Major Help? Please?

blah12 · 10-05-2007, 04:06 AM

I recently acquired this Pentium III IBM laptop. The hardrive died, somehow, after I brought it on a two hour trip to my aunts house in my backpack, and was basically dead. I purchased a new one (same specs, size and such) and I got some message after I let it load that basically says that there is a problem reading the hardrive, and to press control alt delete to restart the computer. Tried it a couple times, and had the same problem. I'm pretty sure that the reason this is showing up is basically because there IS no information on the hardrive, nor is it really set up with the laptop quite yet?
Now I wanted to install Windows XP, but whenever I insert the disk and do the first step where it reformats the disk and get up to where it restarts, it goes right back to that "cannot read" error. So I figured it just wasn't booting from the disk. I did some research, and tinkered with the settings. When you first load up the computer, there is an F1 and F12 option. F1 for all of the main settings excluding Bio and F12 for manual loading, such as the CD drive, hardrive, etc. If you let it load a bit longer, you can press control or alt S to load the Bio settings. So as I said, I tinkered with the settings, and now I made it so whenever it loads you have to choose what you want to load. The problem is, I just tried re-downloading the OS, and after it finished step one, I tried just simply booting from the OS. Didn't work. Just went to the main screen. I tried just letting it sit without the settings I chose. Nothing. I have no idea what to do, what not to do, but mainly how to get my OS running on my tripled laptop.
So, my main question, in short, is this. How do you get Windows XP up and running on a laptop with a brand new (used, really but wiped completely) hardrive?

Now you'll have to bear with me a bit with out of OS options. When it comes to the actual OS, I'm an expert. But when it comes to out of OS options such as Bio settings, choosing what to load and whatnot, I'm near lost. I've done a lot of research, and either my laptop has completely different options than most, or I just have no idea what I'm doing. So, help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much to the one who helps me with this.

EDIT: I've come to the conclusion that the computer simply isn't saving information to the hardrive. I'm nearly positive that this is the problem. What's wrong, and how do I fix it? Is the hardrive done for; even though it's brand new?

**oscaryu1** · 10-05-2007, 01:13 PM

Maybe the HDD works? But the optical is dead? Or the CD is scratched? What is the hard brand?

ApexHack · 10-06-2007, 01:09 AM

Lotsa words, but I didn't see where you had confirmed that the bios is set to boot from the HDD. Could it be that simple?

blah12 · 10-06-2007, 06:59 AM

Well, the funny thing is that in the Bios settings, there are names for each setting. For example, the boot order has ONE option. Use 'BIOS Setup Boot Order.' The Network Boot Protocol has two options. PXE (Preboot eXecution Environment) which it is set to now, and RPL (Remote Program Load). Setup prompt os enabled, the setup menu wait time is set to two seconds, and the legacy OS Wakeup Support is disabled. Tried enabling that, and it really doesn't do anything, nor even save the option when you change it. That's what lead me to believe that the hardrive isn't saving any data and is just simply bad. The boot agent is version 4.0.17. Now the hardrive brand is Fujitsu, so...

Now also, most of the time I get another error. That error is invalid boot.tnt file, booting from c:/windows/, NDETECT failed. The computer keeps restarting, and keeps looping with this message.

Now also, I have manually started up the hardrive via options, and I get the same exact error, so I don't believe it is the boot order or anything...

ApexHack · 10-06-2007, 12:35 PM

Sorry, I guess you did talk about boot order in your first post. I guess I read it way too fast.

Hrrm, I ran into that network boot business a while back and do remember having all sorts of trouble with it. I got it to work but it still goes through a little search routine on startup.

It sounds to me like this may be the problem.

Quote:

the boot order has ONE option. Use 'BIOS Setup Boot Order.'

There isn't another page somewhere with more options on this?

Best of luck, sorry I can't help more. Maybe it would help to list the exact model of notebook and bios version?

Cheers

blah12 · 10-06-2007, 06:26 PM

It's an IBM Thinkpad... That's all I really have on the model. The BIOS just says, "4.0 release 6.0." So not too sure which one it really means. The boot agent version is 4.0.17.

ApexHack · 10-07-2007, 10:19 AM

Ah, you can do better. The model should be on a sticker on the bottom or it's listed all over in bios. I thought you've been in there?

I was farting around in my bios (dell D600) and there was a field to tell it to either accept or deny a network boot request.

Have you found and downloaded your user & service manuals?

10-05-2007, 04:06 AM	#1 (permalink)
blah12 New Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 3	Major Help? Please? I recently acquired this Pentium III IBM laptop. The hardrive died, somehow, after I brought it on a two hour trip to my aunts house in my backpack, and was basically dead. I purchased a new one (same specs, size and such) and I got some message after I let it load that basically says that there is a problem reading the hardrive, and to press control alt delete to restart the computer. Tried it a couple times, and had the same problem. I'm pretty sure that the reason this is showing up is basically because there IS no information on the hardrive, nor is it really set up with the laptop quite yet? Now I wanted to install Windows XP, but whenever I insert the disk and do the first step where it reformats the disk and get up to where it restarts, it goes right back to that "cannot read" error. So I figured it just wasn't booting from the disk. I did some research, and tinkered with the settings. When you first load up the computer, there is an F1 and F12 option. F1 for all of the main settings excluding Bio and F12 for manual loading, such as the CD drive, hardrive, etc. If you let it load a bit longer, you can press control or alt S to load the Bio settings. So as I said, I tinkered with the settings, and now I made it so whenever it loads you have to choose what you want to load. The problem is, I just tried re-downloading the OS, and after it finished step one, I tried just simply booting from the OS. Didn't work. Just went to the main screen. I tried just letting it sit without the settings I chose. Nothing. I have no idea what to do, what not to do, but mainly how to get my OS running on my tripled laptop. So, my main question, in short, is this. How do you get Windows XP up and running on a laptop with a brand new (used, really but wiped completely) hardrive? Now you'll have to bear with me a bit with out of OS options. When it comes to the actual OS, I'm an expert. But when it comes to out of OS options such as Bio settings, choosing what to load and whatnot, I'm near lost. I've done a lot of research, and either my laptop has completely different options than most, or I just have no idea what I'm doing. So, help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much to the one who helps me with this. EDIT: I've come to the conclusion that the computer simply isn't saving information to the hardrive. I'm nearly positive that this is the problem. What's wrong, and how do I fix it? Is the hardrive done for; even though it's brand new? Last edited by blah12; 10-05-2007 at 04:15 AM.

10-05-2007, 01:13 PM	#2 (permalink)
oscaryu1 Moderator Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Age: 14 Posts: 10,640	Maybe the HDD works? But the optical is dead? Or the CD is scratched? What is the hard brand? __________________ Q6600 P45-DS3R 2x 2GB AMPx DDR2-1066 CL5 Western Digital Caviar 8MB 160GB SATAII HIS Radeon HD4870 512MB PCI-E 2.0 w/ Zalman ZF1000 DVD Burner SATAII hec 600W Dual Rail PSU Gigabyte ATX Case

10-06-2007, 06:59 AM	#4 (permalink)
blah12 New Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 3	Well, the funny thing is that in the Bios settings, there are names for each setting. For example, the boot order has ONE option. Use 'BIOS Setup Boot Order.' The Network Boot Protocol has two options. PXE (Preboot eXecution Environment) which it is set to now, and RPL (Remote Program Load). Setup prompt os enabled, the setup menu wait time is set to two seconds, and the legacy OS Wakeup Support is disabled. Tried enabling that, and it really doesn't do anything, nor even save the option when you change it. That's what lead me to believe that the hardrive isn't saving any data and is just simply bad. The boot agent is version 4.0.17. Now the hardrive brand is Fujitsu, so... Now also, most of the time I get another error. That error is invalid boot.tnt file, booting from c:/windows/, NDETECT failed. The computer keeps restarting, and keeps looping with this message. Now also, I have manually started up the hardrive via options, and I get the same exact error, so I don't believe it is the boot order or anything... Last edited by blah12; 10-06-2007 at 07:08 AM.

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10-06-2007, 01:09 AM	#3 (permalink)
ApexHack Bronze Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 54	Lotsa words, but I didn't see where you had confirmed that the bios is set to boot from the HDD. Could it be that simple?

10-06-2007, 06:26 PM	#6 (permalink)
blah12 New Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 3	It's an IBM Thinkpad... That's all I really have on the model. The BIOS just says, "4.0 release 6.0." So not too sure which one it really means. The boot agent version is 4.0.17.

10-07-2007, 10:19 AM	#7 (permalink)
ApexHack Bronze Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 54	Ah, you can do better. The model should be on a sticker on the bottom or it's listed all over in bios. I thought you've been in there? I was farting around in my bios (dell D600) and there was a field to tell it to either accept or deny a network boot request. Have you found and downloaded your user & service manuals?