Installing windows on laptop

hybrid · 17 Mar 2006 at 17:53

Got a massive problem here.

Mate of mine has given me an Advent 7081 laptop and someone has fdisk'd and formatted it.

Now the problem is, i cant get any version of Windows XP installed on it.

I've tried numerous disks now, from XP OEM to XP Retail and even a corp disk from work.

I just keep getting the error that it can not find the files on the CD starting with kodak_dc.icm. I can continue to skip these files, but im sure its going to effect the machine as it seems to die after about 30 secs of copying the files.

Another problem with it being is that the Recovery Partition on the drive has been wiped. Also it didnt come with any recovery disks so he says?!

http://www.pcservicecall.co.uk/layout.aspx?ID={4628fd9c-5a54-4fe2-b3e9-b9b12b931d32}&CatID={05ae922b-e056-4b92-9a37-2ea653a4040e}
The above has been pretty useless to me now.

Any ideas what i could do?

cheers.

hybrid · 17 Mar 2006 at 17:58

also, i have tried to reformat and fdisk the disk again to make sure it was totally blank.

still nothing. It keeps missing out the same files each time.

grrrrr

anyone?

leezer3 · 17 Mar 2006 at 18:03

Try cleaning the CD lens.
Other than that, just ignore the errors and leave it to install for a couple of hours, even if nothing appears to be happening- Windows works in mysterious ways

-Leezer-

hybrid · 17 Mar 2006 at 18:09

Just tried skipping all of the files it asked for when it was 'copying files from the cd'.

Now i have a lovely BSOD....

MEMORY_MANAGEMENT

leezer3 · 17 Mar 2006 at 18:11

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/w2kmsgs/1141.asp

General harware problem somewhere I'm afraid

As this is a lappy, you probably don't have much hope of revival, but you could try memtest & see if this gives something.

-Leezer-

Slam62 · 17 Mar 2006 at 18:14

sounds broken to me, best bet is a different cd drive, you have to ask why it was formatted in the first place and what happened to the cds. :eek:

hybrid · 17 Mar 2006 at 18:16

I was going to try to copy the XP disk to the HDD but it doesnt even have a floppy drive.

Grrrrrr, i so much hate these PC World piles of crap!!

Any more suggestions then?

leezer3 · 17 Mar 2006 at 18:19

Tough one

You're best bet here is to fish up a (floppy) bootdisk that loads all of it's stuff onto a ramdisk. Then use Nero or similar to make a bootable CD & boot from that. Change the CD (All the stuff will have then been copied to the ramdisk) and copy the XP files to the HDD.
I have this nasty suspicion that it won't work though

(You could also just include the contents of the XP CD on your bootable CD)

-Leezer-

hybrid · 17 Mar 2006 at 20:05

Ok, heres another update...

Just tried to install XP Home - retail version on the laptop and now im getting the error... IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL when setup is copying the files to the drive.

This aint looking too good is it?

leezer3 · 17 Mar 2006 at 20:13

Nope- As it's not even the same error, the machine sounds horribly borked, as opposed to some stupid incompatibility etc.
Run memtest on it first, as it could be as simple as a faulty stick of ram, but this one sounds like a goner.

-Leezer-

hybrid · 17 Mar 2006 at 21:41

Yup, found the problem to be a faulty stick of RAM. Memtest proved this so i've given the laptop back so it can be returned to the shop.

Its still under warrenty so they shouldnt make that much of a fuss.

***NEVER BUY AN ADVENT MACHINE***

lol

cheers for the help and suggestions though d00d.

stormchaser · 18 Mar 2006 at 08:48

hi
I would lay money on it being a memory problem , try borrowing someones ram and see if that works

Six6siX · 19 Mar 2006 at 20:32

With regard to the non existance of recovery disks...

Most don't come with any form of physical recovery media anymore. The recovery system is on the hard drive and it is *usually* accessed by pressing F10 or F11 or something at boot.

You are given the option of creating your own recovery disks using some blank CD's / DVD's when you first turn the computer on(recommended incase the hdd dies).

ninja edit: advents aren't actually all that bad, I've used a few and they seem as good as any others....maybe I'v just been lucky?!

Mason64 · 19 Mar 2006 at 20:36

i had a problem like that once all i did was install windows 98 then once installed no drivers just installed xp over it. once 98 is booted up just put the xp disc in and it will ask to install!