My Dell Inspiron 700 laptop with Windows XP suddenly will not boo

have you went onto the BIOS to make sure that the boot options are correct e.g. CD DRIVE 1st priority?

Have you tried resetting the BIOS defaults? In doing so, it will force IDE re-detection and often resolve vague boot issues.

First, be sure you have your genuine copy of Windows XP -if not, you can contact Dell and ask them a copy of it
1)insert the XP disc on the drive then turn off the computer 2)Turn on again the computer and once you press the power button, keep on tapping on F12 3)You should be seeing the Boot Options. Select CD/DVD and keep on tapping on ENTER once you see the message: "press any key to boot from CD/DVD" 4)if you have done it succesfully, you should see a loading bar that says, Setup is loading files. 5)wait for it to load and Just follow the steps on this link:
http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/InstallXPPro/installxppro1.htm

Try running diags Fn + Power button see if anything fails

Since you can boot to the BIOS, then the system is posting, so I suspect you have either a Windows issue or a hard drive issue.

If the HDD passes diagnostics, I'd try booting to the XP CD and see if you can press R for recovery console and run the command CHKDSK /R and see if that resolves

Post back with the results

Hi There,

Probably the easiest way to repair/replace the boot sector is using an XP install Disk. You need to insert the disk, restart the computer, and begin pressing the F12 Key during Bootup. You should be given a Boot Menu. Select your CD/DVD drive as the drive to boot from. Let windows XP do its setup and you will halt at a screen that gives you a chance to Press R for repair. Press R. You will be in DOS mode with a cursor blinking. Type FIXBOOT and press the enter key. Follow the propmpts.

If this does not fix your boot sector, go through the same whole process again but at the cursor type in FIXMBR and hit the entr key. This is to repair the Master Boot Record.

If neither of these tools get you booted back into Windows, then you could have any one of a number of other issues, It would be difficult to address them all in this forum.

I don't wish to be a doomsayer, but an Inspiron 6000 could easily be 5 years old, the same as the expected normal life of a hard drive.

Best of Luck.
TheSelkie

Sounds like a corrupt windows install. Boot to the Diagnostics (Fn+Power button) and see if it indicates a hardware failure.
If diags pass, and running Vista, then Boot to Vista DVD and try repair my computer options. If XP, boot to XP CD, R for recovery console and run CHKDSK /R
Most likely you will need to either re-image the drive from the F8 menu for Vista or CTRL+F11 for XP, or if the hard drive is failing replace the hard drive.

go into bios by pressing F2 - change the boot order so the cd / dvd drive is the first bootable device and use the installation / recovery disc you got with it and boot from the cd and re install or install windows xp.

If you do not have the cd then you either need to find it or contact dell and see if they have another one with a key ( which may be chargeable )

My Laptop Inspiron 2200 With Windows XP only boot with the C drive when I remove the CD-DVD-CD drive. Otherwise ,I am asked to go to Bios to reconfigure the booting order.
The CD-dvd can not be pick-up by Plug and Play .

As a result I can only use the Laptop without the CD-DVD

When I reconnect the DVD it will not boot.

I have inspected every single pin in the DVD and from the Motherboard I can not see any damages

What do you think is the problem?

Invest in a couple USB drives and install the other os's on them. before you boot up plug in the apropriate drive and boot from it. Thats less complicated and painful to me

please, Let me know :)

Sounds like your hard drive may be going out, do a check disc.