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Weird Targa lappie problem

  • 24-05-2007 3:17pm
    #1
    lukin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,113 ✭✭✭


    I posted about this before, (see here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055074872&referrerid=&highlight=)it's a problem I have with a Targa laptop that I bought 2 years ago. Basically I can only use the hard drive that came with it.
    I am unable to take out the HD that came with it, stick in a new one and do a clean install of Windows on it.
    The laptop just shuts down in the middle of it, I've tried two different (brand new) drives on it since I posted about it, one a Toshiba, the other a Western Digital and neither works.
    I even tried two different XP discs and no go so I've given up on that now but I am wondering of this approach would work:
    If I gave the new HD and the Windows OS disc to a mate of mine who owns a laptop and asked him to take out the HD in his laptop and attach mine in it's place, would he be able to install the OS on the drive for me?
    If anyone has tried this they could tell me if it worked or not.


Comments

  • #2
    petes
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,382 ✭✭✭petes


    I wouldn't be quick to do that. I'll take a look at that thread in a sec, but basically if the laptop isn't picking up the hard drive with no os on it it's unlikely to see it with it installed.


  • #3
    lukin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,113 ✭✭✭lukin


    petes wrote:
    I wouldn't be quick to do that. I'll take a look at that thread in a sec, but basically if the laptop isn't picking up the hard drive with no os on it it's unlikely to see it with it installed.

    The laptop is detecting the hard drive, it just shuts down in the middle of the installlation of the OS (usually as it's doing the format but sometimes before it).


  • #4
    Tom Dunne
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,212 ✭✭✭✭Tom Dunne


    Right, here's what I would do.

    Boot up a Linux live CD and see if you have any problems.

    Then, if all is well, go ahead and install Linux onto the hard drive. You can always delete it later. At least this will tell you if the hardware is at fault, or your Windows CD is buggered.


  • #5
    lukin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,113 ✭✭✭lukin


    tom dunne wrote:
    Right, here's what I would do.

    Boot up a Linux live CD and see if you have any problems.

    Then, if all is well, go ahead and install Linux onto the hard drive. You can always delete it later. At least this will tell you if the hardware is at fault, or your Windows CD is buggered.

    If you mean by "hardware" the hard drive itself, I am certain there's nothing wrong with it, as I mentioned I tried two different drives and as I also mentioned I tried two different XP discs on each drive. The chances of both drives or both CD's being faulty are fairly slim I would imagine.
    It's a problem with the laptop itself; I rang Targa's tech support and he told me to make an image of my current OS and burn it to DVD and then install that on the new HD. An absolutley stupid suggestion as this is not a "clean" install.
    The only route left is to try and use someone else's laptop to install the OS on the drive (which is what I really want to know is possible). I am wondering if this drive will then work on my laptop?


  • #6
    Tom Dunne
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,212 ✭✭✭✭Tom Dunne


    lukin wrote:
    The only route left is to try and use someone else's laptop to install the OS on the drive

    No it's not.
    lukin wrote:
    I am wondering if this drive will then work on my laptop?

    Probably not, unless the two laptops are identical in every way.


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  • #7
    lukin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,113 ✭✭✭lukin


    tom dunne wrote:
    No it's not.

    Well I'm open to any suggestions you might have!


  • #8
    The Muppet
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,006 ✭✭✭✭The Muppet


    I would check the bios settings. Make sure the Laptop knows it is installing on a different hard disk.


  • #9
    Tom Dunne
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,212 ✭✭✭✭Tom Dunne


    lukin wrote:
    Well I'm open to any suggestions you might have!
    tom dunne wrote:
    Boot up a Linux live CD and see if you have any problems.

    Then, if all is well, go ahead and install Linux onto the hard drive. You can always delete it later. At least this will tell you if the hardware is at fault, or your Windows CD is buggered.

    :)


  • #10
    lukin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,113 ✭✭✭lukin


    I managed to install Windows XP on the new drive. When I previously tried to install it, the laptop powered off during the part of the installation that formats the drive. However, this time I chose "quick format" instead of the long format.
    This time the installation completed without any problems. It seems the "long" format of the drive was what causes it to turn off. I don't know why. I would ideally prefer to do the long format but seeing as the drive is brand new there is nothing on it anyway so it shouldn't really matter.


  • #11
    Johnny Storm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,992 ✭✭✭Johnny Storm


    Isn't there a 3 year warranty on those Targa Laptops? They might be able to help.


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  • #12
    lukin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,113 ✭✭✭lukin


    Johnny Storm wrote:
    Isn't there a 3 year warranty on those Targa Laptops? They might be able to help.

    Yeah I called their tech support but as I said earlier in the thread
    lukin wrote:

    I rang Targa's tech support and he told me to make an image of my current OS and burn it to DVD and then install that on the new HD. An absolutley stupid suggestion as this is not a "clean" install.

    I have a clean install of XP Pro on it now, I'll keep the old hd as backup.
    I'm still pissed that I bought a brand new drive for no reason though.


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