[24hoursupport] Re: A Proprietary system question
- From: "Beaney, Derek" <Derek.Beaney@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "'24hoursupport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'" <24hoursupport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 29 May 2003 15:32:21 -0400
normally the restore disks format the system and bring it back to the state
that the laptop left the factory
it sounds like u have the wrong restore disk.
laptop manufactures (gateway,compaq,hp) used to make the laptops so they
could only run on the os that came with the laptop. your only options were
using the restore disk to format the drive or upgrade the preexisting os.
the only way people could put a new operating system on was to call tech
support and have them send them a new bios (unlocking the os limitation) or
searching the net for ways to "hack" the system.
thank god this practice has stopped ... most newer laptops now don't have
this.
-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Allen [mailto:chizotz@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2003 1:49 AM
To: Doug Keller
Subject: [24hoursupport] Re: A Proprietary system question
Hello Doug,
OK, if you replaced the battery and the machine booted and Windows
tried to start but failed because of missing .dll files then the hard
drive was not reformatted. Reformatting the drive erases everything on
it, and so there would be no operating system to tell you that files
were missing.
When you say a screw was missing from the hard drive, do you mean from
the mounting or from the case of the drive itself? Hard drives do not
contain any user-serviceable parts, but someone who doesn't know any
better (or doesn't care anymore if they break the drive) can take one
apart if they try. Taking a hard drive apart, even loosening the
cover, will almost certainly damage or destroy it.
However it sounds to me that what is needed is to reformat the drive
and reinstall Windows from scratch. That should clear up all of your
problems, assuming that the hardware is actually all good. The restore
disk, is it the one that actually came with the computer? Restore
disks are truly awful because they typically don't give you many or
any options, and they are also typically designed for the exact system
as it came from the factory and nothing else. If possible, reformat
the drive and install Windows from a real Windows CD. If you're stuck
with using the restore CD, definitely reformat the drive and don't
just do an install over the existing drive contents.
Good luck, and ask if you have more questions.
Ron
Wednesday, May 28, 2003, 8:42:44 PM, you wrote:
DK> I had someone bring me a dead Gateway Astro. The place they
DK> had previously taken it had had it apart, lost about half of
DK> the screws, then told them it had to be sent back to Gateway.
DK> I took it apart and the battery was dead. Put a new one in and
DK> it came up with a bunch of missing .dll's, etc. There was a
DK> screw missing from the HD and at a closer look, it appeared
DK> that it had been removed for some reason. I surmise that
DK> someone had reformatted the HD. I managed to get windows 98
DK> back on it, and got it to come up with the "restore" disk, but
DK> now it says:
DK> "While initializing device CONFIGMG:
DK> Windows Protection Error. You need to restart your computer."
DK> Well, when you restart, it will go to safe mode, but if you
DK> try to reboot back into normal, it will say it has repaired a
DK> registry error and then lockup. Any ideas or suggestions will
DK> be GREATLY appreciated, as I'm getting sick of messing with
DK> it.
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