pre programmed pc

[singh112]

i have an optiplex gx620 usff acquired from a refit at a supermarket the pc was used to advertise movies.the problem is when the pc is turned on it goes straight to the adverts. does any body know how to stop it doing this and make it stay on the windows start up?

[Broni]

Reformat?

[Dias de verano]

Reformat?

Certainly uninstall the current OS and reinstall another one. That might or might not involve formatting the disk.

[Broni]

How do you uninstall OS?
...and

when the pc is turned on it goes straight to the adverts

How do we proceed to find out what OS is currently installed?

[Dias de verano]

How do you uninstall OS?

By deleting all its files and/or the partition it resides on, having booted from another medium. (Windows install disks do this in a hand-holding way)

How do we proceed to find out what OS is currently installed?

Watch carefully at boot time and note any screens visible

[dahlarbear]

Boot to the Windows Advanced Options Menu.  From there you may select "Safe Mode".  Use "msconfig" and selective startup to stop the "startup" programs from running.  Reboot to normal mode and start figuring out which one of the "startup(s)" is the Bad Boy!

Of course, some people would say buy a new hard drive to ensure there isn't any porn on it (among other things).  If you're willing to use the old drive, a reformat will give you a fresh start; assuming you have operating system media to load from.

[quaxo]

Or it might look like this.



Thanks to Dias de verano for supplying me a pic to play with 

[Dias de verano]

Thanks to Dias de verano for supplying me a pic to play with 

de nada.

lots more here

http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=boot+screen&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2

& here

http://images.google.co.uk/images?gbv=2&hl=en&safe=off&q=windows+boot+screen&btnG=Search+Images

[llmeyer1000]

How old is the computer?
Can you identify the OP system from the startup screen as Dias suggested?
Did you get a copy of the Operating System (probably Windows?) with the computer?
Is the seller still at the supermarket to ask him for the OP system software?

You should have received a copy of the OP System, but I suspect you may not have gotten the full package. It is pretty bad on any sellers part to sell a computer with the setup you describe. It will be difficult (or impossible) for the average person to fix the setup back to a familiar Windows environment.

Broni's suggestion:

Reformat?

is fine as long as you have a copy of Windows compatible with the computer you bought. By compatible, I mean this: If the computer is 10 years old, you need a version of Windows from  the era. "Windows 98 SE" for example. Also, it would be good to have a friend who has reformatted and reloaded windows before to help you if this is your first time.

dahlarbear has a good suggestion that "might" work. Try it before you go with the full format and reinstall method.

Boot to the Windows Advanced Options Menu.  From there you may select "Safe Mode".  Use "msconfig" and selective startup to stop the "startup" programs from running.  Reboot to normal mode and start figuring out which one of the "startup(s)" is the Bad Boy!

dahlarbear forgot to tell you how to get to the "Advanced Options Menu".
To get to that menu, turn the power on. wait about 2 or 3 seconds and press the F8 key. Repeat the F8 key once every second for the next 5-10 seconds or so and the menu dahlarbear described should come up. At that point select "Safe Mode".  If you are successful in getting to that menu, there is a chance(slim) that you can salvage the OP system already loaded.

Try the suggestions given and give us the results.
AND let us know the answers to the questions I asked at the beginning of my reply.
The more information you give us the better chance that one of us will be able to help you.

[dahlarbear]

dahlarbear also didn't tell him how to start "msconfig".  The following is for a Windows 98 system.  Windows XP should be similiar:

    o  Left click on "Start" button; start menu comes up.
    o  Left click on "Run" item; Run dialog window opens.
    o  Type "msconfig" without quotes in "Open" text box, press Enter key; System Configuration Utility window opens.
    o  Left click on "General" tab; General tab comes to front of window.
    o  Left click on "Selective startup" radio button; line items under that button are now active for edit.
    o  Left click on "Load startup group items"; this should uncheck its check box; this indicates you do not wish to load programs automatically at startup.
    o  Left click on "Apply" button, then left click "OK" button; you'll get "System Settings Change" window requesting permission to restart Windows.
    o  Left click the "OK" button to restart Windows in Normal mode without programs automatically starting at boot/login.

If you get into Windows successfully (Hmmm... you may need valid user name/password combination); you may go back to "msconfig", this time using the "Startup" tab to access the list of programs registered to start automatically after Windows load.  See if you can identify the likely suspect(s) for the advertisement load.  If not add one at a time (or more - left click its checkbox) and reboot until you identify which one(s) are causing you trouble.

Getting back to user/password.  Safe Mode for Windows XP Home Edition boots to the default "Administrator".  I don't think it asks for password.  If not changed by owner, the default password is blank (as in nothing).

I'm pretty sure Windows XP Professional will require valid user name and password for Safe Mode boot.  Guess you would find out soon enough.

[quaxo]

To be honest, I would just format. There's no telling what's lurking in that system.

[Dias de verano]

To be honest, I would just format. There's no telling what's lurking in that system.

I am so glad you wrote "format" and not "reformat", which is a pet hate of mine.

[llmeyer1000]

To be honest, I would just format. There's no telling what's lurking in that system.

To be honest so would I. Not only that but I would make sure that I wrote nulls to the first 63 or more sectors first. No telling what is lurking there either. 

But ... singh112 sounds pretty new at this and probably is not capable of the task. He may not even have a Windows disk.

singh112, you need to get back with us with some more information. Try as many of the suggestions as possible and let us know what is going on.

[programming_pat]

when f8 is pressed and the appropiate menu appears, doesnt it usually say the OS at the top?