Weird commandline text problem

[kompukit]

I'm trying to access and thereafter format a dell inspiron 2500
Laptop...BUT

upon bootup, using a floppy disk..(win98 startup disk)
(and yes the disk is good)...

and then trying the following command:

"format c:"

the text appears like this, on the screen:

"^f^o^r^m^a^t"

and when i do a dir/p command

I get this: ^i^ or rather ^d^i^r

or something like this, on the screen...which therefore won't let me do anything...

Does anyone know what this is...and how to fix it? need to know fast...please help.

 

[GerkSide]

try typing FDISK at the command prompt, then delete primary DOS
partition.

 

[kompukit]

Don't think you understand the problem

Thanks for replying...but i don't think you understand the problem.

You see, if i could do what you suggest...(in the first place) I would NOT be posting to this list, in the second place.

thats's the problem...

i can't type the words correctly....at all.

if i were to type the word "fdisk"

it would appear as: ^f^d^i^s^k

or something like that (can't remember exactly how it appears)

do you understand now???

 

[þÄ®âÐÖx]

It sounds like your <CTRL> key is stuck.. maybe check and see if it is, but I'm sure you'd probably have already noticed if it was.

Have you been able to use this boot disk successfully before?

 

[hp_spec]

Anubis' cleaning method should do the trick. But make sure you can get your keys back on.. or you might lose the ability to use the CTRL function

 

[hp_spec]

Maybe that's why they stick two on there...heh heh.

lol, so true