Install new hd in laptop

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pompey©
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Pompey©

Hi
Ive just put a new 20gb hard (was 5gb) drive in a HP omnibook XE 2.. trying
now to install Xp but cd wont boot and all i get on screen is a A prompt...
grateful for any help thanks

Pentium 3
128mb ram
Dar
 
It sounds as though your computer is trying boot up on a drive with no
operating system (quite understandable as your hard disk drive is new).

As you boot up keep you finger on <del> (it may be <f1>, <f2> or some other
key). This will give you the CMOS settings screen. Be very careful about
changing anything here. Best do nothing if your are unsure and, possibly,
opt for "exit without saving" if it all goes wrong.

CMOS screens differ a lot. Look for the option to change boot up sequence
and change this so that the first option is the CD / DVD drive. With the CD
in the tray, save the changes and the computer will look first to the CD and
run the XP install program.

When this has completed, remember to go into the CMOS settings screen and
change the boot up sequence and change the first option to hard disk drive.

Regards.

Bill Ridgeway
Computer Solutions
 
Pompey© said:
Hi
Ive just put a new 20gb hard (was 5gb) drive in a HP omnibook XE 2..
trying now to install Xp but cd wont boot and all i get on screen is
a A prompt... grateful for any help thanks

Pentium 3
128mb ram
Dar
Click to expand...

Forget installing XP on that - you've far too little RAM and a 20GB drive
isn't nearly enough either. Suggest you quadruple the RAM at the very least.
 
Miss said:
Forget installing XP on that - you've far too little RAM and a 20GB
drive isn't nearly enough either. Suggest you quadruple the RAM at the
very least.
Click to expand...

Miss Tick is correct in that you don't have enough RAM. I think a 20GB
drive is sufficient, however. It really depends on what you are going
to use the computer for. The main problem you will have (aside from the
RAM) is that laptops have extremely proprietary hardware and special
laptop software as well. You will need to make sure you have drivers
and software for XP - look on HP's website for your specific machine.

It also sounds like your machine is not set to boot from the cd drive
but from the floppy, and that is why the cd won't boot. Go into the
BIOS and set the machine to boot from the cd drive.

Malke
 
Pompey, et al,
It is just possible that the age of the portable is such that booting from
the cd is not an option. If this is the case then a boot floppy with the cd
rom drivers would be needed.
Not sure if the XP CD would be happy to start this way as I have not tried
it that way.
Richard
 
Richard said:
Pompey, et al,
It is just possible that the age of the portable is such that booting
from
the cd is not an option. If this is the case then a boot floppy with
the cd rom drivers would be needed.
Not sure if the XP CD would be happy to start this way as I have not
tried it that way.
Richard
Click to expand...

That's a good point, Richard. If the computer is so old that it can't
boot from the cd drive, it is too old to run XP and should be left to
run Win98 in peace.

Malke
 
I agree with Miss P. you dont want XP on a pc with only 128 ram. Put
win98SE on that puppy for best results.
 
I have a computer with 128ram. XP will run just fine with it.
20gb isn't bad either. They sell brand new computers with 30gb on it.
Minimum to install is 1.5.

Just make sure the boot sequence is set up to run with CD first, if not you
can get a bootdisk; you can try www.bootdisk.com . Before upgrading it
though, do make sure to know what hardware isn't compatible with XP and try
to download the drivers before hand; esp. network.

bob
 
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