um...command prompt thingy?! O_O

[ChildOfGod15]

AHHH!! I read the manual thing, but I don't understand how to get my mommy's computer past the command prompt and onto the main screen ... desktop thing!!

I'm so lost...and it'd take my dad HOURS to figure it out reading the manual..and going on websites....and he's always so tired from work. And mom ... yeah, computers aren't her thing.

 

[ontheside]

Have you tried typing "win" without the ". That should work.

What Operating System is running?

 

[ChildOfGod15]

Yes, I tried that.

What Operating System is running?
Um, could you give me an example?

 

[Quantos]

1) What type of computer, and how old is it ?
2) Describe what you see on the screen. Is it just black with a bunch of words, or are there pictures ?

I.E. Somthing like this

or this ?

 

[Quantos]

FYI Two Pics of the two major typs of OS out there
Mac & Win

 

[Qyöt27]

If it's a Linux system (and X11 is installed, of course, but you'll find out), try typing 'startx' and press enter. See if that does anything.

 

[chritophera]

Yeah so I guess I don't follow exactly where you started and where you wish to end up.
So you turn on the computer and all you get is

C\>

If this is correct, then here are a few questions to help everyone understand what you're doing...

Did the computer go into Windows before?
How old is the computer?
What happened recently to possibly cause it to not go into Windows?
Is this a new computer?
Did you even install an operating system?
What are horse shoes?
Are there any horse socks?

Nevermind the last 2....

 

[heffalump_hunter]

If it's busted, it must be windows!

Question is, what version of Microsoft Windows is it?
Definately would be good to know the approximate age of the computer.
What was your mom doing last before the computer broke?
Have you tried just powering it off and back on?
Have you checkd to make sure there are no floppies or cd's in the drives? (Sometimes the computer tries to boot from them).

Problem is we need more info to help you.

 

[mickydeez]

In windows XP you click START>RUN then you type CMD in the empty field and there is the command prompt.

 

[Livinloud316]

In windows XP you click START>RUN then you type CMD in the empty field and there is the command prompt.

lol, did you even read the OP?

 

[He put me back together]

Okkkkkkkkk here's another cook to spoil the cabbage.

What do you actually see? Do you see any words on the screen at all? Do you see something like what these other guys have described, or do you just see a blinking thing in the upper left corner of a black screen?

In which case, does your computer sound funny?

 

[ChildOfGod15]

hehe....yeah....no teenager should be this busy


yeah, when the computer comes up, it's just a black screen with words and stuff

I haven't tried any of the new tips and stuff you guys have posted since I've replied 'cause yeah ... I kinda just now remembered this thread mhmm...yeah, well, I'm gonna try some of this stuff

to answer some of the questions, I know like very little about this computer, my mom got it off ebay and the seller said that the computer started to a command prompt

I'll put up more info about the computer year and type and w/e later...homework now ...

ty for the help and stuff, later

 

[PrivataAbsolutio]

hehe....yeah....no teenager should be this busy


yeah, when the computer comes up, it's just a black screen with words and stuff

It'd help if you could note down the last couple of lines of "words", and give them to us. It may be that you're not at the command prompt at all, but at an error screen that we can help you with.

 

[WalksWithChrist]

hehe....yeah....no teenager should be this busy


yeah, when the computer comes up, it's just a black screen with words and stuff

I haven't tried any of the new tips and stuff you guys have posted since I've replied 'cause yeah ... I kinda just now remembered this thread mhmm...yeah, well, I'm gonna try some of this stuff

to answer some of the questions, I know like very little about this computer, my mom got it off ebay and the seller said that the computer started to a command prompt

I'll put up more info about the computer year and type and w/e later...homework now ...

ty for the help and stuff, later

It almost sounds like this computer didn't come with Windows installed. If that's the case, you probably will have to have a new copy of Windows. How old is this computer? Do you have the specs from when it was bought from eBay? Like how fast is is...stuff like that.

 

[Ave Maria]

Believe me when I say this. It usually is not a good idea to buy a computer from EBay. My Mom did that a few years ago and one day she deleted a file or something and the computer never worked again. She only had the thing for a few months before this happened. I'm thinking it was a Windows 95 computer thought it may have been a Windows 98 computer and somehow she deleted the himem.sys file. Either that or the thing got deleted by a virus or was corrupted somehow. I remember the error coming up every now and then. Anyway this was back before college and I was inexperienced and all. I tried to format the computer and I had it going correctly and all but I kind of panicked and stopped the format and well, after that I just couldn't fix it.

 

[intricatic]

Pop in a Windows Install CD and reboot > Install Windows > Reboot.

No worries about the command prompt.

 

[Quantos]

Pop in a Windows Install CD and reboot > Install Windows > Reboot.

No worries about the command prompt.

Couple of problems with that.

1) Do they have a Windows Install CD
2) Do they know how to install Windows (Rember there having a hard time describing the inital problem)
3) Will there system even Run Windows.

Better Solution and easer for them.

or