laptop problem

[pmckinnie]

Hi, I have a Panasonic CF-71 that is giving me the following screen when I turn it on. Invalid system disk, replace the disk and then press any key.

What I want to do is install win 98 on it to use as an emergency services machine to be used for message transfer. At this time there is no operating system on the drive. There is about 10 gig hard drive in the machine.

I have tried to install win 98 second edition but I get the same screen every time. I even tried a win me disk that I know will boot from CD but nothing.

What will I have to do to get this machine going?? It has a CD drive but no floppy drive and no USB connection.

Thanks for your help.

cheers, mac

[Broni]

If there is no OS installed, Invalid system disk is a normal message.
Go to BIOS, and make sure, that CDROM is listed first in boot order.
Then, boot from CD.

[pmckinnie]

Broni,

I have gone there and tried to set the Bios to boot from CD. The only setting has the following, CDD/A:/C:. I have saved and rebooted but still get the invalid system.

cheers mac

[SpywareDr]

Did you try cleaning the CD drive with a commercial cleaner? (The lens may be dirty):
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...98504&CatId=41

[pmckinnie]

Well, this is odd. The machine doesn't see the bootable windows cd but does see a knoppix version 3.3 cd that you can run off the cd.. That shoulld mean some progress has been made. I hope as I would like to get this thing out of my hair and back to the PD where it is to be setup.

Will keep you informed as this may still be a problem.

Thanks

[Train]

Then it is time to clean the surface of the cd too.

Just warm water and liguid dish soap and use your finger tips to scrub it it. Rinse real well and air dry. I have also used 95+ 5 rubbing alcohol to clean the cds.

Even had to buy a plug in cleaner for dvds so i could get them to be read.

[pmckinnie]

Hi Train,

I have done the cleaning and no help. The strange, well maybe not is that I can boot the machine up using a knoppix 3.8 bootable disk but the machine will not see any bootable disk with windows installed on them.

Would there be a way to reformat the hard drive. There is no floppy drive in this machine, only a CD drive that windows CD's don't boot to?

cheers, mac

[Train]

Most of the hdd makers now have the diagnostic tools in ISO so you can make a bootable cd.
Use the Zero write FULL twice will bury lost of stuff and the disk surface will be set back to factory specs ready to start over .

DBAN works real good too.
http://dban.sourceforge.net/

mac, when you burn cds / dvds slow the burn down. I found that helps the lazer to read the cds.

I have made 98 bootable cds using the contents of a boot floppy which you have to attrib so you can see everything.

[pmckinnie]

Train,

I will look into that. Right now I am installing xandrows, a linux program, onto this machine that could not read any windows cd. I am looking for emcomm programs that run on linux but haven't found any yet.

I am going to try a windows CD now and see if that would work so I can duel boot . Maybe.

Will let you know what happens.

cheers mac

[pmckinnie]

Train,

Well!!!!!! I could not duel boot but I was able to get the XP CD to boot and install. Thats fine as all the programs I need to install for emergancy services are windows based anyway. Wow, what a pain this has been.

ACtually I was hoping to find the same programs that would work in linux but couldn't. Oh well, All the other members of the ARES group are all windows people anyway, so no big deal

Thanks for your help and reminding me of the DOS days.

cheers mac

[Train]

Glad you got something going there make. And i just remmebered, not many of the 98 SE versions were bootable. 98 was even worse.

Glad to hear something installed!

[pmckinnie]

Train,

Well it works fine. Now all I have to do is download the programs they want and get them installed.

The one I have to work on now is a windows 2000 computer and I can't get past the startup pass word even though they said all passwords were removed. Oh wellkeeps me from getting bored, what with the computers, ham radio and work 2 days a week. Feels like I am working more now than I was when I had a full time job.

What a life.

Thanks for the help.

Cheers mac

[Train]

Been right busy myself since I hung up the old 40 hour week.

Good luck!

[Sarrkazztic]

The password one is easy...use the clear cmos jumper or take the battery out for about 15 minutes....all will be well.

[Train]

Steve, it is a laptop.