In the previous article we had discussed the very basics that we need to know about our computer which included information like the model number, serial number, the hardware and software etc. In this article we will discuss what one can do when the system fails to boot up which constitutes our second tip.
Know to create the emergency boot disk
One may wonder why we need to know all this when there is the boot disk already. The boot disk is needed during the system boots up, but there may be cases where the boot disk gets damaged. Common causes could be due to viruses attacking our system or damages caused during relocation of the system. In all such cases, we can try creating the emergency boot disk which will help to boot up the system.
If you have Windows 95/98/ME installed, the steps to be followed are listed below:
1) Click on Start
2) Click on Control Panel followed by Add/Remove programs
3) Select Startup Disk tab that appears here and you will be directed on the later steps to be followed till the end of the process.
If you have chosen Windows XP/2000, You can boot from the Windows XP CD-ROM directly. Else, you may have to create boot floppies which contain the boot program for Windows XP machines. These programs can be downloaded from the Internet.
If you are using Windows 3.1, you will have to copy the system files manually into the floppy disk. This would involve copying AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS, SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI onto the floppy and using it when the hard disk fails.
If you are using the Mac systems, you do not have to worry much since they come with bootable CD-ROM or bootable floppy disk which will come to your rescue.
