# Verifying DMI pool data ... Grub (then nothing)



## kcollopa (Nov 14, 2003)

Problem - can't get the computer to boot. It goes up to: Verifying DMI pool data ... Grub. Then stops. Doesn't go anywhere after that despite trying to get it to boot from the A: drive and CD drive.

History: I've been having problems with my Win 2000 slowing down after Memturbo ended at the end of evaluation period - didn't buy it in the end. Removed it. But also had the same problem of Norton System Works not functioning (also running Zone Alarm) - being disabled - that is reported in the Anti-Virus thread in this forum. So decided to repair the partition (I have WinME and XP in other partitions). Tried the Win2000 setup but it complained that something else was stopping it running. So formated the partition with Acronis and tried to use a boot disk from the floppy to run the Win2000 installation. Wouldn't boot to floppy despite my setting the BIOS to start with A drive, nor boot from the CD drive - it went straight to the Acronis OS selector. So I uninstalled the Acronis OS selector. Now it only boots as far as GRUB and stops. I presume GRUB is reference to the Linux loader I had installed way back.

I want access to my floppy drive!! Please help ...

Cheers

Alan


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

The fact that the hard disk has the GRUB loader on it won't prevent the floppies or CD's from booting. I'd address that issue first...


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## kcollopa (Nov 14, 2003)

*So how can I boot from my A: drive?*



johnwill said:


> *The fact that the hard disk has the GRUB loader on it won't prevent the floppies or CD's from booting. I'd address that issue first... *


Yep, I'd like to address that. The POST test is OK as I get a single beep - so how can I get it to go to my floppy?

Cheers

Alan


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Well, if you've configured the BIOS to boot from the floppy and CD first, and you put a bootable floppy or CD in, it should just do it. If not, maybe your floppy is disconnected or broken?


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## kcollopa (Nov 14, 2003)

Since the GRUB was still there I fed the CD drive the Red Hat boot CD and I now have Linux up and running - but still no way to get my Windows back. I agree the floppy disk and CD drive SHOULD work if the BIOS is pointed at them. But they don't - that's the crux of the question. 

The floppy drive does work under Linux - so why won't it boot from it with a Windows floppy?

Cheers

Alan


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Have you considered setting the BIOS back to factory defaults? Unless something is very wrong, what's on the hard disk shouldn't affect booting from the floppy or CD at all!


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## kcollopa (Nov 14, 2003)

Yes - I've tried all the settings for the combinations of which drive to boot from and they all seem blind to anything Windows or DOS based. A Linux boot disk in the floppy didn't work either - only the CD worked. The floppy is recognised in the start up phase - sometimes it hasn't been in the past but that caused a failure of the boot process and I had to reboot - the reboot always worked.

I went to all the settings in the BIOS and reset them to factory defaults but still nowt. 

Is it possible I have a boot virus? If so, how do I go about disinfecting it or installing a new BIOS?

Cheers

Alan


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## kcollopa (Nov 14, 2003)

*Problem resolved*

I put in a new floppy drive and this solved the problem. Dunno why the CD didn't work but it does now.

Cheers

Alan


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## Mental_Myopia (Oct 10, 2003)

Although this doesn't help you to boot up, after uninstalling memturbo, did you open the registry and delete its keys from the Software section of Local Machine and Current Users? Many times the uninstaller misses these, and the keys can lurk in the registry, causing problems.

Norton being disabled can be a symptom of a virus, as many viruses (or is the plural "virii") will knock antivirus programs off.

Have you got more system details? I may have overlooked it, but I don't see the motherboard.


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## pinky117 (Dec 12, 2007)

I have had this problem before. My friend showed me a trick. What I have done is to turn off my computer, unplug the power supply, then hold the power button for 10 seconds. Plug it back in and start it up and it should work fine. I have done this about 10 times and it has worked every time for me. I have a Gigabyte mobo w/ dual bios. I run Win Xp and fedora dual boot. I think this problem has something to do with the bios. you might try updating it.


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