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Laptop problems

Started by Bakingsoda36 Apr 28, 2003 at 11:20 PM 29 replies 650+ views
Original Post
Bakingsoda36
Bakingsoda36
I was just wondering if anyone could help me out. I have this old laptop(1998) and it wont boot up it, it just asks for the system disk. It has a cd rom drive but not not a floppy drive so I tried to boot off of my Windows 2000 cd and then my Windows 95 cd but it doesnt work. Im pretty sure that the previous OS was 98 so would I need that cd for it to work? Or is there something else I can do to fix it? thnx
Drevay
Drevay
Baby Satan loves you.

"Few creatures of the night have captured our imagination like vampires..." Godsmack
DigiCode - My solo company in progress.
_________________Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen. -- Winston ChurchillGDNet-0.2 - rate users the easy way with this nifty Firefox extension. Updated with new features.
Bakingsoda36
Bakingsoda36
Is there anyone who could be a bit more helpful please?

thnx
Drevay
Drevay
It''s you! That ignorant prick on mIRC! BLAM YOU BLASPHEMER!

"Few creatures of the night have captured our imagination like vampires..." Godsmack
DigiCode - My solo company in progress.
_________________Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen. -- Winston ChurchillGDNet-0.2 - rate users the easy way with this nifty Firefox extension. Updated with new features.
Bakingsoda36
Bakingsoda36
How was I being ignorant? I used r and u instead of you and are, and u got all ticked at me.
Drevay
Drevay
LIES !

"Few creatures of the night have captured our imagination like vampires..." Godsmack
DigiCode - My solo company in progress.
_________________Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen. -- Winston ChurchillGDNet-0.2 - rate users the easy way with this nifty Firefox extension. Updated with new features.
Critical_Waste
Critical_Waste
quote:
Original post by Bakingsoda36
Is there anyone who could be a bit more helpful please?

thnx


Sure. Does your laptop boot up to the bios screen or does it simply not turn on? If it boots try to enter your BIOS. Usually you have to hit some key like "f8" "f2" "esc" etc. The screen usually says what key you need to hit to get there. Now if you can get into your bios, make sure your CD-ROM drive is your 1st Boot device. How do you do this? I think its a menu option under advance features but I am not sure. Just look for an entry about Boot devices and place the CD-ROM as 1st boot priority.

Now save your change to your bios and place Win2000 CD in drive and reboot. It should be simple from there on out. If not your looking at something a little more tricky.
Bakingsoda36
Bakingsoda36
Yeah thats the problem I can''t get into my BIOS settings. The moment I turn it on it says right away "Please insert System Disk"
Drevay
Drevay
Format C:

....

Well, I''m not sure as to what to do, but...Maybe having your Win98 sys disc WOULD help yah.

"Few creatures of the night have captured our imagination like vampires..." Godsmack
DigiCode - My solo company in progress.
_________________Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen. -- Winston ChurchillGDNet-0.2 - rate users the easy way with this nifty Firefox extension. Updated with new features.
Critical_Waste
Critical_Waste
Your saying the very first thing your laptop displays when it is turned on is:

"Please insert system disk"? I find that hard to believe. Are you sure your not missing your BIOS boot up sequence? It could be covered by your laptop''s logo.

You might have to remove the laptop HD and reformat it on another computer system...
shortguy465
shortguy465
quote:
Original post by Critical_Waste
Your saying the very first thing your laptop displays when it is turned on is:

"Please insert system disk"? I find that hard to believe. Are you sure your not missing your BIOS boot up sequence? It could be covered by your laptop''s logo.

You might have to remove the laptop HD and reformat it on another computer system...


Are you sure that would work? I always thought that laptop HDD''s were different from the IDE HDD''s in desktops...
TSwitch
TSwitch
As a matter of fact, I just took apart mine and... no. they are the same. At least they look the same.
Member of the Unban nes8bit or the White Rhino in my Basement Gets Sold to the Highest Bidder Association (UNWRBGSHBA - Not accepting new members.)Member of the I'm Glad Mithrandir Finally Found an Association that Accepts People with his Past History Association (IGMFFAAPPHA)
Critical_Waste
Critical_Waste
quote:
Original post by shortguy465
Are you sure that would work? I always thought that laptop HDD's were different from the IDE HDD's in desktops...


Find another compatable laptop maybe? I am not going to baby step a person through everything. I gotta paper to write. Anyhow in my 10 years of working on computers I have NEVER seen the machine skip the BIOS boot if the dang thing turns on at all. If it doesn't turn on that is a whole nother can of worms. Since it does I am shocked your not getting some form of boot screen.

Please describe EXACTLY how the laptop displays this messsage and anything else it displays BEFORE it displays this message. Also you might consider emailing your laptops maker with a cry for help.

PS >> R.T.F.M. READ THE FUCKING MANUEL! If you don't have one go on the intar-net and find an equivalent copy. Use the search engine. Google is all powerful! I still refuse to believe it doesn't give you a BIOS screen.


[edited by - Critical_Waste on April 29, 2003 1:57:36 AM]
Sneftel
Sneftel
Most laptops use 2.5" form factor IDE drives. You can get an adapter for your desktop at your local Fry''s.

How appropriate. You fight like a cow.
Bakingsoda36
Bakingsoda36
Yeah I thought it was kinda weird too. The first time I turned it on it like displayed how much like memory it has. Then it went to a screen that said "Please Insert System Disk, Press any Key When Ready" and now whenever I start it up the screen is blank for about 5 seconds then goes right to that screen. So maybe in those 5 seconds it does the Boot Sequence? Doubtful.





[edited by - Bakingsoda36 on April 29, 2003 2:10:05 AM]
shortguy465
shortguy465
quote:
Original post by Critical_Waste
Anyhow in my 10 years of working on computers I have NEVER seen the machine skip the BIOS boot if the dang thing turns on at all.

[edited by - Critical_Waste on April 29, 2003 1:57:36 AM]


Mine doesn''t have a BIOS screen...(not visibly anyway). I turn the computer on. There is a black screen for about 1 second, then it goes to the Windows XP loading screen. Maybe that black screen is my only chance to get to the BIOS, OR i can''t do it that way.
Jamie7
Jamie7
Without gettings Specs (GIVE US SPECS) it has a BIOS.
Your computer won''t work with out one.. try it.

Try these keys.
Alt + S
Ctrl + S
Del
F2
F10
F8
Ctl + Alt + S
Esc

They''re the common ones.


If you can''t get it at all, buy an Adapter your laptop does have a IDE drive (it''s smaller obviously) and with an adapter, you can plug it in just as a normal IDE into your normal machine where you can format it and put DOS on with CD drivers. There on comes Windows 2000.

This is presuming you don''t have the love child of Korn laptop.

TSwitch
TSwitch
Whoa... 2.5"????? Mine looks like a normal IDE drive... I guess because mine is supposed to be a desktop replacement-type laptop.

Now that I look at it, it does seem smaller overall. But the thing where the cable plugs in looks the same.
Member of the Unban nes8bit or the White Rhino in my Basement Gets Sold to the Highest Bidder Association (UNWRBGSHBA - Not accepting new members.)Member of the I'm Glad Mithrandir Finally Found an Association that Accepts People with his Past History Association (IGMFFAAPPHA)
Critical_Waste
Critical_Waste
quote:
Original post by Bakingsoda36
...now whenever I start it up the screen is blank for about 5 seconds then goes right to that screen. So maybe in those 5 seconds it does the Boot Sequence? Doubtful.


This blank screen is your BIOS booting. Please give us specs or try Jamie7''s BIOS key suggestions while it is at this blank screen. If you could give us your model of laptop we could help...
Bakingsoda36
Bakingsoda36
Im pretty sure its a 200mhz with 64mb of RAM and it is a Toshiba Satellite Pro 430CDT. Im not postive though because I got it from a friend and the person didnt know what the specs were.

[edited by - Bakingsoda36 on April 29, 2003 3:22:33 AM]

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