Linux saved my laptop

DeadBankClerk

Two weeks ago I tried to boot my laptop (Windows 2000). Instead of booting, my laptop decided to give me a 'special greeting'.

No operating system found.

I tried to resintall Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows 98, all to no avail. The hard disk seemed to be forgetting all about my partitions.

I got onto the manufacturers tech support people, and Dave told me to 'Put in the Windows CD and install according to the install guide on the website.'. So I told him a second time that my hard disk wasn't working, and he replied telling me to install Windows according to the install guide on their website.

Finally it was suggested to me by a friend to try and install a GNU/Linux distribution. I took home a copy of Redhat 9, and put in installation disk 1 and turned on the laptop.

The latop then started to talk to me.

Do you want to install Redhat?
Yes
Whoa! Your partiton table is all messed up! Do you want me to fix it?
Yes

With a default installation my laptop was running properly with both my touchpad and USB mouse. I even had a battery moniter in the lower right corner beside the clock.

The only thing that wasn't configured automagically was the extra volume and email buttons that my laptop has, but after a few minutes this evening I have X11 registering them properly.

Everything just works. I tried to install Windows again, but I have used up all my primary disk partitions. I have now no intention of installing Windows.

Linux = win.

mneylon

And some people like to knock linux.....

I had a similar experience last year when windows 'decided' that rather than recognise my network card it would uninstall TCP/IP.
Linux (Suse 7.*) didn't have any issues with it at all... so I ended up replacing my desktop for a few months.

sunbeam

Hmm, wonder if that would work on my old laptop.

It also gives me that 'special greeting' when I boot up, but has been running off a Knoppix disk for the past few months.

Knoppix won't mount the hard drive and I can't install it too it so I think I may be out of luck.

Typedef

In dos.

fdisk & delete all partitions.

reboot

fdisk again, create partitions

Install Windows.

---

In Linux

Simply fdisk and create the partition table as you wish it to be. Save this.

Format, and mount as desired.[1]
No reboot required.




Payment to my Camen Islands account


[1]Chicks dig Linux

henbane

If fdisk gives you problems

Download this and use it to make a boot floppy. Or just make a boot floppy in windows and copy debug.exe to the disk.

Boot from the floppy. The above image will ask about CD rom drivers. Pick NEC or none, don't really matter.

Then you be at a A:\ prompt

The system gives the xxxx:0100 stuff back, just type the txt after

A:\>debug <enter>
-F 200 L1000 0 <enter>
-A CS:100 <enter>
xxxx:0100 MOV AX,301 <enter>
xxxx:0103 MOV BX,200 <enter>
xxxx:0106 MOV CX,1 <enter>
xxxx:0109 MOV DX,80 <enter>

(80 for hd 0 or 81 for hd 1 )

xxxx:010C INT 13 <enter>
xxxx:010E INT 20 <enter>
xxxx:0110 <enter>
-g <enter>
Program terminated normally
-q<enter>

Reboot and hey presto no partition information. This writes 0s to the first track of the drive.

Fdisk should see a blank drive with no partitions unless it be dead. If you want to restore the partition information then use fdisk /mbr

Or maybe just compile the above with tasm and mail it your friends. OS stays in memory until the next reboot. FUN!

And if tech support ever be giving you guff about a disk working when you know it isn't do this and prove them wrong when fdisk don't see diddly.

echomadman

In dos.

fdisk & delete all partitions.

reboot

fdisk again, create partitions

Install Windows.

you missed a few reboots in there

Capt'n Midnight

[re] Or maybe just compile the above with tasm and mail it your friends. OS stays in memory until the next reboot. FUN! [/re]

Just use a word macro - 3 more holes today...

WORD http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-035.asp

WordPerfect Buffer http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-036.asp

VB Buffer http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-037.asp

xern

DeadBankClerk

What make of laptop do you have and did linux pick up the modem??

Typedef

Doubtful if it's a Winmodem.

You'd have to go an actually download the drivers from Lucent or Conexant for that!

oslin

For a details list of hardware on you laptop/desktop type in at the bash prompt
lspci -vvv

DeadBankClerk

Originally posted by xern
DeadBankClerk

What make of laptop do you have and did linux pick up the modem??

Pro-Star 5614 from http://www.amazinglaptops.com. They are unbranded laptops, made by the people that make AlienWare laptops.

I have not tried to use the modem. The network card works perfectly.

xern

Originally posted by DeadBankClerk
Pro-Star 5614 from http://www.amazinglaptops.com. They are unbranded laptops, made by the people that make AlienWare laptops.

I have not tried to use the modem. The network card works perfectly.

Cheers for that.

DeadBankClerk

My wireless card has no linux driver
Back to dual boot

commuterised

Originally posted by Typedef



[1]Chicks dig Linux

this chick does anyway

Typedef

You single[1]?





.... and rich

or easy?

[1]This point is inserted so as to diminish the sleaziness of this post, whether you are single or not, is actually of no concern... see points 2 & 3.

Capt'n Midnight

My wireless card has no linux driver

What type is it ?
Ok Centrino still ain't got drivers
And very few 802.11g are supported and neither are the 22Mb cards
But an 802.11b PCMCIA WiFi card still costs less than a copy of windows.

802.11b (11Mb) Orinoco cards are recomended for Linux clients
Also Branded as = Avaya / Wavelan / proxim / Lucent (symphony ?)
And Cloned as / entrasys / buffalo etc.

Or go for Prism II cards (they can also be used as AP's in HostAP mode)

DeadBankClerk

It's a wireless PCI 2100.

(One of the centrino ones afaik)
It's just a bog standard P4 processor though