Packard Bell IGO 2185 - Cannot install OS

  • Thread starter Thread starter ForceOfLing
  • Start date Start date
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ForceOfLing

Howdy,

I've been an idiot and seem to have bricked my laptop, anyone got any
ideas that could help me? please? :)

We have a Packard Bell IGO 2185 laptop purchased probably about 5
years ago. Quite often i have reformatted and re-installed our own
copy of Windows XP (not from the recovery CDs), however the last time
i did it, i really wasn't paying attention and before i could stop
myself i deleted what appears to be the wrong partition. I can't quite
remember what it was called, but it might have been "qboot" or
something like that. So now i have no partitions. I recreate the
partition for the OS, and attempt to install Windows XP. Half way
through it just freezes. No error message nothing, just freezes and
does jack all.

I tried installing a couple different distros of Linux, but they wont
install either, can't remember the exact results but i don't think the
install even started although again it just froze.

I have tried putting in a different hard disk, exactly the same
problem occurs.

Now, this partition i deleted, assuming its the cause of my problems,
is there any way of getting it back or getting around needing it? I
don't have the original recovery CDs, and i can't download them from
PB website as the damn serial number is half worn off the bottom so i
can't read it (PB website requires your serial number to login or
something). I can buy the recovery CDs from elsewhere if necessary,
but i'll need to know if they will restore the partition as well, or
if they depend on the partition being there to do the recovery?!

Have i truly screwed this up, or can i salvage the situation? Any help/
advice/smack is greatly appreciated :)

Cheers
Rich
 
Howdy,

I've been an idiot and seem to have bricked my laptop, anyone got any
ideas that could help me? please? :)

We have a Packard Bell IGO 2185 laptop purchased probably about 5
years ago. Quite often i have reformatted and re-installed our own
copy of Windows XP (not from the recovery CDs), however the last time
i did it, i really wasn't paying attention and before i could stop
myself i deleted what appears to be the wrong partition. I can't quite
remember what it was called, but it might have been "qboot" or
something like that. So now i have no partitions. I recreate the
partition for the OS, and attempt to install Windows XP. Half way
through it just freezes. No error message nothing, just freezes and
does jack all.
Click to expand...

Why are you continually reinstalling WinXP? Was the system
malfunctioning at the point when you decided to reinstall
XP? You might run memtest86+ for a few hours to see if the
memory is error-free and the system will run stabily for
this period of time.

The laptop may have had a recovery partition with a boot
loader, are you sure you have now deleted ALL partitions?
What did you use to delete them? When it came time to
create a partition, was the available capacity of the drive
what you expected it to be compared to the total capacity
the drive was supposed to have?

At what point does it freeze during XP installation? Is it
possible the disc is scratched or the optical drive is
failing to read it (drive itself might be shot)? Does it
always freeze at exactly the same point? Is that point
before, during, or after the system has rebooted upon
completion of the file copying stage?

I tried installing a couple different distros of Linux, but they wont
install either, can't remember the exact results but i don't think the
install even started although again it just froze.

I have tried putting in a different hard disk, exactly the same
problem occurs.
Click to expand...

OK, so the hard drive is ruled out. What if you create two
partitions on the hard drive, make both of them FAT32 (only
for the time being) with the first partition bootable to DOS
and loading Smartdrive (Google for the files and Howto for
that if necessary), and on the 2nd partition, copy the
entire WinXP CD's files (or at least the i386 folder &
contents). Next boot to dos and change directory running
the Winnt.exe from the I386 folder and see if the install
freezes at the same point or continues.
Now, this partition i deleted, assuming its the cause of my problems,
Click to expand...

That is not likely as you had the same problem with another
drive.

is there any way of getting it back or getting around needing it? I
don't have the original recovery CDs, and i can't download them from
PB website as the damn serial number is half worn off the bottom so i
can't read it (PB website requires your serial number to login or
something). I can buy the recovery CDs from elsewhere if necessary,
but i'll need to know if they will restore the partition as well, or
if they depend on the partition being there to do the recovery?!

Have i truly screwed this up, or can i salvage the situation? Any help/
advice/smack is greatly appreciated :)
Click to expand...


Are you sure you would've been able to download the recovery
CDs if you had the serial number? Here's what I see for the
download page per your system,
http://support.packardbell.com/uk/item/index.php?pn=P650016001&g=2000
It's quite common for OEMs to not have downloads for the
recovery CDs, but have you tried contacting PB to see if
they would send/sell them to you?

Since you are having what seems to be a similar problem with
two distinctly different OS, I would begin to suspect
something like a fan failure, dust buildup is reducing
airflow, etc, and it's overheating. I assume you have tried
the installation using both battery power and the AC-DC
adapter to rule out either of these factors.
 
Why are you continually reinstalling WinXP? Was the system
malfunctioning at the point when you decided to reinstall
XP? You might run memtest86+ for a few hours to see if the
memory is error-free and the system will run stabily for
this period of time.
Click to expand...

Well, when i say "often", i've probably reformatted this particular
laptop 4 or 5 times, not due to any problems, just to bloating and
general performance issues over time. Nothing like a freshly installed
machine :) The machine itself has been been reliable til now.
The laptop may have had a recovery partition with a boot
loader, are you sure you have now deleted ALL partitions?
What did you use to delete them? When it came time to
create a partition, was the available capacity of the drive
what you expected it to be compared to the total capacity
the drive was supposed to have?
Click to expand...

I'm fairly sure the partition i deleted was required in some way. I
used FDisk to clear the partitions. Capacity appeared to be correct,
HDD is 20GB, and new partition created ok for entire available space.
At what point does it freeze during XP installation? Is it
possible the disc is scratched or the optical drive is
failing to read it (drive itself might be shot)? Does it
always freeze at exactly the same point? Is that point
before, during, or after the system has rebooted upon
completion of the file copying stage?
Click to expand...

The files have finished copying from the CD, but the machine hasn't
yet rebooted into windows proper. I will try it again today and see
exactly what point it fails at. I can't be sure about the drive
itself, only that i've never had problems with it previously. The CD
shouldn't be the problem, as i have burnt off several different
copies, of a couple different XP versions (i have an MSDN
subscription)
What if you create two
partitions on the hard drive, make both of them FAT32 (only
for the time being) with the first partition bootable to DOS
and loading Smartdrive (Google for the files and Howto for
that if necessary), and on the 2nd partition, copy the
entire WinXP CD's files (or at least the i386 folder &
contents). Next boot to dos and change directory running
the Winnt.exe from the I386 folder and see if the install
freezes at the same point or continues.
Click to expand...

I will try this today and see what happens...
That is not likely as you had the same problem with another
drive.
Click to expand...

I meant it being the problem as in the partition is no longer there,
but the BIOS or something needs it to be. Although this would be
seriously crap on Packard Bells part, as people wouldn't be able to
upgrade their hard drives as the "special" partition would obviously
not exist on the new HDD
Are you sure you would've been able to download the recovery
CDs if you had the serial number? Here's what I see for the
download page per your system,http://support.packardbell.com/uk/item/index.php?pn=P650016001&g=2000
It's quite common for OEMs to not have downloads for the
recovery CDs, but have you tried contacting PB to see if
they would send/sell them to you?
Click to expand...

No, i'm not sure, i've just been and tried to find where i went
before. I was asked to enter my serial number for personal support, so
i might have been wrong there. I can get hold of the CDs if necessary
though, so will also try that.
Since you are having what seems to be a similar problem with
two distinctly different OS, I would begin to suspect
something like a fan failure, dust buildup is reducing
airflow, etc, and it's overheating. I assume you have tried
the installation using both battery power and the AC-DC
adapter to rule out either of these factors.
Click to expand...

I've tried it on the battery, without battery, on mains etc. Also
cleared the fan, and checked it. Spins freely, and operates correctly.

Thank you very much for your suggestions, i will give them all a try
and post back with results.

Many thanks :)

Rich
 
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