Can't install XP...

  • Thread starter Thread starter JCW
  • Start date Start date
J

JCW

I am trying to install XP onto an older Notebook but I can't get the BIOS to
recognize the new HD. Can someone tell me where I might go to get step by
step procedure for flashing the BIOS and install the new HD. System
information:
Multimedia Notebook Model 66 ver.1.00.1.20 PM5+
(in small print CLEVO Model 660)
266 MHz
SystemSoft Plug and Play BIOS ver. 1.17.01
SN: N827NTA0-0013
This is my elderly Mother-in-Law and I would really like to get this
functioning for her. Any directions would greatly appreciated. This is
probably the wrong NG but I am trying anyway. Thanks in advance...

JCW
 
You are trying to load it on a computer that barely meets the min.
requirements and possibly could run into some deeper problems if you ever do
get it to start the installation process.

Windows XP Home Edition System Requirements
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/evaluation/sysreqs.mspx

--
Good Day
River Rat




I am trying to install XP onto an older Notebook but I can't get the BIOS to
recognize the new HD. Can someone tell me where I might go to get step by
step procedure for flashing the BIOS and install the new HD. System
information:
Multimedia Notebook Model 66 ver.1.00.1.20 PM5+
(in small print CLEVO Model 660)
266 MHz
SystemSoft Plug and Play BIOS ver. 1.17.01
SN: N827NTA0-0013
This is my elderly Mother-in-Law and I would really like to get this
functioning for her. Any directions would greatly appreciated. This is
probably the wrong NG but I am trying anyway. Thanks in advance...

JCW
 
In JCW <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:
I am trying to install XP onto an older Notebook but I can't get the
BIOS to recognize the new HD. Can someone tell me where I might go to
get step by step procedure for flashing the BIOS and install the new
HD. System information:
Multimedia Notebook Model 66 ver.1.00.1.20 PM5+
(in small print CLEVO Model 660)
266 MHz
SystemSoft Plug and Play BIOS ver. 1.17.01
SN: N827NTA0-0013
This is my elderly Mother-in-Law and I would really like to get this
functioning for her. Any directions would greatly appreciated. This is
probably the wrong NG but I am trying anyway. Thanks in advance...

JCW
Click to expand...

This would be the right newsgroup I suppose. Anyhow, I doubt that flashing
the BIOS would help unless you've upgraded to a larger drive and need 48 bit
LBA (logical block addressing used in very large drives) and you didn't
mention that you had so I'm guessing that you probably didn't. I take it
that when you insert the XP CD and boot, selecting to boot from CD is an
option, and when chosen you go through the installation menu and reach a
point where it tells you that there's no hard drive? Assuming you have the
drive in place already and everything is hooked up then you might simply
need to enter the BIOS setup (perhaps F2 seems to be common for some laptops
but it could be any key like the delete key and this would be pressed during
the initial startup phase) and set the settings to auto discover and
configure the HDD. If this is a very large drive then you may indeed need to
update the BIOS. If this is indeed the case then Google tells me that this
is an Intel chipset. During boot it should also tell you the version of the
BIOS.

Head here to see if there is indeed an update still available (this laptop
was probably made sometime in the 1998 or so) on the server though I doubt
very much that it is.

http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df-external/Support_Intel.aspx

Should that NOT work and you're fluent in German... Err... I'll get a
translation for you...

Try this site:

http://translate.google.com/transla...update&num=100&hl=en&lr=&newwindow=1&safe=off

That is NOT, from the looks of things, anything more than driver updates and
I don't know if it's a BIOS flash included or not. Somehow I doubt that it
is. However, clicking said link and rooting about through their site might
be the help you need so I thought I'd offer it.

Galen
--

"And that recommendation, with the exaggerated estimate of my ability
with which he prefaced it, was, if you will believe me, Watson, the
very first thing which ever made me feel that a profession might be
made out of what had up to that time been the merest hobby."

Sherlock Holmes
 
I doubled the RAM and although the CPU would be slow relatively speaking, if
I could get the 20 gb hard drive to install I think the parameters would be
met minimally and operation using XP would be possible. I thank you for your
input.

JCW
 
I am trying to install a 20 gb hard drive due to the fact that 2 gbs total
aren't nearly enough to accomadate XP. Flashing the BIOS is needed in order
for the new HD to be "seen" but as it is now the new drive doesn't get
recognized when I boot the computer. The BIOS is SystemSoft and the company
has changed hands and they don't support End User. SO I am at a loss.
 
In JCW <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:
I am trying to install a 20 gb hard drive due to the fact that 2 gbs
total aren't nearly enough to accomadate XP. Flashing the BIOS is
needed in order for the new HD to be "seen" but as it is now the new
drive doesn't get recognized when I boot the computer. The BIOS is
SystemSoft and the company has changed hands and they don't support
End User. SO I am at a loss.
Click to expand...

Assuming the jumper's properly set to be master, if applicable, you should
only need to enter the BIOS Setup Utility during boot and auto-select the
drive and it should recognize it. If worse comes to worse you might be able
to get away with removing the CMOS battery and when it's configured again it
should find the new drive.

Galen
--

"And that recommendation, with the exaggerated estimate of my ability
with which he prefaced it, was, if you will believe me, Watson, the
very first thing which ever made me feel that a profession might be
made out of what had up to that time been the merest hobby."

Sherlock Holmes
 
In an effort to accomplish this task I will add that this Notebook works OK
as it is but the 2 gb hard doesn't facilitate much as far as program and
data storage and having upgraded the memory ( which I probably should have
waited to do) already and purchased XP Pro I can't believe that someone in
these fantastic NG's can help me find a way to flash or update this BIOS so
it will recognize the 20 gb hard drive. SystemSoft SCU evidently isn't
around anymore so maybe I am out of luck, but my fingers are crossed and I
am grateful for any help...

JCW
 
Bios and drivers for notebooks/laptops are usually specific to the PC
manufacture, if the PC manu. is no longer around you may be out of luck, on
both bios and drivers.
Buy a second user sys.
 
What is a "User System" pardon my ignorance. I have the original Manual and
driver cd but no BIOS. Thanks again

JCW
 
He may mean a second hand used system. But anyway that other unit would
only be useful as a doorstop if you could manage to even get XP on it.
 
I'm not sure why you would say something like that , maybe because you don't
have an answer to the problem and you felt the need to say something even it
serves no purpose. The system works fine and all I want to do is upgrade the
BIOS so it will recognize a bigger HD.
PEACE

JCW
 
Not to be blunt, but the issue is NOT a Windows XP issue, and Microsoft
doesn't write drivers for motherboards. Now IF you "managed" to get a
BIOS (which would be specific to that laptop and provided by the vendor)
AND got NEW motherboard drivers(which would be specific to that laptop
and AGAIN provided by the vendor). If the VENDOR has no intention of
doing this, then it is not going to happen.
 
Back
Top