so heres a question

[Darkness]

hey guys

havent been around much because my computer is broken. I managed to get my hands on an old Presario 2100 notebook (also broken but not completely bricked)

I'm trying to reinstall windows... but it won't let me boot from a windows cd (Home or Pro)... but it will let me boot from a linux system rescue disk.

The cd drive is not actually in the notebook (that ones broken), as such I am using an external dvd burner.

Both the windows and the linux disk use CDFS and both (should) be bootable.

Any ideas?

[Jari]

I think that finished XP installation prior to SP2 can't boot from USB device - not sure, but there are couple of mentions on the Internets, could it be that the installer is just as incapable?

In other words, do you have means of slipstreaming XP installation media anywhere, so you could add SP2 to it?

[James Pond]

Im assuming that it is an older laptop, and therefore basing my ideas on that.


Download the Bootdisks from the following website

http://www.bootdisk.com/

Write to (I think its 6 or 7) Floppys, and thar you go, it should then let you install your chosen OS.



That *should* work.

[Darkness]

no floppy drive

[James Pond]

>_<

[ChaosControl]

Does it boot from USB?

[Darkness]

It does. The cd drive I'm using is USB.

[Izban]

you can install from a usb key if the BIOS supports boot from USB but if not you sort of screwed I'd go get the built in CD drive fixed or replaced

[Aaron]

If the laptop has a standard "slim" form-factor CD-ROM drive, you may be able to just replace it for not too much money.  For example, http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=slim+cd-rom&x=0&y=0.

(If you can remove the CD-ROM drive and look at the connector on the back, and look at the back of some of those drives in the extra pictures, then you might be able to tell if it will work.  My laptop has a standard slim drive in it, but I didn't realize that one form factor was so widespread for a while.)

[Borde]

Another idea would be to put your HD in another notebook and install from there. If you are lucky, you should be able to boot that system on your notebook in the safe mode and then install your drivers.

[Darkness]

The CD drive itself isn't broken. Its something on the motherboard. So replacing it is a non-option. But still.. why will it boot one thing and not another?

[Izban]

if all else fails Google it or start again from scratch with a new pc

it could be a compatibility problem i.e windows xp doesn't recognize the laptop

[ChaosControl]

If you got a serial cable you could use interlink (and interserver) via dos and copy all the installation files then install from c:\
I used to do that with win98, no idea if it is still possible.

[The Skillster]

What type of installation media are you using? Some OEM copies of XP don't boot.
Like other's suggested it may be easier to boot off a USB HDD or USB Flash key with some utils to start the install.
You could always try using BartPE which will let you boot into a pre XP environment with some LAN support so you could copy XP i386 folder to your Hard drive and then boot off a dos boot CD and install from HD.
Lots of different ways, like in the days when Win95 CDroms were non bootable...

[Midgar]

Try an non offical  windows installation. Not sure if I can link you, but I used bulletxp. You can...

Boot from a Win:LiveCD and use that for a while.


Boot from linux.
Create an NTFS partition on the HDD.
Enable some sort of virtualPC that can wirte to a hard drive.
Install windows.

Try ReactOS for a while.

Linux+Wine.

Hope something has been helpful.