Hi,
I just purchased a computer from a place that sells refurbished PCs and laptops. The computer, however, does not appear to work.
When I turn this computer on, I get a message right after the Dell blue screen at start up that reads as follows:
"strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility"
The computer doesn't move past this screen. If I press F1 as instructed, it doesn't reboot but simply beeps and repeats the above "strike F1..." message on the line below.
I contacted the store that sold the computer to me, and they said that I should 'try installing Windows'. Apparently, buried in the fine print of their Terms and Conditions is a statement that PCs may or may not come with an operating system!
My question is, should I go ahead and purchase a Windows 2000 Pro cd (a license for this OS came bundled with my PC -- there's a sticker on the side of the PC with a Product Key on it) and just install it myself? If so, should I get an OEM version or a retail version of Windows 2000 Pro?
I am looking for the least expensive route possible, as I already paid quite a bit for the PC.