Thinkpad Boot Issue
Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Thinkpad Boot Issue

  1. November 18th, 2002, 12:42 PM #1
    Stalemate
    Stalemate is offline
    Registered User Stalemate's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2001
    Location
    d4-e5
    Posts
    15,120

    Thinkpad Boot Issue

    On a IBM Thinkpad 380ED, I cannot boot from CD or floppy.

    Booting from the hard drive gives me an "operating system not found" error, which I expected in this case, but no matter what I try I cannot boot from a CD-Rom or a floppy.

    I've used every combination of device sequence (HD-CD-Floppy, CD-Floppy-HD, etc - all permutations including each device on itsr own).

    The only option which gave me a partial boot was a Win98 CD from which I managed to get the boot menu from and then nothing more if I chose anything from it. (as an aside - anyone know how to bypass this boot menu to get a command prompt?).

    Floppies tried: Win98 Boot, Win98 SE Boot, IBM BIOS Update Boot, WinXP Boot.

    CDs tried: Win98, Win98 SE, WinNT4 Workstation.

    Any suggestions?

    Any idea what could be provoking this?
    Last edited by a d e p t; November 18th, 2002 at 05:24 PM.
    Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. -Douglas Adams
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  2. November 18th, 2002, 04:26 PM #2
    Matridom
    Matridom is offline
    Chat Operator Matridom's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    3,778
    well, sounds like your boot sector on the hdd is toast.

    turn the computer off. hold f1 down, then power up, you'll get in the bios, make sure the boot sequence is set properly.

    you may also want to take the drive out of the system and put it in a desktop via a laptop adapter and see if the drive itself is still good.
    <Ferrit> Take 1 live chicken, cut the head off, dance around doing the hokey pokey and chanting: GO AWAY BAD VIRUS, GO AWAY BAD VIRUS
    -----------------------
    Windows 7 Pro x64
    Asus P5QL Deluxe
    Intel Q6600
    nVidia 8800 GTS 320
    6 gigs of Ram
    2x60 gig OCZ Vertex SSD (raid 0)
    WD Black 750 gig
    Antec Tri power 750 Watt PSU
    Lots of fans
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  3. November 18th, 2002, 04:33 PM #3
    DANIMAL
    DANIMAL is offline
    Registered User DANIMAL's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2000
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    2,991
    you could suspect the floppy drive and cdrom too.

    here is some repair utilities,



    http://www.totalshareware.com/asp/li...tid=288&Page=2
    I hope that someday we will be able to put away our fears and prejudices and just laugh at people.
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  4. November 18th, 2002, 05:27 PM #4
    Stalemate
    Stalemate is offline
    Registered User Stalemate's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2001
    Location
    d4-e5
    Posts
    15,120
    Thanks Matridom - I was using the F1 command to switch between devices already.

    The HD's behaviour was already expected, as you also deduced.

    Any idea where a Canadian could get the adapter you describe online?

    Thanks to Danimal too, but I'm afraid those tools will only be useful once I get the laptop re-loaded again.
    Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. -Douglas Adams
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  5. November 18th, 2002, 06:51 PM #5
    orange
    orange is offline
    Registered User orange's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 1999
    Location
    Plymouth,UK
    Posts
    473

    Hard drive adapter

    Hi Adept,

    Try here for the basic cable or here for the bracket & cable.
    orange

    Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning -+- Rich Cook
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  6. November 19th, 2002, 08:23 PM #6
    Stalemate
    Stalemate is offline
    Registered User Stalemate's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2001
    Location
    d4-e5
    Posts
    15,120
    That's a good place to start - thanks Orange.
    Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. -Douglas Adams
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  7. November 19th, 2002, 11:29 PM #7
    Damned Angel
    Damned Angel is offline
    Registered User Damned Angel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 1999
    Location
    Winnipeg, MB
    Posts
    2,583
    I get mine from startech

    ingram and multimicro carry these and the sku #'s are listed when you look at the cdn prices.
    Last edited by Damned Angel; November 19th, 2002 at 11:31 PM.
    "we're all amateurs, it's just that some of us are more professional about it than others"
    ----George Carlin

    The above post is © Damned Angel 1999-Present
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  8. November 20th, 2002, 08:23 AM #8
    Matridom
    Matridom is offline
    Chat Operator Matridom's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    3,778
    Thinking back on this, i jhad a system the other week that would not boot from anything, it was a bad mainboard. Bios would work, would post no prob, but would hang when handing over the boot sequence.

    Had to replace the mainboard.. it may be something similar.
    <Ferrit> Take 1 live chicken, cut the head off, dance around doing the hokey pokey and chanting: GO AWAY BAD VIRUS, GO AWAY BAD VIRUS
    -----------------------
    Windows 7 Pro x64
    Asus P5QL Deluxe
    Intel Q6600
    nVidia 8800 GTS 320
    6 gigs of Ram
    2x60 gig OCZ Vertex SSD (raid 0)
    WD Black 750 gig
    Antec Tri power 750 Watt PSU
    Lots of fans
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  9. November 20th, 2002, 10:23 PM #9
    Stalemate
    Stalemate is offline
    Registered User Stalemate's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2001
    Location
    d4-e5
    Posts
    15,120
    I hope not.
    Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. -Douglas Adams
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Forum Rules