geoffquad2004
New Member
So I bought a Gateway Solo 5300, It did not come with a hard drive or an OS. Would any of this contribute to the screen not working?
Laptop Black Screen
- Thread starter geoffquad2004
- Start date
gamblingman
VIP Member
Um..... the OS is on the hard drive. You said that you don't have a hard drive, well then you dont have an OS and the computer wont startup without an OS. Thus a black screen.
Does this answer your question?
EDIT! Are you familiar with Linux at all? You might be able to boot from a ubuntu loaded falsh drive, but its kind of a big maybe.
Does this answer your question?
EDIT! Are you familiar with Linux at all? You might be able to boot from a ubuntu loaded falsh drive, but its kind of a big maybe.
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gamblingman
VIP Member
You should see a POST, the BIOS will usually look for devices and try to boot the OS. But, your not seeing anything.... Are you sure the screen works? (Laptops are notorious for damaged/non-working screens.) Do you hear any sounds (like fans or DVD disk tray noise, etc...) or see lights turn on and/or stay on?
Before you try to get a POST screen again, unplug all the unnecessary accessories (for instance, unplug any external hard drives, flash drives, mice, keyboards, USB hubs, unplug your internet cord and so forth...); also be sure you have the correct battery for your laptop and that its securely mounted in place and also that the power cord is firmly plugged into the laptop and into a wall outlet you are sure has power.
I have to ask, why isn't there a hard drive? Is there anything you can tell me about this computer that might be worth knowing? Does it have signs of physical damage, do you trust the person you bough it from, has anyone tried to "fix" this problem, etc...?
(Edit: Can I ask how much you paid for this computer?)
Before you try to get a POST screen again, unplug all the unnecessary accessories (for instance, unplug any external hard drives, flash drives, mice, keyboards, USB hubs, unplug your internet cord and so forth...); also be sure you have the correct battery for your laptop and that its securely mounted in place and also that the power cord is firmly plugged into the laptop and into a wall outlet you are sure has power.
I have to ask, why isn't there a hard drive? Is there anything you can tell me about this computer that might be worth knowing? Does it have signs of physical damage, do you trust the person you bough it from, has anyone tried to "fix" this problem, etc...?
(Edit: Can I ask how much you paid for this computer?)
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geoffquad2004
New Member
So I added a stick of ram and now know that it works. My next thing is I tried to boot Ubuntu from a usb drive and it's not working. I tried to change the booting order so that it boots from the usb, but that is not listed as an option. I thought it would be considered a removable drive, but I think that's what the Floppy drive is considered. I would've done the CD boot but the machine doesn't have a CD-Rom. 
It's a work in progress. Any suggestions as far as trying to boot from the usb stick?
It's a work in progress. Any suggestions as far as trying to boot from the usb stick?
PohTayToez
Active Member
On some older computers it simply isn't possible to boot from USB. You can get a replacement CD drive for around $20, though.
geoffquad2004
New Member
It Lives!!!!
So the machine works...sorta. After getting a hdd from a coworker and buying two sticks of ram it works. Now I need to get windows to start. I don't know what to do as far as typing in the command lines in BIOS. The machine does not have an internal CDRom. I bought an external that hooks up to the USB, but the BIOS doesn't support USB. My question is how can I upgrade the BIOS to recognize the usb port so that I can run the setup disk?
So the machine works...sorta. After getting a hdd from a coworker and buying two sticks of ram it works. Now I need to get windows to start. I don't know what to do as far as typing in the command lines in BIOS. The machine does not have an internal CDRom. I bought an external that hooks up to the USB, but the BIOS doesn't support USB. My question is how can I upgrade the BIOS to recognize the usb port so that I can run the setup disk?