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CPR on an old laptop
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Joe Zeff
May 5, 2012, 4:02:05 PM5/5/12
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A friend of mine was recently given an old laptop because he doesn't have
any other computer and can't afford to buy one. It has XP installed, but
only boots to the "XP failed to load" screen. It doesn't matter which
option you pick, you eventually end up back at the same place. As it's
known to have only 256 MB RAM, I tried booting from a recent version of
Puppy Linux, as it's designed for older, smaller computers.
Once booted, I learned that it has two small partitions, with XP loaded
on the second. (I gather this is pretty normal now.) Checking, I found
a boot.log, but it only reported loading himem.sys, and hadn't been
modified since Oct. 2004. I was also able to run a Linux program that
examines the hardware and had it write a report to a thumb drive for
future reference. As my friend wants to use this laptop for Netfix,
which doesn't play nice with Linux, installing Puppy instead of XP isn't
an option unless there's no other choice. (I may be a Linux geek, but
it's his computer, and I'm not the type to force my personal preferences
down other people's throat.)
What we'll probably have to do is find an XP CD and reinstall. I only
have access to the computer at a private club we both belong to, and only
at the weekly meetings. What I'd like to know is, will the various
drivers XP is going to need be on that first partition, will I have to
find them via Google, or if the reinstall will be able to use whatever
copies are already there. It's been too many years since I did this type
of thing on a Windows installation and I've forgotten most of the details.
--
Joe Zeff -- The Guy With The Sideburns:
http://www.zeff.us http://www.lasfs.info
Well, clearly I've lost the ability to tell whether I am
dreaming or am in the "real world". That's why I'm here.
any other computer and can't afford to buy one. It has XP installed, but
only boots to the "XP failed to load" screen. It doesn't matter which
option you pick, you eventually end up back at the same place. As it's
known to have only 256 MB RAM, I tried booting from a recent version of
Puppy Linux, as it's designed for older, smaller computers.
Once booted, I learned that it has two small partitions, with XP loaded
on the second. (I gather this is pretty normal now.) Checking, I found
a boot.log, but it only reported loading himem.sys, and hadn't been
modified since Oct. 2004. I was also able to run a Linux program that
examines the hardware and had it write a report to a thumb drive for
future reference. As my friend wants to use this laptop for Netfix,
which doesn't play nice with Linux, installing Puppy instead of XP isn't
an option unless there's no other choice. (I may be a Linux geek, but
it's his computer, and I'm not the type to force my personal preferences
down other people's throat.)
What we'll probably have to do is find an XP CD and reinstall. I only
have access to the computer at a private club we both belong to, and only
at the weekly meetings. What I'd like to know is, will the various
drivers XP is going to need be on that first partition, will I have to
find them via Google, or if the reinstall will be able to use whatever
copies are already there. It's been too many years since I did this type
of thing on a Windows installation and I've forgotten most of the details.
--
Joe Zeff -- The Guy With The Sideburns:
http://www.zeff.us http://www.lasfs.info
Well, clearly I've lost the ability to tell whether I am
dreaming or am in the "real world". That's why I'm here.
philo
May 5, 2012, 10:47:10 PM5/5/12
to
On 05/05/2012 03:02 PM, Joe Zeff wrote:
> A friend of mine was recently given an old laptop because he doesn't have
> any other computer and can't afford to buy one. It has XP installed, but
> only boots to the "XP failed to load" screen. It doesn't matter which
> option you pick, you eventually end up back at the same place. As it's
> known to have only 256 MB RAM, I tried booting from a recent version of
> Puppy Linux, as it's designed for older, smaller computers.
>
> Once booted, I learned that it has two small partitions, with XP loaded
> on the second. (I gather this is pretty normal now.) Checking, I found
> a boot.log, but it only reported loading himem.sys, and hadn't been
> modified since Oct. 2004. I was also able to run a Linux program that
> examines the hardware and had it write a report to a thumb drive for
> future reference. As my friend wants to use this laptop for Netfix,
> which doesn't play nice with Linux, installing Puppy instead of XP isn't
> an option unless there's no other choice. (I may be a Linux geek, but
> it's his computer, and I'm not the type to force my personal preferences
> down other people's throat.)
>
> What we'll probably have to do is find an XP CD and reinstall. I only
> have access to the computer at a private club we both belong to, and only
> at the weekly meetings. What I'd like to know is, will the various
> drivers XP is going to need be on that first partition, will I have to
> find them via Google, or if the reinstall will be able to use whatever
> copies are already there. It's been too many years since I did this type
> of thing on a Windows installation and I've forgotten most of the details.
>
Try a repair install
> A friend of mine was recently given an old laptop because he doesn't have
> any other computer and can't afford to buy one. It has XP installed, but
> only boots to the "XP failed to load" screen. It doesn't matter which
> option you pick, you eventually end up back at the same place. As it's
> known to have only 256 MB RAM, I tried booting from a recent version of
> Puppy Linux, as it's designed for older, smaller computers.
>
> Once booted, I learned that it has two small partitions, with XP loaded
> on the second. (I gather this is pretty normal now.) Checking, I found
> a boot.log, but it only reported loading himem.sys, and hadn't been
> modified since Oct. 2004. I was also able to run a Linux program that
> examines the hardware and had it write a report to a thumb drive for
> future reference. As my friend wants to use this laptop for Netfix,
> which doesn't play nice with Linux, installing Puppy instead of XP isn't
> an option unless there's no other choice. (I may be a Linux geek, but
> it's his computer, and I'm not the type to force my personal preferences
> down other people's throat.)
>
> What we'll probably have to do is find an XP CD and reinstall. I only
> have access to the computer at a private club we both belong to, and only
> at the weekly meetings. What I'd like to know is, will the various
> drivers XP is going to need be on that first partition, will I have to
> find them via Google, or if the reinstall will be able to use whatever
> copies are already there. It's been too many years since I did this type
> of thing on a Windows installation and I've forgotten most of the details.
>
--
https://www.createspace.com/3707686
Joe Zeff
May 5, 2012, 11:07:33 PM5/5/12
to
On Sat, 05 May 2012 21:47:10 -0500, philo wrote:
> Try a repair install
Thanx. That sounds like what I was hoping for.
The price of a barrel of crude oil has gone past crude
all the way to absolutely obscene.
> Try a repair install
Thanx. That sounds like what I was hoping for.
The price of a barrel of crude oil has gone past crude
all the way to absolutely obscene.
philo
May 6, 2012, 7:30:31 AM5/6/12
to
On 05/05/2012 10:07 PM, Joe Zeff wrote:
> On Sat, 05 May 2012 21:47:10 -0500, philo wrote:
>
>> Try a repair install
>
> Thanx. That sounds like what I was hoping for.
>
Hope it works.
> On Sat, 05 May 2012 21:47:10 -0500, philo wrote:
>
>> Try a repair install
>
> Thanx. That sounds like what I was hoping for.
>
If not, you can install Windows in another folder
and get the drivers from the old installation
--
https://www.createspace.com/3707686
gufus
May 9, 2012, 3:09:27 PM5/9/12
to
philo <ph...@privacy.net> wrote:
> Hope it works.
> If not, you can install Windows in another folder
> and get the drivers from the old installation
Good advice..
> Hope it works.
> If not, you can install Windows in another folder
> and get the drivers from the old installation
--
gufus
... Learn to pause--or nothing worthwhile can catch up to you.
tuffyhills79
May 24, 2012, 3:33:57 AM5/24/12
to
Hello,
I tried this on my system but it is still not working. Please help !!!
--
tuffyhills79
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