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Geek Culture / Oh boy, am I screwed :(

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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 27th Apr 2003 01:35
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Ok, I have a IBM ThinkPad 760ED (a really old clunker).
Anyway, it has a completely blank disk drive, and NO
DISKETTE DRIVE!!! Only a cd-rom drive! ARG! My WinME
Boot CD won't run in it, and I can't think of anything else I can try
Does anyone know if it is possible to use a boot CD with this laptop or if I have to find a diskette drive that will work with it?
Alex Wanuch
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IanM
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Posted: 27th Apr 2003 01:44
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Silly question - Have you checked to see if the BIOS has settings for activating a bootable CD?
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 27th Apr 2003 01:49
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I can't get into the bios... simply because I don't know how... pressing Del doesn't work, but lemme try a few other tricks

Alex Wanuch
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 27th Apr 2003 01:54
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ok I'm in gimme a minute

Alex Wanuch
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 27th Apr 2003 01:58
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Well... I set the boot order to CD rom first if thats what you mean, other than that how can I set up the bios for it?

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MrTAToad
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Posted: 27th Apr 2003 04:00
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It is the boot order - make the CD first (or floppy if you've got a bootable floppy disk handy), and everything else second, third etc.

Good news everyone! I really am THAT good...
http://www.nickk.nildram.co.uk/ for great plug-ins - oh my, yes!
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Shady Simpson
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Posted: 27th Apr 2003 11:40
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hi,

I must sound really stupid to all of you, but how do you change the boot order of whatever. Just say at the start when the computer is starting up, how do you make the computer check for CD's in the D: or E: Drive?

Because I know this automatically does this with the floppy, Just wanna know how to change to Cd Drives aswell

Thanx.

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IanM
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Posted: 27th Apr 2003 13:52
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It depends on who has created your BIOS.

For an 'Award' version 6 BIOS, it's under Advanced BIOS Features. It lists First boot device, second boot device etc.

I have mine set to HDD-0, disabled, disabled normally, and switch to Floppy, CDROM, disabled for maintenance. That allows me to format the machine using a bootable floppy I have, then eject and go straight into a windows build using a bootable CDROM.
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Kangaroo2
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Posted: 27th Apr 2003 16:24
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Shady (That is presuming you know to press Delete key to Enter your Bios in the first place Its usually about when the pc starts counting your RAM, or on some PCs, when the masking Manufacturer logo is displayed)

Raps: I take it you can't get to any form of command prompt? You could always use another pc with a writable CD drive to create a bootable CD-ROM "format d: /s" using a direct drive program, or Nero will let you I think That would then bring up a command prompt, then put the windows cd in and load that from the dos prompt, like "d:\setup.exe"

Hope this helps

Coming Soon! Kangaroo2 Studio... wait and quiver with anticipation! lol
samjones@kangaroo2.com - http://www.kangaroo2.com - If the apocalypse comes, email me
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Van B
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Posted: 27th Apr 2003 17:18
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Why not get hold of a window98 boot diskette, then boot from that, format the drive then install from dos.

I recently had to install 98 on my Laptop, with no CD-Rom - Laplink is a possibility, but you'd need a null modem cable.


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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 27th Apr 2003 18:40
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ok... I DON'T HAVE A DISKETTE DRIVE!!! This laptop ONLY has a CD-ROM drive in it, and it's taken me forever to find a power cord for it, how the hell am I supposed to find a diskette drive?

Anyway, no command prompt, only: Invalid system disk.

The BIOS is IBM's thinkpad bios, it's very graphical lol. You can set the boot order, which I did but even though it detects the CD Rom drive and tests it as working fine, it will not let me put it into the boot order.

I've made boot CD's that I've tested on other computers, this laptop won't take them however. It just says invalid system disk.

This is rediculous

Alex Wanuch
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the_winch
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Posted: 27th Apr 2003 20:00 Edited at: 27th Apr 2003 20:01
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Bootable cds don't work on all computers, especially ones with old cddrives.

Do you know anybody else with a laptop? swap the drives and install with the other laptop.,

If it's an ide drive you need a 44-40 pin adapter. They should be less than £5. Or you could make your own. The 4 extra pins over a standard ide cable are for power. Then you can put the drive in your desktop and install windows.

See
http://www.unitechelectronics.com/minide.htm
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 27th Apr 2003 21:03 Edited at: 27th Apr 2003 21:03
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No, I guess I'll try and find another laptop with a compatible drive... maybe I can get someone from computer engineering at my school to hotwire to a comp

whatever, thanks. I'm convinced it can't boot from a cd so there isn't much I cna do but find a floppy drive.

Unless.. does anyone know how I would go about booting from a PCMCIA card?

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IanM
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Posted: 27th Apr 2003 23:33
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Do you have access to another laptop? You could extract the HD, plug it into the other laptop, put DOS on it with drivers for the CDROM, then put everything back together.

Alternatively, check IBM's website to see if they still stock the floppy drives for your machine.
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Chessplayer
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Posted: 28th Apr 2003 02:30
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While we're on the subject of system bios, whenever I try to flash my AWARD bios, it brings up a message that says "Insufficient Memory". Does anyone know why this is happening?

Chess isn't just for old, wise men! (really!)
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the_winch
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Posted: 28th Apr 2003 04:00
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I don't know but flashing a bios has risks, If you don't have the ability to fix it if it goes wrong it's not really worth it unless you really need what is fixed in the later version.

You are trying to flash from a dos boot disk not from in windows arn't you.
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IanM
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Posted: 28th Apr 2003 08:01
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I had a brown-trousers event updating my BIOS yesterday (inspired by this thread).

The instructions were less than clear, the update didn't tell you when it had completed, and the final step was to 'pull the plug'.

Still, it all seemed to work alright in the end
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indi
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Posted: 28th Apr 2003 08:10
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some lappies use f1 f2 as the boot access.

Its a page up page down keyboard access then and most of the controls are displayed at the bottom of the screen for usage.

http://www.lunarpixel.com

http://www.lunarpixel.com/dt/
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 28th Apr 2003 15:18
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Nope, nothing is displayed, except the memory test. And the IBM logo... then the screen changes and it's just the IBM logo, then it gives the invalid system disk message. Oh BTW- the hard drive is 80 prong... so it isn't pure IDE.

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the_winch
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Posted: 28th Apr 2003 22:21
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The logo may be cleared with Esc or another key. Just keep restarting it and press every key one by one.

Check it's not got an adaper pushed into the back of the harddrive with extra pins. I don't know a lot about the different ide starndards, perhaps one uses 80 pins

A quick google search came up with this
http://www.qsl.net/n0nb/linux/tp760ed.html
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 29th Apr 2003 04:18
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Ok, I'm a dumbass. The number of prongs is 60, 30x2. I will post a pic of the connection in a bit, I don't think I'll be able to get a clear shot tho

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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 29th Apr 2003 04:33
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Here ya go:

I posted links only so as not to kill dial up users, they are large pics, and I also don't want to break the tables

IDE Pic -> Hard drive side. The computer side is male, and fits into that slot you see, if you catch my drift :S

http://www.alex.wanuch.com/images/IDE.jpg

BIOS pic, boot order window. CD Rom is not listed
http://www.alex.wanuch.com/images/Bios1.jpg

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the_winch
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Posted: 29th Apr 2003 21:08 Edited at: 29th Apr 2003 21:10
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Check the dimensions here

http://www.storagereview.com/guide2000/ref/hdd/op/formIn25.html

If yours is longer and encased in plastic it could mean the connecter is pluged into the standard 44 pin ide harddrive and that the extra pins are not used or do something else (temp sensor etc.).

Then it's just a case of buying or making an adapter and connecting it to a desktop and installing the nessary files to install the os on the laptop.
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APEXnow
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Posted: 30th Apr 2003 02:23
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It was just a thought but on my Compaq Presario, to access the BIOS, you must press the F10 key during the 'Compaq' logo when the Laptop is turned on, whether this applies to your machine is another matter, eitherway, try F10 or F12.

"Man who looses key to woman's appartment...... He get no nookie" - A wise chinese man.
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 30th Apr 2003 02:51
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You hold F1 when the laptop starts up

Alex Wanuch
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 30th Apr 2003 04:39
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Ok, if I rummage around and try connecting things to my comp's IDE cables (I'll use my old comp of course ) will I wreck the laptop's HD? I suppose you can't say for sure but what would you think?

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Chessplayer
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Posted: 30th Apr 2003 04:45
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I say TOAST the stinkin' motherboard!

Chess isn't just for old, wise men! (really!)
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 30th Apr 2003 06:32
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Yes, well um... YOUR AN IDIOT!
No just joking

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the_winch
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Posted: 30th Apr 2003 23:08
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If it is a standard 44-pin 2.5 inch ide drive (it proberly is) then you just need to find out which pin is which. The easyiest way to do this is remove the plastic case around the drive.
Then remove the adapter. This will hopfully leave you with a plastic case, an adapter and a standard 2.5 inch drive.

The interface details are here
http://www.unitechelectronics.com/minide.htm
Not too difficult to make but if you live near a decent computer shop it would be easy to buy one it looks like this.
http://www.cablesnmor.com/f26500-pics.html
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Proteus
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Posted: 1st May 2003 05:27
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No network booting?

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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 1st May 2003 06:49
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Woah, it says network booting in the BIOS, not sure how to do it though... would I have to get a PCMCIA card?

the_winch: Thanks, I'll try that if this whole network boot thing doesn't work

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Proteus
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Posted: 1st May 2003 18:03
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Never done it before but I think you`ll need:
-network card
-server
-program installed at server to handle the booting of the client computer
Have you tried The IBM support?

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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 1st May 2003 23:51
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no lol, I'd have to pay them (warrenty aand free tech support is LONG up), and then they'd tell me to get a disk drive.
assholes...

Alex Wanuch
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 2nd May 2003 01:09
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here we go, I opened her up but it isn't a standerd ide drive from what I can tell




Alex Wanuch
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the_winch
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Posted: 2nd May 2003 17:32
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It looks like a standard 2.5 inch ide drive so it will be easy to attatch to a desktop with a 44 to 40 pin ide lead.
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 3rd May 2003 07:35
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?

Alex Wanuch
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the_winch
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Posted: 3rd May 2003 16:53
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You desktop will have 40 pin ide connectors and cables. The laptop drive has 44 pins. The 4 extra pins are essentially for powering the drive.
The 4 pins on there own (on the left of your picture) are the same as the jumpers on a desktop drive and set the drive to master,slave etc.

Picture

link incase the image don't work
http://www.unitechelectronics.com/minide.htm
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 4th May 2003 08:05
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Ok, so even if I could match up the pins and get it connected, how would I go about powering the thing??

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IanM
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Posted: 4th May 2003 13:57
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Look at his post for April 30th, and follow the last link there. You'll see how it looks.
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rapscaLLion
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Posted: 4th May 2003 21:36
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ok

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