Solved: won't recognize harddrive

[mythologik]

Ok, I have an HP notebook that is about three years old. It has no screen (accident) so I have it hooked up to a CRTT and used it as a desktop replacement. I turned it on the other day and it boots to a blue screen that says:

Boot from:
HARDDRIVE
CDROMDRIVE
LAN

I tried clicking on HARDRIVE and it rebooted to the same screen. I tried rebooting with my winXP CD and it booted to the same screen. My roommate started into the BIOS (I think is what he called it) and said it looks like the HD is not recognized in the BIOS. After he rebooted it to the BIOS (?) he tried to reboot into safemode, but now I cannot get the CRT to recognize it is plugged to the notebook. I turn on the notebook, then I turn on the monitor. The light on the monitor is green then turns orange and no screen. By the way, the monitor is also an HP from the same year as the notebook. I tried using the function key and correspoding F key for switching the screen and nothing happens.

Any ideas? I don't care if I loose anything on this notebook, it is just for my sons kid game, but he sure would like to play and I get the darn notebook to come on. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[winbob]

I'm gonna take a wild guess that the problem is with the MOBO, and the symptoms are changing overtime.

First the HD IDE controller showed the hit, and then the Video Controller pooped out.

But remember I'm guessing!

 

[Cell]

and in safe mode only the necessary drivers and functions are loaded. that is probably why your crt didnt work then.

 

[winbob]

Cell,

You may be on to something but on the wrong branch of the tree.

How about this for a "theory"...the driver needed for the full function of the KB may not have been loaded in Safe Mode. The resulting driver loaded doesn't recognize the programmed Function Keys?

So, they can't activate the external CRT port. (this is a SWAG)

 

[Cell]

hey swags are good with me man!!!