AG wrote:
Only the three options noted - CD, floppy and HD. The BIOS does not
(appear to) support PXE ... at least that is not given as an option anyway.
Sounds like you are left with physically removing the hdd. Of course you
could try to /wish/ the OS to appear. :)
You had mentioned the screws were threaded. I think you meant to say
stripped. If that is the case you can simply use screw extractor. They
come in various sizes. Basically a somewhat blunt drill bit with the
biting edge oriented for counter clockwise application. Depending on the
head of the screw's size it might be beneficial to start a pilot.
However, I doubt there is rust/corrosion involved and more than likely
the bit biting on the current tool marks would probably do the deed.
Another trick you might want to try.. Invert a can of compressed air
typically used for cleaning keyboards and such. Spray each screw head
directly in several small bursts with the objective of chilling them as
much as possible. If the small straw that comes with most is still
around, it would greatly help. Take special care as the plastic encasing
the screws may become brittle. Then try using a decent knife point as a
screwdriver.
YMMV.
Good luck.
Cheers for the suggestions. I may well be up the proverbial creek with
this one. Thanks for the tips re removing the screws - I'll give that
a shot.