remove the password. Is this a good idea? Anyone else have any ideas?
>
> Remove the password. I never set any of my systems up with any kind of
> password. Ever.
>

The BIOS password was set up for extra security. In order to remove the
password I would need
to access the BIOS which I cannot do.

>
> --
> Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
>

hit f12 at the splash screen not f2 to boot from cdrom
"Chris G." <> wrote in message
news:zkPDh.51185$...
> Hi,
>
> I want to install openSUSE 10.2 (Linux) on my notebook. It is a Dell
> Inspiron 1100, BIOS ver. A06.
>
> In order to install the new OS, it needs to boot from the CD drive. It
> will not boot from the CD drive. I tried to get into the BIOS by pressing
> F2, but it won't go into the BIOS.
>
> I read others have the same problem also. The fix was to update the BIOS
> by buring it into an ISO on a CD which I did.
>
> To get it to boot from the CD, I removed the hard drive. It booted from
> the CD but it won't flash the BIOS because I have a password set up. I
> have only one other idea which is to use a BIOS password cracker to remove
> the password. Is this a good idea? Anyone else have any ideas?
>

"Chris G." <> wrote in message
news:sbRDh.51693$...
> "Kevin" <> wrote in message
> news:45dfc02d$0$16382$.. .
>>
>> "Chris G." <> wrote in message
>> news:zkPDh.51185$...
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I want to install openSUSE 10.2 (Linux) on my notebook. It is a Dell
>>> Inspiron 1100, BIOS ver. A06.
>>>
>>> In order to install the new OS, it needs to boot from the CD drive. It
>>> will not boot from the CD drive. I tried to get into the BIOS by
>>> pressing F2, but it won't go into the BIOS.
>>
>> What do you mean? What happens immediately after you hit F2 on a restart
>> or reboot?
>
> I power on the notebook. At the Dell splash screen, I hit (repeatedly)
> the F2 key. The
> BIOS Setup screen does not come up. It starts to load Windows XP.
>
>>>
>>> I read others have the same problem also. The fix was to update the
>>> BIOS by buring it into an ISO on a CD which I did.
>>
>> Huh? How can you do that if you can't get the machine to boot
>> into the BIOS in the first place?
>
> I can boot into Windows XP.
>
>>>
>>> To get it to boot from the CD, I removed the hard drive. It booted from
>>> the CD but it won't flash the BIOS because I have a password set up. I
>>> have only one other idea which is to use a BIOS password cracker to
>>> remove the password. Is this a good idea? Anyone else have any ideas?
>>
>> Remove the password. I never set any of my systems up with any kind of
>> password. Ever.
>>
>
> The BIOS password was set up for extra security. In order to remove the
> password I would need
> to access the BIOS which I cannot do.
>


Call Dell, prove ownership and they can give you a BIOS password.

"S.Lewis" <> wrote in message
news:hzUDh.10752$...
>
> "Chris G." <> wrote in message
> news:sbRDh.51693$...
>> "Kevin" <> wrote in message
>> news:45dfc02d$0$16382$.. .
>>>
>>> "Chris G." <> wrote in message
>>> news:zkPDh.51185$...
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> I want to install openSUSE 10.2 (Linux) on my notebook. It is a Dell
>>>> Inspiron 1100, BIOS ver. A06.
>>>>
>>>> In order to install the new OS, it needs to boot from the CD drive. It
>>>> will not boot from the CD drive. I tried to get into the BIOS by
>>>> pressing F2, but it won't go into the BIOS.
>>>
>>> What do you mean? What happens immediately after you hit F2 on a
>>> restart or reboot?
>>
>> I power on the notebook. At the Dell splash screen, I hit (repeatedly)
>> the F2 key. The
>> BIOS Setup screen does not come up. It starts to load Windows XP.
>>
>>>>
>>>> I read others have the same problem also. The fix was to update the
>>>> BIOS by buring it into an ISO on a CD which I did.
>>>
>>> Huh? How can you do that if you can't get the machine to boot
>>> into the BIOS in the first place?
>>
>> I can boot into Windows XP.
>>
>>>>
>>>> To get it to boot from the CD, I removed the hard drive. It booted
>>>> from the CD but it won't flash the BIOS because I have a password set
>>>> up. I have only one other idea which is to use a BIOS password cracker
>>>> to remove the password. Is this a good idea? Anyone else have any
>>>> ideas?
>>>
>>> Remove the password. I never set any of my systems up with any kind of
>>> password. Ever.
>>>
>>
>> The BIOS password was set up for extra security. In order to remove the
>> password I would need
>> to access the BIOS which I cannot do.
>>
>
>
> Call Dell, prove ownership and they can give you a BIOS password.
>

I have the BIOS password. That is not the issue. Anyway I was able to get
it to boot from CD by removing the HD. After it starts the CD boot process,
I put back the HD and was able to install SUSE 10.2. Now, I'm
troubleshooting a video (driver) issue. Oh what fun.