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Come Inside... => The Computer Room => Topic started by: TG on November 21, 2009, 04:21:34 PM

Title: One for the techies #2
Post by: TG on November 21, 2009, 04:21:34 PM
I am trying to reformat Mrs TG's laptop which runs Vista.

I have a genuine XP Pro CD but when I try to do the usual thing, i.e insert XP disc and boot from CD and install from there, the install goes only far. It eventually says it cannot install XP because no hard drive is present?

It is a toshiba laptop with vista pre installed in the usual way. I imagine Toshiba have locked the HDD in some way.

Any ideas?

Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: Barman on November 21, 2009, 05:21:04 PM
I am trying to reformat Mrs TG's laptop which runs Vista.

I have a genuine XP Pro CD but when I try to do the usual thing, i.e insert XP disc and boot from CD and install from there, the install goes only far. It eventually says it cannot install XP because no hard drive is present?

It is a toshiba laptop with vista pre installed in the usual way. I imagine Toshiba have locked the HDD in some way.

Any ideas?


I know, I know!  cloud9:

I'm guessing the Xp CD is quite old...?

If it doesn't have SP2 on it, it will be unable to 'see' the large hard drive on the laptop...

Even tho it starts the process, it cannot complete it....  Banghead

If that is the case then you need to get the XP install disc to create a smaller partition on the disc to install XP on...
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: Pastis on November 21, 2009, 05:28:07 PM
I know, I know!  cloud9:


It's not bloody University Challenge you know! Just press your buzzer  lol:
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: TG on November 21, 2009, 05:40:25 PM
I am trying to reformat Mrs TG's laptop which runs Vista.

I have a genuine XP Pro CD but when I try to do the usual thing, i.e insert XP disc and boot from CD and install from there, the install goes only far. It eventually says it cannot install XP because no hard drive is present?

It is a toshiba laptop with vista pre installed in the usual way. I imagine Toshiba have locked the HDD in some way.

Any ideas?


I know, I know!  cloud9:

I'm guessing the Xp CD is quite old...?

If it doesn't have SP2 on it, it will be unable to 'see' the large hard drive on the laptop...

Even tho it starts the process, it cannot complete it....  Banghead

If that is the case then you need to get the XP install disc to create a smaller partition on the disc to install XP on...

You are right. Pre SP2 disc. So wot do I do next? Partion on the what now?
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: Barman on November 22, 2009, 08:36:55 AM
I am trying to reformat Mrs TG's laptop which runs Vista.

I have a genuine XP Pro CD but when I try to do the usual thing, i.e insert XP disc and boot from CD and install from there, the install goes only far. It eventually says it cannot install XP because no hard drive is present?

It is a toshiba laptop with vista pre installed in the usual way. I imagine Toshiba have locked the HDD in some way.

Any ideas?


I know, I know!  cloud9:

I'm guessing the Xp CD is quite old...?

If it doesn't have SP2 on it, it will be unable to 'see' the large hard drive on the laptop...

Even tho it starts the process, it cannot complete it....  Banghead

If that is the case then you need to get the XP install disc to create a smaller partition on the disc to install XP on...

You are right. Pre SP2 disc. So wot do I do next? Partion on the what now?

Um...

If it is a SATA disc it may not support it at all...  noooo:

You could try formatting a small partition to install Xp on...
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: TG on December 05, 2009, 02:30:15 PM
You appear to be spot on with this. Son in law to be is coming for a visit soon and is an IT graduate and says he has a fix for it.



Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: Barman on December 05, 2009, 02:31:45 PM
You appear to be spot on with this. Son in law to be is coming for a visit soon and is an IT graduate and says he has a fix for it.




cloud9:
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: tel on December 07, 2009, 11:32:56 AM
You appear to be spot on with this. Son in law to be is coming for a visit soon and is an IT graduate and says he has a fix for it.





Probably, a hammer.
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: TG on December 08, 2009, 05:21:05 PM
You appear to be spot on with this. Son in law to be is coming for a visit soon and is an IT graduate and says he has a fix for it.





Probably, a hammer.

Mrs TG may take a hammer to it first.  noooo:
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: tel on December 08, 2009, 05:29:43 PM
I suspect it may be caused by a SATA drive. That is a pain to sort out.

You need the correct device driver and have to interrupt the installation to use them - a message appears, prompting this action, think it may say SCSI etc but the procedure is the same.

Can be very fiddly
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: Barman on December 10, 2009, 03:34:25 PM
I suspect it may be caused by a SATA drive. That is a pain to sort out.

You need the correct device driver and have to interrupt the installation to use them - a message appears, prompting this action, think it may say SCSI etc but the procedure is the same.

Can be very fiddly

Plus you have to have a floppy disc attached to use it...  noooo:
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: tel on December 10, 2009, 03:43:26 PM
I do possess a USB floppy drive as it happens, but you can load the drivers from CD as well.
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: Barman on December 10, 2009, 03:50:25 PM
I do possess a USB floppy drive as it happens, but you can load the drivers from CD as well.
From, memory... when it says "if you have a SCSI driver insert it now" in the install process that only supports a 3?" floppy - I spent all day trying to configure a working 3?" drive once to overcome the problem...

However, that may depend on what version of XP you have on the install CD I guess...
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: tel on December 10, 2009, 03:54:12 PM
I can't remember exactly what I did (twas a couple of years ago at least) but I did manage it - had to really, it was the MD's laptop and someone had purloined my floppy drive.
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: TG on December 10, 2009, 04:02:12 PM
It doesn't get that far and gives no other options other than abort the installation.

The man will sort it out on the 18th.

I shall tell you wot he did cos I know you are all waiting with bated breath.

I shall pay him in pickled onions.  cloud9:
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: tel on December 10, 2009, 04:04:49 PM
The message about drivers etc comes up pretty quickly.

Is your CD duff?
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: TG on December 10, 2009, 04:08:45 PM
No. Genuine.
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: Barman on December 10, 2009, 04:09:45 PM
It doesn't get that far and gives no other options other than abort the installation.

The man will sort it out on the 18th.

I shall tell you wot he did cos I know you are all waiting with bated breath.

I shall pay him in pickled onions.  cloud9:
I think it is a SATA problem...
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: TG on December 24, 2009, 04:40:21 PM
It doesn't get that far and gives no other options other than abort the installation.

The man will sort it out on the 18th.

I shall tell you wot he did cos I know you are all waiting with bated breath.

I shall pay him in pickled onions.  cloud9:
I think it is a SATA problem...

It was.

My XP copy was just too old.

The man downloaded the drivers and used a piece of software to create a new XP boot CD that combined my copy with the new drivers.

Ticks like a clock.
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: Barman on December 25, 2009, 07:04:27 PM
It doesn't get that far and gives no other options other than abort the installation.

The man will sort it out on the 18th.

I shall tell you wot he did cos I know you are all waiting with bated breath.

I shall pay him in pickled onions.  cloud9:
I think it is a SATA problem...

It was.

My XP copy was just too old.

The man downloaded the drivers and used a piece of software to create a new XP boot CD that combined my copy with the new drivers.

Ticks like a clock.

I am a technical MegaGod...  cloud9:
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: TG on December 25, 2009, 07:16:25 PM
So wot software do you think he used? To create a new XP disc like?

Answers on a postcard to Snoopys sickbed cos' he might be even more poorly without knowing.
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: Snoopy on December 26, 2009, 01:15:00 PM
 Yargh: Tell me then ~ I have just got here, having read everything that has been posted over the last 5 days and the last thing I read turns out to be a cliff hanger ..................... Barsteward  cussing:
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: tel on December 26, 2009, 02:36:14 PM
It involves copying files from the i386 folder, creating file(s) etc. - you need a working PC to do this obviously.

More than one way to do it if I recall. Haven't done it for ages.
I always keep various types of recovery CDs in my toolkit.
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: Snoopy on December 26, 2009, 03:37:04 PM
Thanks tel ~ that's as clear as mud  surrender:


My HP pc keeps prompting me to make a back-up recovery disc. BUT it won't allow me to do so as every time I put a disc in and press the appropriate tit the damned machine tells me that my disc isn't big enough. I would be happy to create a series of discs but that doesn't appear to be an option that HP have recognised. Their Help Desk is singularly unhelpful, their best suggestion to date being "Don't use a cd-r, try using a rewritable DVD but the machine won't accept that option either, posting on-screen messages telling me to insert a cd-r and not a DVD ...... So I soldier on with no recovery discs.
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: Barman on December 27, 2009, 08:04:31 AM
So wot software do you think he used? To create a new XP disc like?

Answers on a postcard to Snoopys sickbed cos' he might be even more poorly without knowing.

I have no idea...  Shrugs:
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: Snoopy on December 27, 2009, 10:24:59 AM
Still in Dallas I presume  whistle:

I think this is in the wrong thread
 whistle:  http://www.virtual-pub.com/SMF/index.php?topic=7017.msg187818#msg187818
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: Miss Demeanour on December 27, 2009, 10:28:31 AM
See I don't even know what thread I'm posting in now  noooo: noooo: noooo:

Thanks Snoops  happy088
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: Snoopy on December 27, 2009, 11:44:11 AM
Shot away that gerl.  noooo:
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: tel on December 27, 2009, 11:50:12 AM
There's -

http://www.onecomputerguy.com/install/winxp_bootable.htm

http://www.howtohaven.com/system/createwindowssetupdisk.shtml

http://apcmag.com/how_to_create_a_bootable_xp_sp3_cd.htm

for starters.
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: Snoopy on December 27, 2009, 11:52:25 AM
Excellent thanks!














Errrr ~ one doesn't like to be picky but I'm running Vi$ta  confused:
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: tel on December 27, 2009, 11:59:40 AM
http://www.brighthub.com/computing/windows-platform/articles/7050.aspx
Title: Re: One for the techies #2
Post by: Snoopy on December 27, 2009, 12:06:59 PM
 happy088