Sounds like the BIOS has reset to factory default.  Considering the age of this PC the CMOS memory backup battery is probably failed and that will cause the BIOS to reset.   The CMOS battery is a CR2032 coin cell battery (available almost all stores) and is located on the motherboard.  When the BIOS resets it enables and sets the floppy as the first boot device. Go into the setup (BIOS) and disable the floppy and set the hard drive as the first boot device, after you have replaced the battery. System Setup Optionsand lists keys and their functions within the active system setup field.NOTE: Depending on your computer and installed devices, the items listed in this section may not appear, or may not appear exactly as listed.SystemSystem Info Lists the computer name, BIOS Version, Service Tag, Express Service Code, (if applicable), and the Asset Tag. None of these fields can be modified.Processor Info Identifies the CPU type, processor clock speed, bus speed, L2 cache size, and processor ID. States whether the processor supports 64-bit technology.Memory Info Lists the type, size, speed, and channel mode (dual or single) of installed memory.PCI Info Identifies any installed PCI or PCI Express cards.Date/Time Displays current date and time settings.Boot Sequence The computer attempts to boot from the sequence of devices specified in this list. HDD Boot SequenceLists the order that the BIOS will search the available hard drives in the system.DrivesDiskette Drive(Internaldefault)This option enables or disables the floppy drive. The options are Off, USB, Internal, and Read Only. NOTE: If USB is selected, ensure that USB Controller setup option under Onboard Devices is set to On.D
The desktop had an old HDD that was so slow i cant even load windows fully so I put a new one in but now it says diskette drive o seek failure press f1 to continue. So I press f1 and it shows a white flashing line at the top left of the screen. I am stuck and any help is greatly apricated! And I know the HDD works if your thinking it is the HDD that's gone bad.
Dell Dimension C521 starts but only shows a while line