CAT111 and mixture... thanks for your suggestions...
The DOS type screen is white on black and gives the options
Start in safe mode
Start in safe mode with command prompt
Start in safe mode with internet access
Start normally
Selecting any of these options causes to the computer to think about it for a moment before returning to the same error screen.
The primary suggestions are Install recovery or repair disc and
If you don't have a disc *and I haven't* consult your administrator or the equipment manufacturer. I contacted Acer-Europe last night by email asking if they can supply a disc and am waiting to hear back from them.
In the event of a hard drive failure what happens next? Obviously a shop bought replacement item wont have an OS so would I need to buy an OS to go with it and if this is the case isn't there a question of compatibility with the mother board?
This morning I stripped, cleaned and reassembled the computer, something I routinely do every three months or so... having six dogs in the house generates a lot of street dust and dead skin cells most of which gets sucked up into the machine.
In the next village there is a Spanish owned Computer spares and repair shop, I will go see him tomorrow, he is currently repairing a lcd monitor power supply for me, I will ask him if he can loan or sell me a Vista repair recovery disc or an installation disc.
pp