command prompt to boot

i dont know what to put there..
okay here it is..i have a laptop (an old laptop) it have a dvd drive..
i want to boot windows xp cd using that drive..but the problem is, it can’t detect the cd..so i have an external dvd drive..ive connected the usb thing and all that..
but the problem occurs again, the bios seem not to have “usb-dvd” option on boot..it only have hard disk, cd-rom, floppy drive..you know the boot sequence thing..
so i want to ask..is there any external boot system that i can use? like a command prompt or anything? i want to use the external drive to boot the cd..
pliss help
Answer #1
if you don’t have any selection for usb device as first boot device, then you might have to upgrade your bios to the lastest one your motherboard supports.
it might offer that option. mine has that option along w/ network boot through ethernet
Answer #2
you know where to find bios update file on the net?
and can i download it from other computer and install it to the laptop?
edit..okay i here’s my bios version ACER V3.3 R01-A1B, 12/11/2001
i took this using System Info tool..you know where to find compatible bios?
Answer #3
does it not detect the cd drive at all or just not that disk?
Answer #4
well, other computer can read the cd, but the laptop not..
the cd drive, i think the laptop detects it, but i different cd gives different result..i have to remove and put it back again to make it happen..but it still can boot the cd..
is there any software?